sage crm developers course entities and the data model (part 1)

Sage CRM Developers Course

Entities and the Data Model (Part 1)

Looking ahead to the classes

DP01: Introduction to the Development Partner Program

DP02: Entities and the Data Model (Part 1 of 2)


DP04: Implementing Screen Based Rules (Part 1 of 2)


DP06: Screen and User Independent Business Rules

DP07: Workflow (Part 1 of 2)


DP09: Using the API Objects in ASP Pages (Part 1 of 2)

DP10 : Using the API Objects in ASP Pages (Part 2 of 2)

DP11: Using the Component Manager

DP12: Programming for the Advanced Email Manager

DP13: Using the Web Services API

DP14: Using the Web Services API (Part 2 of 2)

DP15: Coding the Web Self Service COM API (Part 1 of 2)


DP17: Using the .NET API (Part 1 of 2)


Agenda

How data and record identity is handled

Record Object vs. SQLQuery Object

Role of Stored Procedures

Allowed Database Changes

Meta Data and Physical Data Types

New Tables and Fields in CRM

Linking to External Database tables

How and where table data is stored in Meta Data

How data and record identity is handledRecord Object vs SQLQuery ObjectRole of Stored Procedures

New Sage CRM v7.2 Installs on MS SQL Server use SQL Identity Columns

In Sage CRM v7.1 and earlier Primary Key values were generated and maintained by stored procedures. This was to create common method mechanism between main install and SOLO.

SOLO dropped in favour of new Mobile Apps

New installs on SQL Server will now use SQL Identities

Significant performance improvements

New version of Stored Procedure for existing installs

NO Change for Oracle

New Installs on MS SQL Server use SQL Identity Columns

SELECT

t.TABLE_NAME

,c.COLUMN_NAME

FROM

INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS c JOIN

INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES AS t

ON t.TABLE_NAME = c.TABLE_NAME

WHERE

COLUMNPROPERTY(OBJECT_ID(c.TABLE_NAME)

,c.COLUMN_NAME,'IsIdentity') = 1 AND

t.TABLE_TYPE = 'Base Table'

eWare_get_identity_id stored procedure use in QueryObject code

Problems will arise with add-on code that does a direct insert using eware_get_identity_id in Query object.

‘hidden’ or automatic rules within CRM– Validation Rules– Table Level Scripts– ASP and .NET Application Extensions

Record object not effected

Inserts using QueryObject

Sage CRM v7.1var strSQL = "DECLARE @ret int";strSQL += "EXEC @ret=eware_get_identity_id 'cases'";strSQL += "INSERT cases";strSQL += "(case_caseid, Case_Description, Case_PrimaryCompanyId)";strSQL += "VALUES (@ret, 'abc',10)";var myQuery = CRM.CreateQueryObj(strSQL,"");myQuery.ExecSQL()

Sage CRM v7.2var strSQL = "INSERT INTO Cases";strSQL += "(Case_Description, Case_PrimaryCompanyId)"; strSQL += "VALUES ('abc',10)")";var myQuery = CRM.CreateQueryObj(strSQL,"");myQuery.ExecSQL()

NOTE: Upgraded Systems will still use old ID mechanism.

Oracle and Inserts

No equivalent stored procedure in Oracle so there is no safe way of getting ids directly.SEQUENCES are used to control the identities.Sequence created in the CRM database for each table with the name TablePrefix_SEQUENCEEg comp_sequence, pers_sequence etc.Cases and CaseProgress share the same sequence as do Opportunity and OpportunityProgress.

Next value from a sequence obtained by calling the NextVal function of the sequence. Returns the next val and increments the sequence.SELECT Comp_Sequence.NextVal from DUAL;

NOTE: Does not take into account the rep_ranges table, and therefore is not advised

SOLO allocates Ranges to client machinesHeld in Rep_ranges table.When not using API object you will need to check that data is not going out of range.

The process is as followsLook up Range_RangeStart and Range_RangeEnd in Rep_Ranges where Range_TableID is the identifier of the table. TableID is 5 for the Company table.Call SELECT Comp_Sequence.NEXTVAL FROM DUAL to get the next sequence number.If the sequence range is outside the range found in step 1 (which it will be because you dropped the sequence and recreated with a sequence start of 1), then assume that this range has been filled up, so move to the next available range.Ranges are allocated in blocks of 50000, so the first range is 8001 to 58000, the second range is 58001 to 108000, the third range is 108001 to 158000, and so on.

Problems may arise if more than 1 process is trying to allocate a new range at the same time. NOTE: Do not run process when CRM is running.NOTE: Accessing the ranges table at the back end is not supported.

CRM Components & Database Type

System Variables available in component allows the Install to be checked.

Write components to accommodate database type.

//iDatabase - returns the current installed database.

// Constants returned

// ISQLServer

// IOracle

// e.g.

