D365 Portals: How to Create a Calendar View

Generate a Calendar from an Entity List

Summary

  • Introduction
  • Here's how to do it:
  • Want to Learn more about setting up your portal?

If you use Dynamics 365 Portals you will know how powerful it is to have your web pages link to and utilise the data stored in your D365 management system.

Several of our clients unitise the entity list feature in their portals to create a calendar view that supports tasks like basic event management, appointment booking or date and time-based events.

However, to display this as a beautifully presented calendar you need to do a couple of things with your dates from within your entity list.

 

Photo of calendar surrounded by mobile phone, alarm clock and laptop

Stuart Powell

Written By: Stuart Powell

CTO, FormusPro

Here's how to do it:

1. Create an Entity List

Note: If you are still using classic mode within D365 you will set up your entity list from a different place to those using the more up to date “My apps” unified interface. Feel free to ask us how to achieve this via classic mode if you get stuck.

 

  • The best way to create your entity list is from within your D365. Log in and navigate to the Portal Management App.
    Here you’ll be able to find your Entity Lists (if you do not have a link in the left-hand navigation, you can use Advanced Find to locate them).
  • Name your Entity List and select the Entity. For the purpose of this demonstration, I’ll be using a custom entity called “Event”.
  • Assign this list to your portal and select the view that you wish to use.

Entity list event calendar in Dynamics 365 portals

 

2. Now the important bit! Configuring calendar view

Select the Calendar View tab and fill out all the relevant fields.

 

Screen grab of Dynamics 365 portals entity field mapping options

 

3. Creating the page template

For the portal to render the web page as a calendar it must be using a rewrite page and not a web template. You’ll have to create your own rewrite page as Microsoft doesn’t provide one out of the box.

 

  • Create a new page template and give it a sensible name, in my case I’ve simply named it ‘Rewrite’.
  • Assign it to your website and give it the type of ‘Rewrite’ also. Now here comes the vital part.

The URL must be set to ‘~/Pages/FullPage.aspx’

Once you’ve saved this, we’re ready to continue configuring our calendar.

 

Screen grab of options for creating a calendar view in Dynamics 365 portals

 

4. Let’s create the web page that will render the list as a calendar

 

Open your portal as an administrator and use the floating editor to create a new webpage.

Give it a name and a partial URL. Then make sure you set the page template and the Entity List to those we created earlier.

Screen grab of options to create a calendar web page using Dynamics 365 portals

 

5. Now let’s see what it looks like in the portal!

Add some records into the entity you’ve chosen and then navigate to your portal page.

 

TOP TIP:  You may be required to restart your portal if your changes haven’t appeared. You can do this via the PowerApps Portals admin centre.

 

It should look something like this...

Screen grab of events calendar showing two appointments

Want to Learn more about setting up your portal?

You can use portals as an interactive, web-based sales, services, support, and social engagement application platform, to connect with customers, engage with communities, manage site content, and empower your channel partners.

Microsoft have a learning zone where you can take quick courses in areas like portals.

Check out their Introduction to Dynamics 365 portals.

 

Note: Implementation of a portal solution requires a broad understanding of the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Portals, their structure and components.

Dynamics 365 Portals are designed for interaction with the internal and external audiences, there are additional requirements for content management and design, as well as the need to secure the content.

If you get stuck get in touch. We provide portal set up and improvement services that makes all of this easy.