this will break your phone app scripts

When writing JavaScript for CRM forms I like to encase all form functions within a namespace library in a very similar fashion to what Microsoft suggest here. It ends up looking like follows.

//If the LSD namespace object isn’t defined, create it.
if (typeof (LSD) == "undefined")
 { LSD = {}; }
  // Create Namespace container for functions in this library;
  LSD.Appointment= {
   onLoad: function(){
    this.retrieveLocation();
  },
  retrieveLocation: function(){
   console.log("retrieving contact address");
  }
};

Recently I rewrote some form scripts for appointment to add additional functionality, replaced web service calls using the 2011 Endpoint with the WebAPI and also took the opportunity to create a namespaced library.  I tested the changes in Dev and UAT before finally deploying to live.

Today I received a phonecall from one of the sales guys who informed me I had broken the phone app.

Oops, I had forgot to test the script changes on the app.  Had I have done so I would have discovered that you cannot use the this keyword to call functions within the namespace when using the phoneapp, you must use the full name as shown below.

//If the LSD namespace object isn’t defined, create it.
if (typeof (LSD) == "undefined")
 { LSD = {}; }
  // Create Namespace container for functions in this library;
  LSD.Appointment= {
   onLoad: function(){
    LSD.Appointment.retrieveLocation();
  },
  retrieveLocation: function(){
   console.log("retrieving contact address");
  }
};

So there are a few lessons there:

1. Never use this if you intend on using the CRM phone app
2. Always, always test your scripts in the phone app before deploying to live.