What is Issue?

Working with date time field is most challenging task in MS CRM. Many times user sees the Date time in record which is different on the email he received or on some where it is populated and he reports the issue. Date time on the records should be consistent through out the MS CRM application. If record is used on some other entity or web-resource with that date time field, It should be exactly matching to the actual date time on record which is visible to user.

The Reason-

The reason behind this issue on timezone of the user and CRM application. At the time of execution of some server side code, it will always give you the date time in CRM server timezone. And if CRM application is going to used wordwide or from multiple timezones these date time fields might show mismatch data.

Solution-

One solution for this is to make all the user time zone similar to the server timezone. But when any javascript populates some date time field this might cause wrong date time.

Example: User is working from India and the Crm Server is placed in UK. User sets his timezone to UK timezone. but if any javascript is populating current date and time in record it will be Indian time which will be +5.30 hrs ahead. This data created is wrong at this time.

Another solution is to handle this date time things in code itself.

In Code we can perform following steps-

1. Get user’s personal setting like – date time form, timezone information, locale informtion.
2. Convert date time according to user setting.
3. format this date time in user setting format.
4. Set this updated date time on your desired place.

Now in both server side and client side how to handle it?

Server side code

Server side you need only 2 requests –

1. LocalTimeFromUtcTimeRequest
2. UtcTimeFromLocalTimeRequest

And UserSettings entity for Timezone Code.

using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query;
using System;

namespace TestConsoleApp
{
    class TestLogic
    {
        int? _timeZoneCode = 83;
        public void YourLogic(IOrganizationService service, Object parameter = null) {
            //get user's timezone-
            _timeZoneCode = RetrieveUsersTimeZoneCode(service);
            
            //datetime Value 
            DateTime scheduledStartDate=DateTime.Now;
            Console.WriteLine(scheduledStartDate.ToString());
         
            //Convert to User Local Time
            DateTime dt =scheduledStartDate.ToUniversalTime();
            DateTime UserLocalTime=RetrieveLocalTimeFromUTCTime(service, dt,_timeZoneCode);

            //convert to server Time
            DateTime serverTime =RetrieveUTCTimeFromLocalTime(service, UserLocalTime, _timeZoneCode);
            
            Console.Read();
        }

        public int? RetrieveUsersTimeZoneCode(IOrganizationService service, EntityReference user = null)
        {

            ConditionExpression cd = null;
            if (user == null)
                cd = new ConditionExpression("systemuserid", ConditionOperator.EqualUserId);
            else
                cd = new ConditionExpression("systemuserid", ConditionOperator.Equal, user.Id);

            var currentUserSettings = service.RetrieveMultiple(
            new QueryExpression("usersettings")
            {
                ColumnSet = new ColumnSet("localeid", "timezonecode"),
                Criteria = new FilterExpression
                {
                    Conditions = { cd }
                }
            }).Entities[0].ToEntity();
            return (int?)currentUserSettings.Attributes["timezonecode"];
        }

        public DateTime RetrieveLocalTimeFromUTCTime(IOrganizationService service, DateTime utcTime, int? timeZoneCode)
        {
            if (!timeZoneCode.HasValue)
                return utcTime;

            var request = new LocalTimeFromUtcTimeRequest
            {
                TimeZoneCode = timeZoneCode.Value,
                UtcTime = utcTime.ToUniversalTime()
            };

            var response = (LocalTimeFromUtcTimeResponse)service.Execute(request);

            return response.LocalTime;
        }

        public DateTime RetrieveUTCTimeFromLocalTime(IOrganizationService service, DateTime localTime, int? timeZoneCode)
        {
            if (!timeZoneCode.HasValue)
                return DateTime.Now;

            var request = new UtcTimeFromLocalTimeRequest
            {
                TimeZoneCode = timeZoneCode.Value,
                LocalTime = localTime
            };

            var response = (UtcTimeFromLocalTimeResponse)service.Execute(request);
            return response.UtcTime;
        }
    }
}

Client side code

In Javascripts, You need to play around UserSettings, LanguageLocale, TimezoneDefinition entities.

