Creating a Record Type and Page Layout in Salesforce.com

Creating a Record Type and Page Layout in Salesforce.com?

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Record Type in Salesforce.com

If you are using Salesforce.com with Enterprise, Unlimited and Developer edition, Record Type is a powerful feature. We can define business processes, picklist values, and page layouts to different users based on their profiles. So, even for the same object, user can have different page layout with different fields, different picklist value and etc.

But, sometimes admin overkill of Record Type usage. Not all condition need to use record type, may be a custom picklist field is enough. Please note that record type is different with a normal custom field and you cannot just edit record type like normal picklist field.

So, when do you need to setup record type?
1. Different Page Layout
Use record type to assign different page layout based on user profile. User will see different field position,  required fields, buttons, related list for the same records.

2. Different Picklist Value
Configure available values in picklist field depends on the record type.

3. Assign record type only for certain profiles
We can set available record type and default record type for each profile.

This is some scenario you do not need to setup record type actually
1. Use as Type picklist
This is very bad, do you notice once you have record type, when user create new record, they have to select a record type before come to the main screen, so please plan ahead correctly.

2. Page layout usage
Not always need to have record type to differentiate user not see some fields in page layout. Admin can adjust using field level security, so some profiles will NEVER see that field, in page layout, report, etc.

Once you have more record type, it is more effort need to maintain, so if possible use less record type.

Here link to record type cheat sheet from Salesforce.com

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Custom Button to Pre-populate Field

Out-of-the-box, when we create a new record from a parent object related list, Salesforce.com provide parent name pre-populated in child object. This is efficient and save time, user do not need to look for the parent record again.

This is good, but, often we needs more fields to be pre-populated to make our life easier :)
We can make this happen by create new custom button whether in related list or in page layout. In this sample, we'll use Account as parent and Opportunity as child.

Custom button in page layout
Go to Account object in Setup menu and choose Buttons and Links. Click New button and select option as screenshot below. Once button created, you need to add the button into Account page layout.

Custom button in related list
Go to Opportunity object in Setup menu and choose Buttons and Links. Click New button and select option as screenshot below. Once button created, you also need to add the button in Opportunity related list in Account page layout.

OK, now we understand how to create the custom button, but what is the URL??? Here we go...

If you click Opportunity button in related list, see the URL
https://na1.salesforce.com/006/e?retURL=%2F0019000000DjwR5&accid=0019000000DjwR5&RecordType=01290000000NLfk&ent=Opportunity

So, what is the parameters and values? Let's parse it:
https://{instance}.salesforce.com/{object_prefix}/e?retURL=/{!Object.Id}&accid={!Object.Id}&RecordType={RecordTypeId}&ent={object_name}

In this sample there is record type in Opportunity and we skip Record Type selection page. So, in custom button URL, we can enter:
/006/e?retURL=/{!Account.Id}&accid={!Account.Id}&RecordType=01290000000NLfk&ent=Opportunity

Now, we want to pre-populate other field from Account. Here we go.. you need to find out the id of textbox from web browser, in page edit the record and right click at textbox then select Inspect element

Once you get the id, add it into the URL, so it will become:
/006/e?retURL=/{!Account.Id}&accid={!Account.Id}&RecordType=01290000000NLfk&00N90000000iQg4={!Account.Hello__c}&ent=Opportunity

Custom object
There is a different for custom object, see sample below:
https://na1.salesforce.com/a0E/e?CF00N900000022p5z=Object+2A1&CF00N900000022p5z_lkid=a0D90000001OPvT&saveURL=%2Fa0D90000001OPvT&retURL=%2Fa0D90000001OPvT

Let's parse it:
https://na1.salesforce.com/{object_prefix}/e?CF00N900000022p5z={parent_object_name}&CF00N900000022p5z_lkid={parent_object_id}&saveURL=/{parent_object_id}&retURL=/{parent_object_id}

Notice that parent name is CF00N900000022p5z and parent id is CF00N900000022p5z_lkid and a new parameter saveURL to redirect the page after user hit Save button.

Considerations
Before you add more and more fields pre-populated, please consider this:

• Sometime, the field in child object is not edit-able, consider to use formula field in child object
• If the field do not need to copy from parent, you can hardcode it into the URL
• To pre-populate data with some logic, you need visualforce page with apex code.

Video
Video created by 'Christian Deckert' is simply good to guide you step-by-step in creating URL for your custom button.

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