Dynamics 365: Set Lookup Field To Current User on Selection of an OptionSet using JavaScript

Approval Type Automation in PowerApps

Yesterday, one of my LinkedIn connections asked me to help with a business scenario:

Business Scenario

The scenario involved two fields in a Business Process Flow:

• Approval Type (optionset)
• Approved By (systemuser lookup)

If Approval Type is set to "Approved," the Approved By field should automatically set its value to the current logged-in user.

Implementation in PowerApps Model-Driven App

You can achieve this functionality using a combination of JavaScript and event handlers. Here's how:

Steps to Implement:

1. Create a JavaScript Web Resource:
   • Go to Solutions in the PowerApps Maker portal.
   • Add a JavaScript web resource to your solution.
   • Write JavaScript code to check the value of the Approval Type field and set the Approved By field to the current logged-in user.
2. Add the Script to the Form:
   • Open the entity form where the Approval Type and Approved By fields exist.
   • Go to Form Properties.
   • Add the JavaScript web resource you created to the form.
3. Add an Event Handler:
   • In the same Form Properties, go to the Event Handlers section.
   • Attach the setApprovedByOnApprovalTypeChange function to the OnChange event of the Approval Type field.
   • Ensure you pass the executionContext to the function.
4. Publish Customizations:
   • After adding the event handler, save and publish the form.

Sample Code Snippet

function setApprovedByOnApprovalTypeChange(executionContext) {
    var formContext = executionContext.getFormContext();

    // Get the value of the Approval Type field
    var approvalType = formContext.getAttribute("approvaltype").getValue(); // Replace 'approvaltype' with your field's schema name

    // Check if Approval Type is "Approved" (value may vary based on your option set)
    if (approvalType === "Approved") { // Replace with the correct option value for "Approved"
        // Get the current logged-in user
        var currentUserId = Xrm.Utility.getGlobalContext().userSettings.userId;
        var currentUserName = Xrm.Utility.getGlobalContext().userSettings.userName;

        // Set the Approved By field
        formContext.getAttribute("approvedby").setValue([
            {
                id: currentUserId,
                entityType: "systemuser",
                name: currentUserName
            }
        ]);
    } else {
        // Clear the Approved By field if Approval Type is not "Approved"
        formContext.getAttribute("approvedby").setValue(null);
    }
}