Dynamics 365 has always had the ability store text in a field, but with the 2020 Wave 2 release, Word-style formatting is now available.
How does it work? Will I need to create new fields?
The new editor is simply a new type of form control that can be applied to your existing multiline and text area fields. When viewing the form in a model-driven app, the editor will provide a variety of new options that will be immediately familiar to Microsoft Word users, including text and paragraph formatting:
When the record is saved, the underlying HTML code for your text is then saved into the field.
How do I add the editor to my existing forms?
Currently, this can only be done with the classic form editor, but this functionality will inevitably come to the newer form editing experience. To add the editor to an existing field:
- Find and open form you wish to edit. If you have navigated to it from make.powerapps.com, you’ll be taken to the modern form editor, so once this loads, click the Switch to Classic button in the toolbar.
- Click the field you want to apply the editor to and click Change Properties in the Toolbar
- Under the Controls tab, click Add Control
- Scroll to the Rich Text Editor Control and click Add
- Change the default control for Web, Phone and Tablet to use the new Rich Text Editor control
then click OK. - Save and Publish the Form.
What do I need to consider when implementing this new editor?
- The rich text editor only works in the Unified Interface. Businesses should have already adopted this new interface, but if yours is one that has yet to, this editor will not be available.
- When exporting the data from these fields, the output will be HTML code, so depending where this information is to be displayed (Excel for instance), it may not look as intended.
- As HTML code is added to your text, the resulting stored text will take up a lot more characters, so you may want to increased the maximum length of existing fields and take it into account when creating new fields.
Summary
The new rich text editor is a welcome addition to a growing array of powerful form controls in model-driven apps and we look forward to seeing it used in many business apps. For existing Strategy 365 clients who require assistance in implementing this new control, please get in touch.