// if (iDatabase == IOracle)

// {

// //Do this;

// }

sViewText="CREATE VIEW vMyPhone AS SELECT";

if (iDatabase == IOracle)

{

sViewText = sViewText + " Phon_CountryCode || N ' ' ||Phon_AreaCode || N ' ' || Phon_Number";

}

else

{

sViewText = sViewText + "RTRIM(ISNULL(Phon_CountryCode, '')) + ' ' +RTRIM(ISNULL (Phon_AreaCode, '')) + ' ' + RTRIM(ISNULL(Phon_Number, ''))";

}

sViewText = sViewText + " AS Phon_FullNumber, Phone.* FROM Phone ";

if (iDatabase == IOracle)

{

sViewText = sViewText + ", Custom_Captions WHERE LOWER (TRIM(Phon_Type))= LOWER(TRIM(Capt_Code(+))) AND";

}

else

{

sViewText = sViewText + "LEFT JOIN Custom_Captions ON Phon_Type = Capt_Code WHERE";

}

sViewText = sViewText +" Phon_Deleted IS NULL";

AddView("vMyPhone", "Phone", "This selects all of the phone numbers", sViewText, false, false, false, false, false);

ALLOWED DATABASE CHANGESMeta Data and Physical Data Types

Business Rules in Database

CRM makes use of physical data types but meta data ‘adds value’

Custom_edits

See Developer Guide reference for discussion of EntryBlock.EntryType property in API

CRM DOES NOT use constraints within database.

When installing CRM the only SQL rule that is written into the tables structure is whether the Primary Key column is NOT NULL.

All constraints implemented in application layer.

CRM FieldTypes & SQL Server DatatypesCRM Field Type Data TypeProduct intIntelligentSelect nvarcharMultiselect nvarcharDateOnly DatetimeCurrency NumericCurrency_CID IntSearchSelectAdvanced IntMinutes IntCurrencySymbols IntText nvarcharStoredProc nvarcharCheckbox nvarcharPhoneNumber nvarcharMultilineText ntextemailaddress nvarcharWWWURL nvarcharSelection nvarcharUserSelect IntTeamSelect IntInteger intNumeric numericDateTime datetime

How and where table data is stored in Meta Data

Meta Data Definitions of Tables

Custom_DatabasesManages all the connections to remote databasesAll passwords encrypted using encryption algorithmsAll database connections are opened at the first CRM logon

Custom_TablesBord_WebServiceTable enables extra objects to be exposed to the WSDL

Custom_EditsEntryType controls how the system displays fieldsEntrySize controls how many characters can be entered on screen (can be changed, but must be <= column width)Colp_System may cause fields not to appear for selection. You can undo this, but be careful

Custom_ViewsThe whole system uses views to display dataViews should be maintained from within the CRM system, never from SQL ServerSQLLite relevant for SOLO only

Custom_Tablebord_tableid

1 Address 2 CaseProgress 3 Cases 4 Communication 5 Company 6 Email 7 Library 8 Marketing 9 Notes 10 Opportunity 11 OpportunityItem 12 OpportunityProgress 13 Person 14 Phone 15 Products 17 Team

Basic Table Description

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[MyTable]([mytb_mytableid] [int] NOT NULL,[mytb_CreatedBy] [int] NULL,[mytb_CreatedDate] [datetime] NULL,[mytb_UpdatedBy] [int] NULL,[mytb_UpdatedDate] [datetime] NULL,[mytb_TimeStamp] [datetime] NULL,[mytb_Deleted] [int] NULL,[mytb_Secterr] [int] NULL,[mytb_Workflowid] [int] NULL,[mytb_Description] [nchar](30))

Create externally and then linkNot able to become full entity

Create table via interfaceAdvanced Customization Wizard. Entity Wizard

All Ids managed by CRMTabl_Secterr for primary entities only, enforces security on that entity.Security is discussed more later in the courseNew Table and Field definition will be in custom_tables and custom_edits

Problems

Problems occur if developer introduces

Database constraints

Foreign key constraints

Checks

Other changes such as identity columns.

Holding Data in CRM

New Columns in TablesAdding columns to Entities, Company, Person, etc

Marketing table for Company and Person

Rows as ColumnsKey Attribute Data– DD tables– Target List technique for SQL– Logs for use in screens

Data Sets– User_settings– Custom_sysparams

Columns versus Datasets

Most data is held within a table within columns

E.g. User_userid, user_lastname, user_firstname.

Some instances of using Datasets (or rows) to model attributes

User Preferences – Held in the usersettings table as a record set– E.g. To find a users timezone preference you would have to look in the usersettings table.

Custom_sysparams– Hold system settings

Datasets and Customizations

Can only use simple meta data definitions for screens where data is within a single row.Consider Company Summary Screen and – Companyboxlong– Addressboxshort– personboxshort

Require Advanced Customization for Screens and Lists for Phone/Email screens

Custom_sysparams

User_settings

Key Attribute Profiling

Examples of creating screens not based on single rows are covered in later part of the course

Q&AQ&A

Looking ahead to the classes

DP01: Introduction to the Development Partner Program





DP06: Screen and User Independent Business Rules



DP09: Using the API Objects in ASP Pages (Part 1 of 2)

DP10 : Using the API Objects in ASP Pages (Part 2 of 2)

DP11: Using the Component Manager

DP12: Programming for the Advanced Email Manager

DP13: Using the Web Services API

DP14: Using the Web Services API (Part 2 of 2)





sage crm developers course entities and the data model (part 1)

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