Grid Map

A Grid Map works like a table in Excel, making it ideal for handling and displaying large volumes of data. Designers can create Grid Maps with powerful filtering, customization, and runtime options.

There are two modes available when creating a Grid Map:

Getting Started

Basic Mode

Basic Mode offers the same foundational Grid Map setup without Grid Functions. It’s useful for quick, lightweight configurations.

Advanced Mode

Advanced Mode offers all the capabilities of Grid Map, including enhanced data control, runtime flexibility, and advanced grid functions.

Setup The Grid Map

• Object: Choose the object defined in Data Modeling. The Grid Map will be based on this object.

• Name: Provide or edit the Map name.

• Start Location:

  • Worksheet: Select an existing sheet from the dropdown or type a new name to create one.

  • Cell Location: Specify where the first column should start (e.g., B5).

Grid Functions

In Advanced Mode, Designers can use Grid Functions to enhance how the Grid Map behaves in runtime. There are three key features:

1. Add a Save Group

   • Save groups allow fields to be saved in different batches.

   • Useful when certain fields should be saved later or separately from others.

   

2. Reorder Multiple Fields

   • Enables rearranging several fields at once.

   • Simplifies bulk field organization compared to moving them one by one.

   
3. Preload Grid Options

   Improves performance by preloading data or blank rows before runtime.

   There are two ways to configure the number of rows to preload:

   1. Static Record Count

      • Preload a fixed number of blank rows (e.g., 10, 50, 100).

      

   2. Record Based on Query

      • Preload records from an existing query.

      • Only queries from the same object as the Grid Map are available.

      

   3. Clear Configuration

      • Removes all preloaded rows and indicators.

      • This option is only available if either Static Record Count or Record Based on Query is selected.

      

Visual Indicators

• A green “P” appears next to a Map name if preloading is enabled.

• A green tick shows next to the Preload Grid Options button when configured.

Resync Preloaded Grid Data

• Use Resync to refresh the grid with the latest data without saving the entire Map.

• Preloading is triggered when:

  • Fields are added or removed

  • Records are updated

  • Fields are rearranged

  • Preload Grid Options are updated

Field Configuration

Field Configuration defines how data fields appear and behave in your Grid Map. Designers can choose which fields to display, how they should be saved back to CRM, and adjust their layout in Excel.

Add Fields

Add extra fields directly from the Grid Map setup window without going back to Data Modeling.

This is useful when:

• You forgot to include a field during Data Modeling.

• You want to quickly add a new field for testing or runtime use.

Display or Save Configurations

Control how each field behaves in the Grid Map by choosing whether it should display data, save data, or both. The fields location is shown at the Location column.

• Display + Save

  • Data is retrieved from CRM and shown in the Grid Map.

  • Any updates made in Excel are saved back to CRM.

• Display Only

  • Data is shown in the Grid Map but cannot be saved back.

• Save Only

  • Data is not displayed but values entered in Excel are saved back to CRM.

• Unmap (Advanced Mode Only)

  • The field is excluded from the Grid Map.

  • The sheet location is removed to indicate it isn’t mapped.

Reordering Fields

Rearrange the sequence of fields by dragging and dropping them into the desired order. This helps organize the Grid Map layout according to your preferences.

Spacer Columns

Insert a standard Excel column that isn’t mapped to any field. Spacer columns are useful for adding formulas, calculations, or simply creating extra space in runtime.

API Name

Displays the API name of the field, making it easier to identify and reference fields consistently across the Grid Map.

Schedule Item Location

Shows the specific column in the workbook where the field is mapped. This helps Designers quickly trace data placement within Excel.

Data Type

Displays the field’s data type (e.g., Text, Number, Date). Knowing the data type ensures proper formatting and usage in runtime.

Field Options

Allows Designers to configure additional settings for the field. For example, you can apply Excel-style conditional formatting to highlight values dynamically.

There are two options available:

• Configure – Set up field-specific rules or conditions.

• Color Bar – Apply a color bar to visually represent field values.

Click the settings icon next to it to access Field Options.

Default Value

Specifies a default value to display in the field when the Grid Map is first loaded. This is useful for pre-populating common or expected entries.

Hidden

Lets Designers hide the field in Excel while keeping it mapped in the background. This helps declutter the sheet while retaining field logic and functionality.

Preview

Designers can preview how the Grid Map will look in Excel before saving and closing the configuration. Use this option to validate field arrangements and display settings, without committing changes.

Display Options

On the lower left of the Grid Map window, you can find Display Options that let you fine tune how a Grid Map operates in Runtime. Display Options has five different options like General, Border and Cor, Pivot, Sort and Security. Designers can just hover the Display Options to see what are the selections made in these five options.

General: In this we will find the information like columns, width, height. General is the first option on Display Options. Select General and below window will open.

• AutoFit Columns - Autofit will be applied to the Grid Map's columns after data is displayed and Minimum Width makes sure the columns do not get too narrow.

• Autofit Rows - Wrap text and autofit row after data is displayed. Cannot be used together with Autofit Columns.

• Set Row Height - Fix the row height after data is displayed.

• Enable AutoFilter - Automatically apply Excel Filter to the Grid Map.

• View Gridlines - Display Excel gridlines.

• Excel Named Range Usage - Control how the mapped fields are named in Excel named range.

• Include Field Name in Comments - Insert Excel comments with the mapped field's name.

• Do not allow the insertion of records - Disable Insert Row in Toolbox during Runtime.

• Do not allow deletion of records - Disable Delete Row in Toolbox during Runtime.

• Allow adding dynamic columns (runtime mode) - Enable Customize Grids in Runtime.

Border and Color: Border, header's fill color, and header's font color are auto applied based on the setting here.

Pivot: Enabling this feature auto creates a Pivot and Chart in Runtime after the data is displayed.

Sort: Sort displayed data with the fields configured here.

Security: Worksheet Protection based on Field Metadata through which user can protect the worksheet at Map level, and user can also identify their access level. Designers can protect the worksheet by providing a password. Users can change or select the color for the Read Only or No Access to make it easy to identify the access level.

Save Options

Save Options provide a granular control over the save operation in Runtime. This option is available on the bottom of the Map. Click on Save Options and below window will open. Users can provide multiple save options with multiple filters.

Let us have a look at the options available in Save Options.

• Batch Size: Records will be sent to your CRM in batches. The number of records per batch is controlled here.

• Partial Commit: Enable partial records to be saved even if some of the records in the same batch failed.

• Concurrency Detection: This feature helps when more than one user is working on the same record and prevents overwriting the data by the first user and triggers a summary message to the second user stating that the record has failed and also displays other details. Users should enable the "Concurrency Detection" from Save Options.

• This feature will detect if more than 1 user try to modify the same data on same records. It will warn the subsequent user than the first user made a change to the record after subsequent user has retrieved the data. System would stop the subsequent user from overwriting the first users changes.

• Disable Fast Save: Save operation will process Salesforce calls sequentially when this Fast Save option is disabled.

• Process blank values during save: Insert blank rows as records.

• Save Conditions: Conditions can be configured here to control what records get saved in Runtime. Records that do not match the condition will not be processed.