Retrieving 'friendly' field names for custom fields

[lldev]

I am using VB.Net with Act.Framework.dll to develop some integration applications. My client has created a number of custom Contact fields in hist ACT! database. eg. TargetLink. If I want to update these fields I currently use a line similar to this:

actCont.ContactFields("CUST_ContactsTable1_080250.CUST_TargetLink_030704295", True) = "link to a website"

My question is this: can I refer to these fields in my code using a friendlier name rather than having to look them up in actdiags.exe? Ideally something like:

actCont.ContactFields(TargetLink, True) = "link to a website"

[jimdurkin]

I created a function to do that. This function takes takes two parameters: Framework and the Dispyaname of the field. It returns the ContactFieldDescriptor

   Public Shared Function GetContactFieldDescriptorByDisplayName(ByVal HostFramework As Act.Framework.ActFramework, ByVal sDisplayName As String) As Act.Framework.Contacts.ContactFieldDescriptor
        '------------------------------------------------------------
        ' Check all fields in the GetContactFieldDescriptors
        ' And return the ONE where sDisplayName = cField1.DisplayName
        '----------------------------------------------------------------
        For Each cField1 As Act.Framework.Contacts.ContactFieldDescriptor In HostFramework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptors()
            If sDisplayName.ToUpper = cField1.DisplayName.ToUpper Then
                Return cField1
                Exit For
            End If
        Next

        Return Nothing
    End Function

'To use the function, init a field descriptor....

Dim CustomContactFieldDescriptor As Act.Framework.Contacts.ContactFieldDescriptor = nothing

' Get the field descriptor using the current ACT framework and the display name of the field

CustomContactFieldDescriptor =  GetContactFieldDescriptorByDisplayName(ACTAPP.ACTFramework, "link to a website")

'Get the value of that field from the currentContact

Dim strLinkToWebsite as string = CustomContactFieldDescriptor.Getvalue(ACTAPP.ApplicationState.CurrentContact)

Hope this helps

-- Jim Durkin