Vista CRM Search Gadget

10/10/07 UPDATE: Please read this https://blogs.msdn.com/joris_kalz/archive/2007/10/10/Vista-CRM-Search-Gadget-_2D00_-Update.aspx too.

CRM-Friends! As promised here I wanted to update my multi entity search for Microsoft CRM by using a Windows Vista Gadgets. And here you go: This posting exists of two parts.

The first part is a small Windows Vista Gadget. Gadgets are easy-to-use mini programs that give you information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools. This gadget allows you to find any information inside of Microsoft CRM.

The second part is the main search application which allows you to find information from multiple entities in Microsoft CRM. In this version you can search for accounts, contacts and leads at once. However, I tried to make it more generic so that you are able to customize it just by configuring a xml file.

 
The search application

Important: you have to install at least the search application, the Windows Vista Gadget is just a nice to have. But if you want to use the gadget, you have to install the search application first.

In addition, the search application provides you with IE7 search provider, so you can add this seach application to your favorite list of search engines in your Internet Explorer.

Adding this search application to the IE7 search providers


Now you can search from your Internet Explorer in Microsoft CRM

When pressing the search button in the IE search bar or in the gadget the search application will be opend in a new browser window:

From there you you get a list of all results containg your query. Just click on the result to open the full record in Microsoft CRM.

It's just that easy to find your desired accounts, contacts, leads etc. with just one click from your desktop!

How to install the seach application

First install the search application. You can download it here: Search Application.

  • Create a new ASP.NET 2.0 web application on your IIS.
  • Don't forget to configure a new application pool
  • Inside of it create a new virtual folder Search
  • Copy the content of the zip file into it. It should look like this:
  • Open the web.config with your notepad and edit the crmserver key to point to your crm server
    <appSettings>
     <add key="crmserver" value="192.168.1.211" />
    </appSettings>

How to install the gadget

When the search application is working you can download the gadget here: Vista CRM Search Gadget. The first time you are running the gadget you have to enter the search apllication url in the settings dialog.

The value should be https://[yourwebsite]/Search/  

Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.

 Greetings Joris