//array of all unique timezone offsets
var allTimeZones = { "(GMT+01:00)": "Africa/Algiers", "(GMT+02:00)": "Europe/Tirane", "(GMT+03:00)": "Europe/Mariehamn", "(GMT+04:00)": "Asia/Yerevan", "(GMT+04:30)": "Asia/Kabul", "(GMT+05:00)": "Antarctica/Mawson", "(GMT+05:30)": "Asia/Kolkata", "(GMT+05:45)": "Asia/Kathmandu", "(GMT+06:00)": "Antarctica/Vostok", "(GMT+06:30)": "Indian/Cocos", "(GMT+07:00)": "Antarctica/Davis", "(GMT+08:00)": "Antarctica/Casey", "(GMT+08:45)": "Australia/Eucla", "(GMT+09:00)": "Asia/Dili", "(GMT+09:30)": "Australia/Adelaide", "(GMT+10:00)": "Antarctica/DumontDUrville", "(GMT+10:00)": "Australia/Brisbane", "(GMT+10:30)": "Australia/Lord_Howe", "(GMT+11:00)": "Antarctica/Macquarie", "(GMT+12:00)": "Antarctica/McMurdo", "(GMT+12:45)": "Pacific/Chatham", "(GMT+13:00)": "Pacific/Enderbury", "(GMT+14:00)": "Pacific/Kiritimati", "(GMT-01:00)": "Atlantic/Cape_Verde", "(GMT-02:00)": "America/Noronha", "(GMT-02:30)": "America/St_Johns", "(GMT-03:00)": "Antarctica/Palmer", "(GMT-04:00)": "America/Anguilla", "(GMT-05:00)": "America/Eirunepe", "(GMT-06:00)": "America/Belize", "(GMT-07:00)": "America/Creston", "(GMT-08:00)": "Pacific/Pitcairn", "(GMT-09:00)": "Pacific/Gambier", "(GMT-09:30)": "Pacific/Marquesas", "(GMT-10:00)": "Pacific/Rarotonga", "(GMT-11:00)": "Pacific/Pago_Pago", "(GMT)": "Africa/Lome" };

//call this function to get user date in concerted format.
var GetTimeInCurrentUserZoneAndFormat=function(xrm,new_startdate) {
    //example : I have fetched new_startdate using REST Api and  new_startdate = 2019-08-30T10:00:00+01:00  
    var d = new Date(new_startdate);
    //step 1: Get user Date and Time format which he selected in Personal settings of CRM
    var dtFormat = GetDateandTimeSettingsOfUser(xrm);
    //step 2: convert Date to user local date.
    var userLocalDate = convertTimetoSpecificTimeZone(xrm, dtFormat.timeZone, dtFormat.localeId)
    // step 3: now convert date time format in user format 
    var convertedDateTime = ConvertDateInFormat(d, dtFormat.dateformat, dtFormat.dSeparator, dtFormat.timeFormat, dtFormat.tSeparator);

    return convertedDateTime; 
}

//get user's personal setting 
var GetDateandTimeSettingsOfUser = function (xrm) {
    var recordId = xrm.Page.context.getUserId();
    recordId = recordId.replace(/[{}]/g, "");
    var format = { dateformat: null, dSeparator: null, timeFormat: null, tSeparator: null, timeZone: null, localeId: null };
    var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
    req.open("GET", xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl() + "/api/data/v9.0/usersettingscollection?$select=dateformatstring,dateseparator,timeformatstring,timeseparator,localeid,timezonecode&$filter=systemuserid eq " + recordId, false);
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json");
    req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8");
    req.setRequestHeader("Prefer", "odata.include-annotations=\"*\"");
    req.onreadystatechange = function () {
        if (this.readyState === 4) {
            req.onreadystatechange = null;
            if (this.status === 200) {
                var results = JSON.parse(this.response);
                for (var i = 0; i < results.value.length; i++) {
                    format.dateformat = results.value[i]["dateformatstring"];
                    format.dSeparator = results.value[i]["dateseparator"];
                    format.timeFormat = results.value[i]["timeformatstring"];
                    format.tSeparator = results.value[i]["timeseparator"];
                    format.localeId = results.value[i]["localeid"];
                    format.timeZone = results.value[i]["timezonecode"];
                }
            }
            else {
                Xrm.Utility.alertDialog(this.statusText);
            }
        }
    };
    req.send();
    return format;
}

//start converting time to user local time
var convertTimetoSpecificTimeZone = function (xrm, date, _timezonecode, _localeid) {
    var timeZoneName = getTimeZoneStandartName(xrm, _timezonecode);
    var localeCode = getLocaleCode(xrm, _localeid);

    var GMTCode = timeZoneName.uiName.substring(0, 11);


    var newDate = date.toLocaleString(localeCode, { timeZone: allTimeZones[GMTCode] });

    return newDate;

