Kaizen #139: Using Functions in Client Script and Handling Timeouts

Kaizen #139: Using Functions in Client Script and Handling Timeouts



Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another interesting Kaizen post. In this post, we can discuss how to invoke Functions using Client Script and how to handle Timeouts in Client Script. This post will answer the question raised in the post, Why Client Script is not running after function execution?

In this Kaizen post,
1. What are Functions in Zoho CRM?
2. How to Invoke a function from a Client Script?
3. Use Case to use existing function in Client Script
4. Solution
5. Timeouts in Client Script
6. How to handle timeouts in a Client Script?
7. Timeout Scenario
8. Solution
9. Summary
1. What are Functions in Zoho CRM?

      Functions in Zoho CRM follows the Serverless Computing architecture. It follows cloud computing execution model in which the cloud provider dynamically manages the allocation of machine resources. Zoho CRM provides options for the customer to write their own functions using Deluge script and run their code ( proprietary within Zoho CRM ) without worrying about deploying their code in servers. Click here to know more about Functions.

2. How to Invoke a Function from Client Script?

      You can invoke a function from a Client Script using the  execute() method. Here is the syntax of execute() method. The Client Script execution will only proceed after the Function has completed, demonstrating synchronous behavior.



3. Use Case to use existing function in Client Script

      Zylker, a manufacturing organization, utilizes Zoho CRM. Within their CRM, there is an existing function sendmailToContactRoles that allows meeting invites to be sent to all contact roles associated with a Deal at the click of a button. Deals often require inputs and approval from various stakeholders. By inviting all contact roles, Zylker ensures that all necessary parties are involved in the decision-making process, reducing delays and improving the chances of closing the deal successfully. To avoid accidental clicks, 
  • The admin wants a confirmation message to appear when the Mail icon is clicked, asking for approval and trigger the Function based on user selection. 
  • Additionally, the admin would like to display a success notification , if the emails are sent successfully.
  • Also, once the email is dispatched, a tooltip saying "Invite Sent" should be added should be added to the Mail icon.

4. Solution

  • Create a Client Script to accomplish the above requirements. Click here to know how to create a Client Script.
  • Create a Client Script for "Deals" module with onClick Event and Icon Event Type for the Detail Page(Canvas).

  • Enter the following code and click Save.
  1. var isProceed = ZDK.Client.showConfirmation('Do you want to invite the Contacts of the Deals', 'Proceed', 'Cancel');
  2. var elem = ZDK.UI.getElementByID('icon');
  3. //If user clicks Proceed button
  4. var deal_rec = $Page.record_id;
  5. if (isProceed) {
  6.  ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute("sendmailToContactRoles", deal_rec);
  7.  ZDK.Client.showMessage(" All the Contacts have been invited successfully");

  9.  elem.addToolTip({ text: 'Invite Sent' });
  10. }
  11. else {
  12.  elem.addToolTip({ text: 'Click to send invite' });
  13. }

  • After getting user's confirmation with showConfirmation() , the execute() method triggers the function. 
  • The parameters of execute() are function name and parameters. 
  • The name of the existing function is "sendmailToContactRoles". 
  • The parameters of the function are record ID of the Deal and subject of the email.
  • $Page is a constant supported by Client Script, using which you can get information about the current record. 
  • $Page.record_id will give the id of the current record.
  • Once the function gets executed successfully, you can display the success message using showMessage() . To know more about displaying messages using Client Script , check our Kaizen post Creating Alerts and messages using Client Script.
  • Here is how the Client Script works.

  • Here is the Function code where emailSubject and deal ID are the arguments of this function.
  1. relatedcontrole = zoho.crm.getRelatedRecords("Contact_Roles","Deals",input.dealId.toLong());
  2. emailSubject="Meeting Invite";
  3. emailContent = " Click the following link to join the meeting this evening at 5.00 pm" + " https://meeting.zoho.com/meeting/presenter.do?key=1069852805&cid=5668066&x-meeting-org=53296550";
  4. salutation = "<p>Hello!!<br /><br /></p>";
  5. signature = "<br /><br /><p>Best Regards,<br />Patricia Boyle</p>";
  6. sub = input.emailSubject.toString();
  7. str = input.emailContent.toString();
  8. str = concat(salutation,str);
  9. str = concat(str,signature);
  10. for each role in relatedcontroles
  11. {
  12. emailAddress = role.get("Email");
  13. info emailAddress;
  14. sendmail
  15. [
  16. from :zoho.adminuserid
  17. to :emailAddress
  18. subject :sub
  19. message :str
  20. content type :HTML
  21. ]
  22. }

  • You can achieve the functionality of sending emails in Functions using Client Script itself using fetchRelatedRecords() and  openMailer(). Here, we have made use of the existing Function. 
You can use Functions in Client Script,

To leverage existing Functions for similar functionality, thereby enhancing reusability and to trigger Functions based on UI events such as Icon Event, onType Field Event, Canvas Text Event, and others, beyond the buttons and workflows already supported by Functions.

