How to create a custom field to identify records and link them to other records ?

SuiteCRM Forum - English Language SuiteCRM General Discussion
1

Hi,

is it possible to create a custom field which can identify accounts and can link them to other records? Just like the account name field does during records import?

So when I import p.e. opportunities or quotes this new custom account field (which is filled with unique content) should assign the imported records to the correct account and link it to it.

This account field would be unique like a 2nd record ID (not the SuiteCRM record ID).

How could I realize it?

Best regards

2

I am not sure I understand what you’re asking.

Have you tried using a Relate field? Is that what you’re looking for?

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3

Hi, thank you - I try to explain it better:

I want to import opportunities and quotes. And relate it to accounts. But I do not want to do this with the account name or account ID in the csv import file.

I want to do this with another custom account field.

So p.e. in the opportunity or quotes import csv file I have a colum like “my custom account ID field”. This is unique. And will relate the imported opportunities/quotes to the right account.

So I do not have to use the account ID of SuiteCRM or the account name field.

4

Try creating a Relate field to accounts. You can have more than one relationship between the same modules. The Relate field is a kind of simpler relationship, and should work well for you.

5

Ok, I have to create this field in opportunities and quotes, right?

Or in accounts?

Thank you very much!

6

In Opps and Quotes

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7

Ok, and in accounts I need a custom field with the identically name? but it can be a text or other kind of field etc, right?

8

No, don’t do anything in Accounts…

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9

Hmm, I do not understand - how can suitecrm relate the imported quote to the right account with the related field?

When I import a quote and in the import csv is a column like “my custom account ID field” and it contains “xyz123”

Then there must be an account with a custom field which contains “xyz123” too, right? To get the relation - or how does it work?

THANKS!!!

10

I made a try - but I get import errors when I leave the account name field blank in the opportunity import csv file.

This is what I did:

I have an account with the custom field “My Custom account ID” with the value “xyz123”.

Now I created in > Studio > Opportunities > Fields the new custom related field “My custom ID” and related it to accounts.

Now I want to import an opportunity which is related to the account with the custom field “My Custom ID” with the value “xyz123”.

For that I prepared a opportunity import csv file which contains the column “My Custom account ID” and the value “xyz123”. But the field account name I left blank.

Then the error occurs.

Any ideas?

Thanks

11

Let’s separate two things:

  1. getting your data relationships right

  2. having a way to import that information

These are two separate problems… let’s start with no.1

Are you satisfied with the way the relate field works for you? Have you tried it in the Edit view, to see how it let’s you select an account?

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12

Hi pgr,

yes, I create and tried a related field (related to accounts) in the opportunities edit view and now I know how to select an account with it.

But for me (a suitecrm newbie :wink: it seems to work the exactly same as the default account related field in the opportunity - just like a copy of this default related field.

So my question is:

How can I import an opportunity and relate it to an account with the custom field “My Custom ID” (which has p.e. the value “xyz123”)?

I mean to relate it without filling out the default account name or account system ID in the csv import file?

Just with the custom field “My Custom ID” and the value “xyz123”?

BTW - why the hell do i ask for it:

I have to migrate accounts, opportunities & quotes (thousands of entries) from an other system to suitecrm - and have to change many account names during this process because of faulty/incomplete account names in the source system. So now the SuiteCRM account name differs from account names from the source system. And in the source ops & quotes data are the old faulty account names too. That makes it difficult to relate the ops & quotes to the newsuitecrm account name in the import csv. But there are other “ID fields” which I could use while importing - that was my idea. But I have to tell suitecrm to relate these fields to an account just like the account ID in suitecrm.

BUT if its not possible or to complicate / wasteful I will search for another solution like clearing the source data before import process, adding the suitecrm IDs etc.

THANK YOU SO MUCH - THIS FORUM IS GREAT
:slight_smile:

13

Yes I think this will be too complicated to manage. Ideally you would separate the two processes

  • data migration from one system to the other

  • data cleansing that changes values to improve data quality

I think that attempting to do both at once will cause too many troubles. The order of the two processes isn’t critical (you can do cleansing before migration, or afterwards) but keeping them separate is important.

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