Dynamics 365 October Updates Highlights
In my previous blog, I highlighted a few of the items I am excited about in the upcoming October 2019 updates. If you haven't checked this blog out, you can find it here: https://www.crmsoftwareblog.com/2019/06/highlights-of-upcoming-dynamics-365-october-2019-updates/
Header and Density Updates
First of all, you may be wondering what "Density" is. I will detail this later in the blog. So, hang tight and we will get to this. For now, I will review the updates to the header.
Header Updates
There are some good changes coming to the Dynamics 365 record headers. I will cover a few of these changes.
Form Chooser
The first change is that the Form Chooser drop-down is now displayed below the record name. I know this is a simple update, but the switch allows the record name to seem more prominent.
Header Record Name
The next update is the record name displayed in the header. Previously, if the name of the record was really long, it would be truncated at the end. Now, the full name will be displayed. I have an example below that displays long record name. However, it's fully displayed on the record form.
Header Fields Updates
Now, let's highlight something that has a little more drastic change to it. The fields in the header have been updated in their interaction and display.
The above example shows that up to 4 fields can be displayed in the header. These 4 fields will be always displayed no matter the resolution or the window size.
Now, in the below example, the window is very narrow, but the 4 fields are still displayed. Further, the record name is still fully displayed, and the record name has the text wrapped due to the length.
Header Fields Flyout Menu
Currently, 4 editable fields displayed at the top of the record. Currently, these fields are displayed in a "read-only" format, but I can access the header fly-out menu to make the updates.
Dynamics 365 Density
So, I mentioned the Density topic at the beginning of this blog. But, what does this mean? Great question!
The density in Dynamics 365 refers to the spacing between fields on a form or rows within a list. When the Unified Interface was introduced, one of the biggest complaints was the spacing between things. With this in mind, the October 2019 update addresses this topic.
Now, we will dive into the updates.
View (List) Density
The Views within Dynamics 365 have been a staple in the system. The October 2019 update shows them a little love in the area of density.
The above example shows a side-by-side comparison between the April 2019 update and the October 2019 update. The right side of the screenshot shows how much space is between the rows. The left side of the screenshot shows the tighter density between the rows.
Form Header Density
The Forms in Dynamics 365 have been updated with a tighter header density. The below example shows a side-by-side comparison between the form headers.
Editing the Header Density
The density in the header can be updated to display it with the wider density. However, the update can only be done in the new maker site for PowerApps. The maker site for PowerApps is located at .
After you log into the site, navigate to the form you need to update. The navigation is Data>Entities>Forms>Account.
Once the form name is clicked the new form editor will launch.
The editor for the header contains two options of "High density" and "Show header flyout". The option for the "High density" will allow you revert the density back to the "old" way. The option for the "Show header flyout" will allow you to control if the header fields can be edited. Basically, the header fields can be locked as "read-only". If updates are needed, the fields can be added to the main form body.
In conclusion
The small updates noted here have a great impact on the aesthetics of the form and views. The flyout options provide administrators control over the header.
I'm still holding out for greater density in the actual form body. I hope this will roll out in a future update. If this update makes it into the Release Plans, I will be blogging about it.
If you want to try out the October 2019 updates in your environment, I recommend you do this in a Sandbox instance. Once the October 2019 updates are applied, they are permanent. The October 2019 update can be applied by navigating to https://admin.powerplatform.com. Once the site has loaded, navigate to Environments>Choose the Environment>Choose "Settings".
The above screen shot shows that "Manage" option on the right-hand side. After clicking "Manage", a message will appear to confirm the action.
The update will take a while to apply depending on your unique environment configuration.
Until next time...
is Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) with many years' experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM). He is actively involved with the (User Group) Community. His involvement includes: Serving as Chapter Leader for his local D365UG Chapter, serving on the D365UG Board of Advisors, and speaking at the annual conference.
is a professional services firm committed to delivering Dynamics 365 (CRM) business solutions to small and medium sized organizations. Our focus is on delivering products and services that improve our clients’ business operations. ACE has developed specialties in serving the lite manufacturing, distribution and the hospitality industry.
Rather than just building technology or implementing software, we deliver real business value through industry knowledge and understanding each client’s business. We make it our business to know your business.
For more information or assistance with Dynamics 365 (CRM) contact !