5. Timeouts in Client Script 

In Client Script, executions are bounded by a 10-second time out. During execution of API calls or during the execution of a function which involves API calls , it might take more than 10 seconds to provide response. Consequently, when they are used in Client Script, execution will get halted. To overcome such scenarios you need to use Loaders.

6. How to handle timeouts in a Client Script?

Client Script allows you to manage the timeout by using a loader. The execution of Client Script will be on hold, as long as the loader is active, and so the timeout will not occur.

a. showLoader()

Use showLoader() to display the loader.



b. hideLoader()

Use hideLoader() to make the loader inactive.



7. Timeout Scenario :

At Zylker, which uses Zoho CRM, there is an existing function named "Books_send_quote" in their Zoho CRM account. The admin wants this function to execute via a Client Script whenever the status is updated to delivered and display a message saying, "Quote has been sent successfully." The admin added the script to show a success message after the function execution. 

Problem :

During execution of the following code, the admin noticed that the code following the function invocation is not running. Similar problem is described in this post.

The current code is 

  1. if (value == Delivered) {
  2. ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute("Send_Quote");
  3. ZDK.Client.showMessage('Quotation sent successfully', { type: 'success' });
  4. }

In such scenarios, the Messages Pane of Client Script IDE will show Timeout as shown below.



Solution:

 Since the timeout limit of 10 seconds has reached, further execution did not occur. So you need to add ZDK.Client.showLoader() before the execution of the Function and ZDK.Client.hideLoader() after the function execution.

  1. if (value == 'Delivered') {
  2. ZDK.Client.showLoader({type:'page', template:'spinner', message:'Sending Quotation...' });
  3. ZDK.Apps.CRM.Functions.execute("Send_Quote");
  4. ZDK.Client.hideLoader();
  5. ZDK.Client.showMessage('Quotation sent successfully', { type: 'success' });
  6. }
Here is how the Client Script works.



The presence of loader on the screen will inform the user about the ongoing processes in the background.


6. Summary :

This post includes the following,
  • When and how to use Functions in Client Script?
  • How to trigger Client Script using icons?
  • How to add tooltip to an icon using Client Script?
  • How to execute Client Script based on Confirmation box?
  • How to display messages and confirmation box using Client Script?
  • How to add loaders on UI using Client Script?
Previous Post: Kaizen #138 - How are Widgets used inZoho CRM Settings?       |     Kaizen Collection: Home
Join us for our upcoming Zoho CRM Developer Series: Zoho CRM APIs, where you can explore more about Zoho CRM APIs. Register Now!  


    • Recent Topics

    • Comments Vs. Replies

      I'm curious as to the difference between a "Reply" and a "Comment" on a ticket. It appears that "Replies" are what's used to determine response time SLA's and there are also used to automatically re-open tickets. I'm just trying to understand the key differences so I can educate both our clientele and our back-end users on which function/feature to use to better improve the ticket lifecycle. If anyone has any insight it would be appreciated. Thanks!

    • Transitioning to API Credits in Zoho Desk

      At Zoho Desk, we’re always looking for ways to help keep your business operations running smoothly. This includes empowering teams that rely on APIs for essential integrations, functions and extensions. We’ve reimagined how API usage is measured to give

    • Resetting auto-number on new year

      Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!

    • Can you prevent closing Ulaa window when the last tab is closed (inadvertently)?

      Most browsers have started to bring this feature in to prevent closing their windows when the last tab is closed (inadvertently). I hope Ulaa should get this in too.

    • Microsoft Phone Link

      Does anyone know if you can use Microsoft Phone Link to make calls through Zoho?

