You've identified a common challenge: Dynamics 365 doesn't have a direct "time-only" field type. You're also right to be concerned about the limitations of some PCF controls that split the time into multiple columns. Let's explore how to achieve your desired outcome:
Understanding the Challenge:
- No Time-Only Field: Dynamics 365 stores date and time together.
- PCF Limitations: Some PCF controls don't store time in a standard format.
- Desired Format: You need to store the time as
1/1/1900 hh:mm:ss (24-hour format) in a DateTime field.
Solutions:
- Custom PCF Control (Recommended):
- Create a Custom Time Picker PCF:
- Develop a custom PCF control that provides a user-friendly time picker interface.
- The control should:
- Allow users to select time in hh:mm am/pm format.
- Convert the selected time to
1/1/1900 hh:mm:ss (24-hour format).
- Store the formatted time in a DateTime field.
- This is the most user friendly method.
- Advantages:
- Provides a seamless user experience.
- Stores the time in the desired format.
- You will have complete control over the input, and output.
- Considerations:
- Requires PCF development skills.
- Requires testing and maintenance.
- JavaScript and a DateTime Field:
- Add a DateTime Field:
- Add a DateTime field to your entity.
- Create a Time Input Field (HTML):
- Add a single line of text field to the form.
- Then use JavaScript to change the single line of text field into a HTML time input field.
- JavaScript Logic:
- Use JavaScript to:
- Capture the time entered by the user.
- Convert the time to 24-hour format.
- Construct a DateTime string in the format
1/1/1900 hh:mm:ss.
- Set the value of the DateTime field.
- Advantages:
- No need for a PCF control.
- Provides more control over the input.
- Considerations:
- Requires JavaScript skills.
- Can be complex.
- Requires more testing.
- HTML input controls can have cross browser compatibility issues.
- Two Numeric Fields and a Calculated Field:
- Add Numeric Fields:
- Add two numeric fields to your entity: "Hours" and "Minutes."
- Add a Calculated Field:
- Add a calculated DateTime field.
- Then use the calculated field to combine the hours and minutes into the desired date time format.
- JavaScript (Optional):
- Use javascript to help with user input validation.
- Advantages:
- No need for a PCF control.
- Relatively simple to implement.
- Disadvantages:
- Less user-friendly than a time picker.
- Requires manual input of hours and minutes.
- Does not have the am/pm functionality.
Example JavaScript (Conceptual):
function setTime(executionContext) {
var formContext = executionContext.getFormContext();
var timeInput = formContext.getAttribute("your_time_input_field").getValue(); // Get the time string
if (timeInput) {
// Convert time to 24-hour format and construct DateTime string
var timeParts = timeInput.split(":");
var hours = parseInt(timeParts[0]);
var minutes = parseInt(timeParts[1]);
var ampm = timeParts[2].toLowerCase();
if (ampm === "pm" && hours < 12) {
hours += 12;
} else if (ampm === "am" && hours === 12) {
hours = 0;
}
var dateTimeString = "1/1/1900 " + hours.toString().padStart(2, '0') + ":" + minutes.toString().padStart(2, '0') + ":00";
formContext.getAttribute("your_datetime_field").setValue(new Date(dateTimeString));
}
}
Key Recommendations:
- Custom PCF Control: This is the most user-friendly and robust solution.
- JavaScript and DateTime Field: This is a viable option if you're comfortable with JavaScript.
- Two Numeric Fields and Calculated Field: This is the simplest option, but it's less user-friendly.
By using these solutions, you can effectively implement time-only input and store the time in your desired format.
