Datalist - Prospect Plan Opportunity List

Kathy Dean

Our users would like to change the caption for several fields that are displayed from Prospect Plan Opportunity List. What is the best way to accomplish this?

Example: Expected Ask Date: to "Expected Date"

Is there a way to do this in the front end? or SDK (copy of xml)?

Thanks,

Kathy

Clint Grossnickle

Hi @Kathy Dean, from the front end you could recreate the data list using page designer. This would allow you to rename the column headers to the values requested by the users. The other option would be to use the SDK and develop a custom data list. In either scenario, the change will be limited to the data list and the field names in the opportunity add/edit forms, query, export definitions, etc. will remain unchanged unless customized.

Rick Root

@Kathy Dean What Clint said.

We've never used Shell Designer for anything like this because we're self-hosted and we can just load spec things which is much easier. In that case, we just grab the xml for what we want to customization, at “UNC” to the beginning of the name and change the ID(s), add USR_UNC to the object name (ie, stored proc, sql function, etc)… load the new one, and just add it to the page using design mode. Sometimes we leave the old one on the page, most of the time we leave it there but move it down and de-permit it so only admins see the original.

Will Mercer

@Rick Root that sounds like a really good approach. How do you go about replicating the existing UI model functionality of the catalog item your are using as a base? Do you tend to use the existing UI model and if so can you extend this for any new fields etc?

Rick Root

@Will Mercer The short answer is … you don't.

The good part is that a UI Model on a data list or list builder only applies to the filters, so as long as you don't change the filters, you can continue to use the OOB UI Model (keeping in mind that if Blackbaud modifies the OOB parameters for the list, they'll modify the UI Model too and that can break your customization, but in such cases it's generally pretty easy to fix by comparing their updated datalist / list builder to your own.

There have been a few times when we've had to modify the parameters in which case we either just get rid of the ui model or build our own.

Will Mercer

@Rick Root thanks Rick that's really helpful. Do you take the same approach with forms as well as data lists and list builder?

Rick Root

@Will Mercer:

@Rick Root thanks Rick that's really helpful. Do you take the same approach with forms as well as data lists and list builder?

Not if I need to change the form fields. We have done this with some forms where we only needed to modify the SQL, so we make a copy of the OOB form, change the name/ID and proc names and then update the SQL…

You could potentially use a form extension and a UI Model to make adjustments to the OOB form, or maybe you can only do that with a form add in.. not sure, the VB stuff isn't my area of expertise

Will Mercer

@Rick Root I don't think you can get a UI model to work when using a view form extension. I've certainly not been able to anyway. Thanks for your help!