Microsoft CRM and "Advanced Find" with exceptions

Microsoft CRM has a great tool for making custom queries to all the CRM entities available to the final CRM users: this tool is called "Advanced Find".

Customers have a great fantasy on making queries and some days ago I've received a request: how can I retrieve all the Accounts that doesn't have associated Contacts via the "Advanced Find" tool?

My first answer was to make a query like this (sorry but I've the italian CRM version installed on the production machine):

AdvancedFindProblem

and after pushing the "Find" button... the query doesn't work!!

The "Advanced Find" tool doesn't provide a good solution for this type of query (not good! :( ). Obviously, you can always provide a report (Reporting Services or Excel) that makes the work with a simple SQL query like this:

select distinct accountid, name
from filteredaccount
where accountid not in
(select distinct accountid from filteredcontact where accountid is not null)

but it's not a good news to discover that the built-in Find tool doesn't help the end user on making these types of queries.

If anyone of you have a good idea on how to solve this query via the "Advanced Find" tool, please drop me a line... :)

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Print | posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 10:06 AM

Comments on this post

# re: Microsoft CRM and "Advanced Find" with exceptions

Requesting Gravatar...
Hi I also have this problem with advanced find as a limitation. Advanced Find Doesnt allow you to Display all Account thats done have Motes or Activities Assisgned to them! Unless anybody knows how to do that?
Left by Raz on Aug 24, 2007 3:03 PM

# re: Microsoft CRM and "Advanced Find" with exceptions

Requesting Gravatar...
Raz, seems that it's actually not possible with Advanced Find. You've to provide a simple report to do so. Not good, I know... :(
Left by Stefano Demiliani on Aug 24, 2007 3:06 PM

# re: Microsoft CRM and "Advanced Find" with exceptions

Requesting Gravatar...
My requirements are even more complex. I need to display columns from related entity (not just parent) but columns from parent's parent. Even further, you cannot search on columns from Parent's entity. Anybody knows if these features are possible to implement using supported or un-supported route?
Left by Pranav Shah on Feb 22, 2009 9:54 PM

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