}
var getTimeZoneStandartName = function (xrm, _timezoneCode) {
    var TimeZoneName = { standardName: "Greenwich Standard Time", uiName: "(GMT+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik" }
    var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
    req.open("GET", xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl() + "/api/data/v9.0/timezonedefinitions?$select=standardname,timezonecode,userinterfacename&$filter=timezonecode eq " + _timezoneCode, false);
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json");
    req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8");
    req.setRequestHeader("Prefer", "odata.include-annotations=\"*\"");
    req.onreadystatechange = function () {
        if (this.readyState === 4) {
            req.onreadystatechange = null;
            if (this.status === 200) {
                var results = JSON.parse(this.response);
                for (var i = 0; i < results.value.length; i++) {
                    TimeZoneName.standardName = results.value[i]["standardname"];
                    TimeZoneName.uiName = results.value[i]["userinterfacename"];
                }
            } else {
                xrm.Utility.alertDialog(this.statusText);
            }
        }
    };
    req.send();
    return TimeZoneName;
}


var getLocaleCode = function (xrm, _localeId) {
    var code = "en-us";
    var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
    req.open("GET", xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl() + "/api/data/v9.0/languagelocale?$select=code,localeid&$filter=localeid eq " + _localeId, false);
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");
    req.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json");
    req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8");
    req.setRequestHeader("Prefer", "odata.include-annotations=\"*\"");
    req.onreadystatechange = function () {
        if (this.readyState === 4) {
            req.onreadystatechange = null;
            if (this.status === 200) {
                var results = JSON.parse(this.response);
                for (var i = 0; i < results.value.length; i++) {
                    code = results.value[i]["code"];
                    var localeid = results.value[i]["localeid"];
                    var localeid_formatted = results.value[i]["localeid@OData.Community.Display.V1.FormattedValue"];
                }
            } else {
                xrm.Utility.alertDialog(this.statusText);
            }
        }
    };
    req.send();
    return code;
}

//to convert date time in particular format use the below function
//You can add more cases if you required more formats.	
var ConvertDateInFormat = function (date, dateFormat, dateSeperator, timeformat, timeSeperator) {
    if (dateFormat === void 0) { dateFormat = "M/d/yyyy"; }
    if (dateSeperator === void 0) { dateSeperator = "/"; }
    if (timeformat === void 0) { timeformat = "HH:mm"; }
    if (timeSeperator === void 0) { timeSeperator = ":"; }
    var daysShortW = ["Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat"];
    var daysLongW = ["Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"];
    var monthLongW = ["January", "February", "March", "April", "May", "june", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"];
    var monthShortW = ["Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sept", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"];
    var M = date.getMonth();
    var dd = date.getDate();
    var y = date.getFullYear();
    var day = date.getDay();
    var H = date.getHours();
    var m = date.getMinutes();
    var s = date.getSeconds();
    var ms = date.getMilliseconds();
    var formatedDateTime = date.toLocaleString();
    var formattedDateString = "";
    var formattedTimeString = "";
    switch (dateFormat) {
        case "MM/dd/yyyy":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            formattedDateString = [month, dt, "" + y].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "dd/MM/yyyy":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            formattedDateString = [dt, month, "" + y].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "M/d/yyyy":
            formattedDateString = ["" + (M + 1), "" + dd, "" + y].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "dd/MMM/yy":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = [dt, monthShortW[M], year].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "M/d/yy":
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = ["" + (M + 1), "" + dd, year].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "d/M/yy":
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = ["" + dd, "" + (M + 1), year].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "MM/dd/yy":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = [month, dt, year].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "dd/MM/yy":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = [dt, month, year].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "yy/MM/dd":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            var year = "" + y;
            year = year.substring(2, 4);
            formattedDateString = [year, month, dt].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
        case "yyyy/MM/dd":
            var dt = "" + dd;
            if (dt.length < 2)
                dt = '0' + dt;
            var month = "" + (M + 1);
            if (month.length < 2)
                month = '0' + month;
            formattedDateString = ["" + y, month, dt].join(dateSeperator);
            break;
    }
    var hours = "" + H;
    if (hours.length < 2)
        hours = "0" + hours;
    var minutes = "" + m;
    if (minutes.length < 2)
        minutes = "0" + minutes;
    switch (timeformat) {
        case "HH:mm":
            formattedTimeString = [hours, minutes].join(timeSeperator);
            break;
        case "H:mm":
            formattedTimeString = ["" + H, minutes].join(timeSeperator);
            break;
        case "hh:mm tt":
            var td = hours + ":" + minutes + ":00";
            formattedTimeString = this.timeConvertToAMPM(td, "hh:mm tt");
            break;
        case "h:mm tt":
            var td = hours + ":" + minutes + ":00";
            formattedTimeString = this.timeConvertToAMPM(td, "h:mm tt");
            break;
    }
    if (formattedDateString != "") {
        if (formattedTimeString != "")
            formatedDateTime = formattedDateString + " " + formattedTimeString;
        else
            formatedDateTime = formattedDateString;
    }
    else {
        if (formattedTimeString != "")
            formatedDateTime = formattedTimeString;
    }
    return formatedDateTime;
}