    • Voip Phone system that integrates with Zoho

      Just checking to see if anyone could tell me what phone system they are using with Zoho that is on the list of systems that integrate with Zoho.  I use Vonage and have been with them for quite a few years but their service has really gone down hill and

    • Removing Related Modules Lookup Fields Assignment / Relationship

      Issue: When creating a related list, I accidently selected module itself creating a circle reference. See attached. Situation: I wish to relating a custom module called "Phone Calls" to Leads and Contacts. Outcome: 1) I either want to remove the this

    • Kaizen #210 - Answering your Questions | Event Management System using ZDK CLI

      Hello Everyone, Welcome back to yet another post in the Kaizen Series! As you already may know, for the Kaizen #200 milestone, we asked for your feedback and many of you suggested topics for us to discuss. We have been writing on these topics over the

    • Seriously - Create multiple contacts for leads, (With Company as lead) Zoho CRM

      In Zoho CRM, considering a comapny as a lead, you need us to allow addition of more than one contact. Currently the Lead Section is missing "Add contact" feature which is available in "Accounts". When you know that a particular lead can have multiple

    • can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

      can I link a contacts to multiple accounts

    • Free webinar! Digitize recruitment and onboarding with Zoho Sign and Zoho Recruit

      Hello, Tired of being buried in onboarding paperwork? With the integration between Zoho Sign and Zoho Recruit, a powerful applicant tracking system, you can digitize and streamline the entire recruitment and onboarding process, all from one platform.

    • Open Activities view.

      I really like the new views for the open and closed activities inside the deals. But when you are in the tab view instead of the column view you can only complete and edit the open activity there isn't the 3 dot option to be able to delete the activ

    • Potentially Outdated and Vulnerable Chromium Engine Installed by Ulaa Browser Installer

      I just installed Ulaa Browser a few minutes ago. Whats My Browser page shows I am using an outdated Chromium engine meaning I might be vulnerable for security exploits that might have got fixed in the new version.

    • Potentially hardcoded list of Browsers to import from (after Ulaa Setup)

      I have just installed Ulaa Browser and found that the list of browser to import data is potentially hardcoded ones rather than looking at the system. I do not have FF, IE and Edge is not my default itself. I would appreciated if Ulaa detected my browsers

    • From Layout to Code: Finding Custom Field IDs in Zoho Projects.

      Hello everyone! Ever found yourself wondering how to get the API names and IDs of custom fields in Zoho Projects while working on custom functions? Here’s a simple and effective way to do it! This method makes it super easy to locate the right field details

    • Employee type and source translation

      In Zoho People, when I fill in the employee’s information, there is the option to determine the type of employment (employee type) and the hiring source. Both options ALWAYS appear in English. It is extremely inconvenient to deal with poorly translated

    • Sync Issue Between Zoho Notebook Web App on Firefox (PC) and Android App

      Hi Zoho Notebook Community, I'm facing a sync problem with Zoho Notebook. When I use the web version on Mozilla Firefox browser on my PC, I create and save new notes, and I've synced them successfully. However, these new notes aren't showing up in my

    • Request for Clarity on Timeline for True GPT/Zia Auto-Response Capabilities

      I appreciate Zoho’s steady innovation, but I’m concerned that Desk and Zia remain well behind modern AI capabilities. For years, GPT-based tools have been able to generate and send contextual responses, yet Zoho Desk only supports summarization or suggested

    • Notebook audio recordings disappearing

      I have recently been experiencing issues where some of my attached audio recordings are disappearing. I am referring specifically to ones made within a Note card in Notebook on mobile, made by pressing the "+" button and choosing "Record audio" (or similar),

    • Has anyone built a ticket export that allows Help Center users to export the tickets shown in the My Area list they are looking at?

      Hi, We are moving to Zoho Desk soon. Our current support system displays an option in our help center allowing customers to export their Open, Closed, or all tickets based on which list they are looking at. We need to offer the same in Zoho Desk help

    • Zoho Desk: Q2 2025 | What's New

      Hello everyone, We are excited to announce Zoho Desk's 2025 Autumn updates. This release brings new features and enhancements that improve work management and enable businesses to provide a better overall support experience. Spanning from Zia Agents to

    • Checkboxes not adhering to any policy in mail merge - data from CRM

      I want checkboxes to appear depending on whether the checkbox in the CRM module is ticked or not. However, the tickboxes that appear are either ticked or not, but don't correlate to the actual selections in the CRM module. This is is despite updating

    • Items Landed Cost and Profit?

