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n10ctn10ct 

Eliminating the manual process of customizing for Upsert

We're trying to eliminate for the salesforce.com customer any additional steps, but I think we're in a position right now where we may be burdening the user.  Info...
 
Is it true that we need to supply a customization guide so that people can use our application with the Upsert method, i.e., do we need to tell them is how to go into setup for all three of their tables (leads, accounts, and contacts) and create an extra field and set the externalID type?  We're looking for a means where we can automate this, as this is a ten step process X 3 for the three tables, but the extra field is what we need for the Upsert. Is it possible to automate the creation of this field via the API or any other means?
 
Here's what we see as the 'customization guide' for the user
1. Click setup
2. Click customize
3. Click leads
4. Click fields
5. Click new
6. Select email
7. Click next
8. Name it emailid
9. Tabbing to the next field will autofill it
10. Check 'external id'
11. Click next
12. Click next
13. Click save
 
In addition, the user would have to do this process for the extra information or notes field so that all extra form responses are stored as well.  This just can't be true, and here's why I say this: the new "passing of leads" program for AppExchange partners drops any non-contact info into Leads as Additional Information, and we did not have to modify our account to accept this information.
 
As you can see its a complex process so I am hoping we can automate through the API.  Would you please help?

Message Edited by n10ct on 05-03-2006 04:49 AM

DevAngelDevAngel
In the AppExchange today, you cannot package any changes to the standard objects such as lead and contact and so on.  We understand the usefulness of having the ability to do this and are working on a strategy and update to enable this ability for a future release.

Unfortunately, today the end user admin will need to make these mods.
SynchroSynchro
One approach to this problem is to automate the process using curl etc. from PHP. It could work quite nicely, but by its very nature is extremely prone to breakage should sf change their forms and procedures, so you'd need to keep a close eye on it.