Understanding Grid Control in Dynamics 365 CRM

Grids are a fundamental part of Dynamics 365 CRM. They display system data in a tabular format and appear throughout CRM in places such as Account and Contact lists and subgrids showing related records. Standard grids also provide useful functionality such as copying grid data into Excel. Historically, making more advanced changes to grids often required development expertise and the Power Apps Component Framework. Power Apps Grid Control makes several useful grid customizations available through the customization interface, giving administrators more control without requiring custom development for every change.

Infinite Scroll

With the newer grid experience, infinite scrolling allows users to continuously scroll through records rather than moving from page to page. Some benefits of infinite scrolling include:

• Easier use of Select All
• No need to continually select Next to load another page
• A more continuous experience when browsing large lists

If infinite scrolling isn't right for your users, other navigation options can be configured.

Pagination

Pagination divides CRM records into separate pages. Users can adjust how many rows appear on each page through personal settings, but they're still limited to the records loaded on that individual page. When working with larger datasets, pagination can require users to repeatedly move between pages. Selecting a large number of records can also be more cumbersome because users can select only the records displayed on the current page at one time.

Jump Bar

The Jump Bar provides another option for navigating grids. It can make records easier to find alphabetically rather than requiring users to move through pages one at a time. Organizations that prefer this approach can configure grid navigation to use the Jump Bar.

Control Column Filtering and Sorting

Regardless of how users navigate a grid, Dynamics 365 can allow them to adjust columns, apply filters, and sort data to narrow a list down to the records they need. However, there may be situations where you don't want users modifying how a particular list is presented. Administrators can disable filtering and sorting, and these options can be controlled independently. This can be useful when your organization maintains specific lists that you want employees to use consistently.

Edit Records Directly from a Grid

Editable Grids allow users to modify information directly within the grid instead of opening every individual record. Users can move through fields and quickly make changes to several records while remaining in the same window. Different field types provide editing experiences appropriate for the data they contain. For example:

• Text fields allow users to enter or change text or numbers.
• Choice fields provide available values for selection.
• Lookup fields allow users to select an appropriate related record.

This can save significant time when users need to make relatively small changes across several records. Editable Grids also respect data requirements and validation. A user can't simply remove information from a required field and save the change, and fields such as email addresses continue to enforce proper formatting.

Consider the Limitations of Editable Grids

Editable Grids aren't necessarily appropriate for every CRM scenario. Enabling the functionality applies at the table level. If you enable Editable Grids for Accounts, for example, your Account list views become editable rather than allowing you to enable editing for only one specific view. Before enabling the feature, consider:

• The types of users who will have access
• Whether users should be able to edit data from every applicable list
• The purpose of your different views
• Any custom scripts or functionality on your forms

One alternative is to use editable subgrids where more targeted editing makes sense. Custom scripts designed for forms may also not always work the same way within an editable grid.

Restrict Navigation from a Grid

Normally, clicking certain fields in a Dynamics 365 grid can take the user directly to the associated record. Grid Control can restrict this navigation when you want the grid to function primarily as a reference list. However, this setting is an all-or-nothing configuration. You can't selectively make some fields navigable while preventing users from clicking others within the same grid.

Use Color to Make Important Data Stand Out

Grid Control can also change how certain data, particularly choice fields, appears. Colors configured for the available choices can be displayed within the grid, making differences between records easier to recognize at a glance. For example, if a field represents different statuses or categories, distinct colors can help users visually scan the list and identify important differences more quickly.

Extending Grids with Development

For organizations with more advanced requirements, grid functionality can still be extended through custom development. The Power Apps Component Framework provides developers with tools for creating more sophisticated controls and experiences. This requires development expertise, but it provides an option when the standard Grid Control capabilities aren't enough for a particular business requirement.

Nested Grids

Nested Grids were introduced as a preview feature that allows users to expand related records directly within a grid. For example, a user could potentially expand a Contact and view Opportunities associated with that Contact without leaving the list. As a preview feature at the time of this Fast Class, Nested Grids still had limitations and shouldn't be treated the same as generally available functionality.

Choosing the Right Grid Experience

Grid Control gives Dynamics 365 CRM administrators several ways to tailor how employees interact with lists and related data. Depending on your business requirements, you can configure features such as:

• Infinite scrolling
• Pagination
• Jump Bar navigation
• Filtering and sorting
• Editable Grids
• Restricted record navigation
• Color-coded choice fields

The best configuration depends on how your employees use CRM. Editable Grids can save significant time for teams that regularly update multiple records, while navigation and filtering controls can simplify the experience for teams that primarily use grids for reference. Many of these features need to be enabled or configured by an administrator. Before making changes, consider how they will affect existing workflows, user permissions, and customizations throughout Dynamics 365.