      Hello, we recently went live with Zoho Inventory, and I have a question about the Landed Cost feature. The FAQ reads: "Tracking the landed cost helps determine the overall cost incurred in procuring the product. This, in turn, helps you to decide the

    • CC and/or BCC users in email templates

      I would like the ability to automatically assign a CC and BCC "User (company employee)" into email templates. Specifically, I would like to be able to add the "User who owns the client" as a CC automatically on any interview scheduled or candidate submitted

    • Create Contract API Endpoint Unclear "inputfields" Requirements

      Hello, I'm trying to create a Deluge function that accepts inputs from a form in Zoho Creator and creates a barebones contract of a given type. See below for the current code, cleaned of authentication information. // Fetch form data // Hidden field client_name

    • Kaizen #46 - Handling Notes through Zoho CRM API (Part 1/2)

      Hello everyone! Welcome back to another week of Kaizen! This week, we will discuss Handling Notes through Zoho CRM API. What will you learn from this post? Notes in Zoho CRM Working with Notes through Notes APIs 1. Notes in Zoho CRM 1a. Why add Notes to records? Notes are a great way to summarize your observations on customer and prospect interactions and outcomes. By saving notes as CRM data, a sales rep will always be able to keep track of how a sale is progressing. To know more about notes in

    • Marketer's Space - Why email marketing matters in ecommerce (and how to get started with Zoho Campaigns)

      Hello Marketers, Welcome to this week's Marketer's space post. Today, we'll discus why email marketing matters in ecommerce businesses. Running an online store is exciting but challenging. If you're running an online store, you've probably experienced

    • Zoho Campaigns Event timestamps do not propagate to Zoho CRM

      We have integrated Zoho CRM and Zoho Campaigns. But when looking at Contact records, the Campaign event data is missing the actual timestamps: especially when a particular email was sent. They're not in the Campaigns related list, and the cannot be found

    • Kaizen #121 : Customize List Views using Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome back to another interesting Kaizen post. In this post, we can discuss how to customize List Views using Client Script. This post will answer the questions Ability to remove public views by the super admin in the Zoho CRM and Is

    • Setting default From address when replying to request

      At the moment, if I want to reply to a request, the From field has three options, company@zohosupport.com, support@company.zohosupport.com, and support@company.com.  The first two are really internal address that should never be seen by the customer and

    • Tip #45 - Explore Your Support Reach with Zoho Assist’s Geo Insights - 'Insider Insights'

      Understanding where your remote support sessions are happening can help you make smarter decisions, allocate resources effectively, and improve overall customer satisfaction. In this week's Zoho Assist's community post we will be exploring Geo Insights

    • Formatting of text pasted into Zoho documents

      Howdy, I'm a newbie and finding Zoho an improvement to MS Word. Consider yourself hugged. High on my wish list would be plain text cut-and-paste. When pasting text from the web to Zoho, presently Zoho imports the formatting along with the text. This means that every cut-and-paste operation brings in text in a different font, size, or style. Can we have at least the option of importing plain text without formatting (or better yet, is this option already out there?) ... Thanks Helen

    • Add additional features to Zoho Tables

      Zoho Tables is a really great tool, why not add features like diagramming capability into the tool from applications like Draw.io which I believe is open source, you should be able to do wireframes, process flow diagrams, network design, etc. Please note

    • The Social Wall: August 2025

      Hello everyone, As summer ends, Zoho Social is gearing up for some exciting, bigger updates lined up for the months ahead. While those are in the works, we rolled out a few handy feature updates in August to keep your social media management running smoothly.

    • The Social Wall: July 2025

      Hello everyone! July has brought some exciting new updates to Zoho Social. From powerful enhancements in the Social Toolkit to new capabilities in the mobile app, we’ve packed this month with features designed to help you level up your social media presence.

    • Use Zoho Creator as a source for merge templates in Zoho Writer

      Hello all! We're excited to share that we've enhanced Zoho Creator's integration with Zoho Writer to make this combination even more powerful. You can now use Zoho Creator as a data source for mail merge templates in Zoho Writer. Making more data from

    • Tagged problem !!!

      Damn it, we're one of dozens of construction companies in Africa, but we can't link purchasing invoices to projects. Why isn't this feature available?

    • Syntax for URLs in HTML Snippets

      What are some best practices for inserting a URL in an HTML snippet? I've looked at Zoho Help articles on navigation-based and functional-based URLs, but I'm still unclear on how to incorporate them in an HTML snippet. For example, 1. How do I link to

    • The Social Wall: June 2025

      Hello everyone, We’re back with June Zoho Social highlights. This month brought some exciting feature updates—especially within the Social Toolkit—to enhance your social media presence. We engaged with several MSME companies through community meet-ups

    • Make panel configuration interface wider

      Hi there, The same way you changed the custom function editor's interface wider, it would be nice to be able to edit panels in pages using the full width of the screen rather than the currently max-width: 1368px. Is there a reason for having the configuration panel not taking the full width? Its impossible at this width to edit panels that have a lot of elements. Please change it to 100% so we can better edit the layouts. Thanks! B.

    • Next Page