About Entity Management

Entities are database tables that hold data for various items such as Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities as well as custom data related to other elements. Entities serve as the foundation for storing and managing information within the Magentrix platform, allowing administrators to create custom applications and data structures tailored to their organization's needs.

Entity Types

The Magentrix platform has two Entity types that are set upon Entity creation:

Object Entities

Object Entities are database tables that can be customized to record any type of data. Object Entities can also be used by developers to create and manage custom applications for a portal. Examples include Accounts, Opportunities, Cases, and custom objects like Projects or Inventory Items.

Person Entities

Person Entities are database tables that record data directly related to a person and contact information. Person Entities automatically include First Name and Last Name fields, and the Name field is a read-only combination of these two fields. Contacts and Leads are examples of Person Entities typically provided for a portal.

Entity Schemas

Entities in Magentrix can have different schema types depending on their origin:

Native Magentrix Entities (Standard Schema)

Native Magentrix entities use the "standard" schema and are created and managed entirely within the Magentrix platform. Administrators have full control over all aspects of these entities, including field creation, validation rules, page layouts, and all other configurations.

Salesforce Objects (Force Schema)

Salesforce objects use the "Force" schema and are imported from Salesforce. These entities synchronize bidirectionally with Salesforce, meaning data changes in either system are reflected in the other. The schema for Salesforce objects is defined in Salesforce, and administrators must manage fields in Salesforce and then refresh the entity in Magentrix to update the schema.

Microsoft Dynamics Entities (DynamicsCrm Schema)

Microsoft Dynamics entities use the "DynamicsCrm" schema and function similarly to Salesforce objects. They are imported from Microsoft Dynamics CRM and synchronize bidirectionally. Field management must be done in Dynamics CRM, and the entity must be refreshed in Magentrix to update the schema. Note that Microsoft Dynamics does not support Record Types.

Navigating to Entity Management

Administrators can access Entity Management through multiple paths within the Magentrix platform:

From Setup Home Page

Click the New Entity link on the Setup Home page to create a new entity or navigate to entity management.

From Create Menu

Navigate to Create > Entities from the main navigation menu to view all entities and access entity management features.

From Gear Menu

Click the Gear button (located at the top right under the main menu) and select Entities to access entity management.

From Entity Index Pages

When viewing an Entity Index page (the list of records for an entity), administrators will see a View Entity link that takes them directly to that entity's configuration page.

From Entity Detail Pages

When viewing a specific record's detail page, administrators will see:

View Entity link - Takes you to the entity configuration page
Edit Layout link - Takes you directly to the layout configuration for the current page layout

Understanding Entity Pages

Users and administrators interact with entities through three main page types:

Entity Index Pages

Entity Index Pages display a list of records for a specific entity. By default, 20 records are shown per page with pagination controls to navigate through larger datasets. Users can create custom list views to filter and organize records according to their needs. The columns, sorting, and available buttons on these pages are controlled by the Home Tab list layout configuration.

Entity Detail Pages

Entity Detail Pages display the complete information for a single record. The layout, fields, sections, related lists, and buttons shown on detail pages are controlled by page layout configurations. Users navigate to detail pages by clicking on a record's Name field from an index page or related list. Detail pages display read-only field values (except for inline editing when enabled).

Entity Edit Pages

Entity Edit Pages allow users to modify record information. The layout is the same as the Entity Detail Page, with the difference that fields are open for editing as long as they are not formula fields or read-only fields. Users access edit pages by clicking the Edit button on a detail page or by creating a new record.

Entity Components

Entities consist of several components that control their behavior and appearance:

Fields

Fields store individual pieces of data within entity records. Administrators can create custom fields of various types including text, number, date, picklist, lookup, master-detail, formula, and rollup summary fields. Each field has properties such as required, searchable, and audited that control its behavior.

Page Layouts

Page Layouts control how fields, sections, related lists, and buttons appear on Entity Detail and Edit pages. Administrators can create multiple page layouts for a single entity and assign them to different security roles or record types, allowing for customized user experiences.

Buttons

Buttons enable users to perform actions on entity records. Standard buttons like Edit, Delete, and Clone are created automatically, and administrators can create custom buttons that execute URLs or JavaScript code. Buttons can be configured as Detail buttons (for individual records) or List buttons (for multiple records).

List Layouts

List Layouts control how entity records appear in different contexts including the home tab, lookup dialogs, list views, search results, related lists, and mini layout cards. Each layout type can be configured with specific columns, sorting, and available buttons.

Validations

Validation Rules ensure data quality by enforcing specific business logic when records are saved. Administrators can create formulas that evaluate to true or false, and when true, display an error message preventing the record from being saved.

Sharing Filters

Sharing Filters are security measures that restrict which entity records users with specified security roles can view. Administrators can configure filters based on field values to control record-level access beyond standard permission settings.

Record Types

Record Types allow administrators to classify entity records into different categories. Different record types can have different picklist values and different page layouts assigned, enabling customized data entry and display for different business processes.

Integration with External Systems

Integration with Salesforce Objects

Magentrix Entities are equivalent to Salesforce Objects. Magentrix Entities can be created from Salesforce Objects so that the data records in each can be synchronized bidirectionally. Administrators import Salesforce objects through Extend > Salesforce, and field management must be performed in Salesforce with periodic schema refreshes in Magentrix.

Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Magentrix Entities are equivalent to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Entities. Magentrix Entities can be created from Dynamics entities so that the data records in each can be synchronized bidirectionally. Administrators import Dynamics entities through Extend > Dynamics CRM, and field management must be performed in Dynamics CRM with periodic schema refreshes in Magentrix.

Understanding Key Prefix and Magentrix IDs

Every entity in Magentrix is assigned a Key Prefix, which is an auto-generated three-digit identifier (such as "001", "002", "003"). The Key Prefix becomes part of the Magentrix ID for every record in that entity.

A Magentrix ID is a 19-character base-62 number that is case-sensitive. The structure is:

First 3 digits: Key Prefix (identifies the entity)
Middle digits: Sequential base-62 number (unique record identifier)
Last 4 digits: Unique Organization ID for the specific client

This structure ensures that every record across all entities has a globally unique identifier within the Magentrix platform.

Entity Options

When creating or editing entities, administrators can configure several options that control entity behavior:

Track Activities

Enabling Track Activities allows Task and Event related objects to be associated with records in this entity. Users can log calls, schedule meetings, create tasks, and track other activities related to entity records.

Allow Reports

Enabling Allow Reports allows the entity to participate in the Magentrix Reporting System. Users can create reports and dashboards that include data from this entity, enabling analytics and data visualization.

Track Feeds

Enabling Track Feeds enables Mingel social collaboration for the entity. Users can follow records, post updates, share files, and collaborate on entity records through the Mingel feed functionality.

List Views

Administrators can create List Views - customized views of an Entity optimized for readability and workflow. List Views can limit the fields that appear, filter out specific records, and specify the sorting logic of an Entity to improve usability. Users can create their own personal list views from the Entity Index page to organize their work.

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