//convert time string to AMPM format
var timeConvertToAMPM = function (time, format) {
    var patt = new RegExp("^([01]?[0-9]|2[0-3]):?[0-5][0-9](:[0-5][0-9])?$");
    var res = patt.test(time);
    if (res) { // If time format correct
        var H = +time.substr(0, 2);
        var h = (H % 12) || 12;
        var hour = "" + h;
        var ampm = H < 12 ? "AM" : "PM";
        if (format == "hh:mm tt")
            if (hour.length < 2)
                hour = "0" + hour;
        time = hour + time.substr(2, 3) + " " + ampm;
    }
    return time;
};

Hope this will help…

Enjoy Ms CRM!!!

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What is Issue?

Ms CRM provides the way to query the records in system with or without some filter criteria. There might be some conditions where we need to restrict user from querying for the entity, but still we want to have read privilege to the entity so that we can provide the visibility to the records in some desire areas. But the MS Dynamics CRM don’t have any separate option to hide/show the entities in Advanced find.

The Reason-

Ms CRM handles the entities to be visible in advanced find using Security Role. If Any entity don’t have read privilege for the security role, the entity will be hidden in advanced find for that security role. This is internally handled by “IsValidForAdvancedFind” read-only flag.

Solution-

There are multiple solution to make entity hidden from advanced find like –
A. Security Role
B. Database Query
C. RetrieveMultiple Message Override
D. Custom Code

A. Security Role –

Remove the read privilege for security Role you want to hide entity. But this security role will don’t have any read permission for the entity Records.

B. Database Query –

If you have on-premise setup, you will have database control.
So you can make “IsValidForAdvancedFind” flag False to make entity hidden in advanced find only.

C. RetrieveMultiple Message Override –

This is the simple and reliable way to make records available to the user. Create the plugin for the entity with the modified query, so that user will have visibility to the records by default which you set. This will affect overall application i.e. in subgrids, home view and where ever the retrievemultiple is called.
But this is not suitable for our requirement i.e. Hiding Entity from advanced find without any access changes to the records.

D. Custom Code – Javascript

The way I found is very easy. Within few steps you can achieve it.

Let’s say I want to hide Account and Contact entity from Advanced find.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

1.Create a new solution with component “Application Ribbon” in it.

2. Create a New Javacript webresource with below Code-
in my case – Name and Display Name – “mct_/Scripts/AdvancedFind.js”

//entities to be hidden
var entities = [
    'account',//Account
    'contact',//Contact
    ];
//slctPrimaryEntity is id of dropdown for entities displayed in Advanced Find.
function hideEntities() {
    var select = $("#slctPrimaryEntity");
    if (select.length > 0) {
        for(var i = 0; i < entities.length; i++)
            $("#slctPrimaryEntity option[value='" + entities[i] + "']").remove();
    }
    //find and hide button which we are going to create in next step.
    var button = window.top.document.getElementById("new.ApplicationRibbon.Button.RemoveEntities-Large");
    if (button !== undefined && button != null) button.style.display = "none";
    return false;
}

3. Open your new solution in Ribbon Workbench.

4. You will find the set of commands which are used in Advanced find. Add new button with minimum information, next to the “DOWNLOAD FETCHXML” button or at the end of this group.

ID : new.ApplicationRibbon.Button.RemoveEntities

5.Create a Command

ID : new.ApplicationRibbon.Command.RemoveEntities
add this command in newly added button :
Command :- new.ApplicationRibbon.Command.RemoveEntities
CommandCore :- new.ApplicationRibbon.Command.RemoveEntities

6. Add Enable Rule to the Command –

Enable rule details-

ID : new.ApplicationRibbon.EnableRule.RemoveEntities

Add Custom Rule :-

Default - True
Function Name - hideEntities (our custom Javacsript function name)
Library - $webresource:mct_/Scripts/AdvancedFind.js  (our custom Javascript)

7. Publish the Solution.

And Done.

You can check advanced find – There is no Account and Contact entities available.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Hope this will help…

Enjoy Ms CRM!!!

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