Populating Custom Fields in SuiteCommerce Before Record Submission

In SuiteCommerce, dynamically populating custom fields is essential for tailoring business processes to specific needs. When these fields drive actions like email notifications, ensuring they are set at the right moment is critical. This article explores how to use the preSubmitRecord method in a SuiteCommerce Advanced (SCA) backend script to populate custom fields before record submission, ensuring seamless integration with dependent processes.

The conventional approach to populating custom fields involves fetching the internal ID of a record and setting the field value using the field ID. While effective for straightforward updates, this method fails when the field value is required for immediate actions, such as triggering an email. Since email processes execute as the record is created, the field may lack a value at that moment, resulting in emails sent without the necessary data.

To overcome this, the preSubmitRecord method in an SCA backend script offers a robust solution. This method runs before the record is submitted to the database, allowing developers to set custom field values, such as an email ID, in time for dependent processes like email triggers. Below is an example of how to implement this:

// @method preSubmitRecord
preSubmitRecord: function() {  
   var userProfile = ProfileModel.get();
   if (userProfile && userProfile.emailAddress) {
      this.record.setValue({
          fieldId: 'custbody_sales_quote_email',
          value: userProfile.emailAddress
      });
   }
}

 In this code, the preSubmitRecord method retrieves the current user’s email from the profile model and sets it to the custom field custbody_quote_creator_email before the record is saved. This ensures the field is populated when the email notification process runs, delivering accurate data in the notification.

Implementing this approach requires careful scripting. Developers must identify the target custom field, retrieve the desired value (e.g., from the user’s profile), and use SuiteScript API calls to set the field. By leveraging preSubmitRecord, businesses can ensure custom fields are populated at the right moment, maintaining the integrity of workflows or searches and enhancing the reliability of SuiteCommerce operations.