Tip: Dynamic texts on a Form, including dynamic clickable links

Tip: Dynamic texts on a Form, including dynamic clickable links

We had been wishing for a way to have dynamic texts on the form, and for some to include dynamic links. Turns out this is available (yay!) and documented .  In case helpful, here is some additional info we've found from initial experimentation.

Please see that attached PDF for images of some actual results:
  • On form next to lookup field:  If a record is selected, add "Edit this Record" convenience link.
  • On form next to attachment:  If attachment exists, add link to the attachment.
  • On form next to a multiline field:  Add text that shows the current size, max size, and space remaining.  (A courtesy for fields for which you are capping the size via scripting.)
The text defined for the "Add Notes" field on the form cannot be read (such as a simple addition via AddNote_field = AddNote_field + " New text.")  So your code needs, each time, to supply the entire replacement text. No biggie.

The field can be set like any other (such as AddNote_field = string1), which then appears instead of the text of the field's form definition.  This is not permanent (it does not become the fields new defined text) but only shows on the form based on your trigger (such as OnEdit:OnLoad, or OnUserInput of a field) and of course your logic to trigger.

The texts can include hyperlinks, and these can be dynamic (such as proper record IDs) based on the usual Deluge capabilities.

(I won't go into coding examples, they would be straightforward.)

Potential issues?
  • Links on the form could experience permission issues - such as if a form shows "edit this record" link for a Lookup field, but some users of that form do not have rights to edit that lookup table or particular record. I'm not sure if Zoho checks security at the time of opening the edit form --I think it does.
  • If you change deluge names for form or reports, and these are part of your link URL, I haven't checked to see if deluge auto-adjusts the names in this coding like it does so nicely elsewhere.
Corrections/improvements encouraged. Thanks!