desk-customization

Frappe Desk Customization

Customize the Frappe Desk admin UI with form scripts, list views, dialogs, and client-side APIs.

When to use

• Adding custom buttons or actions to forms
• Filtering Link fields dynamically
• Toggling field visibility based on conditions
• Customizing list view indicators and bulk actions
• Building interactive dialogs and prompts
• Adding client-side validation before save
• Injecting scripts into other apps' DocTypes via hooks

Inputs required

• Target DocType for customization
• Whether script is app-level (version controlled) or Client Script (site-specific)
• Events to hook into (refresh, validate, field change, etc.)
• UI behavior requirements (buttons, filters, visibility)

Procedure

0) Choose script type

Type	Location	Version Controlled	Use Case
App-level form script	<app>/<module>/doctype/<doctype>/<doctype>.js	Yes	Standard app behavior
Client Script	DocType: Client Script	No (DB)	Site-specific customization
Hook-injected script	Via doctype_js in hooks.py	Yes	Extend other apps' DocTypes

1) Write form scripts

frappe.ui.form.on("My DocType", {
    // Called once during form setup
    setup(frm) {
        frm.set_query("customer", function() {
            return {
                filters: { "status": "Active" }
            };
        });
    },

    // Called every time form loads or refreshes
    refresh(frm) {
        if (frm.doc.status === "Draft") {
            frm.add_custom_button(__("Submit for Review"), function() {
                frappe.call({
                    method: "my_app.api.submit_for_review",
                    args: { name: frm.doc.name },
                    callback(r) {
                        frm.reload_doc();
                    }
                });
            }, __("Actions"));
        }

        // Toggle field visibility
        frm.toggle_display("discount_section", frm.doc.grand_total > 1000);

        // Set field properties
        frm.set_df_property("notes", "read_only", frm.doc.docstatus === 1);
    },

    // Called before save — return false to cancel
    validate(frm) {
        if (frm.doc.end_date < frm.doc.start_date) {
            frappe.msgprint(__("End date must be after start date"));
            frappe.validated = false;
        }
    },

    // Field change handler (use fieldname as key)
    customer(frm) {
        if (frm.doc.customer) {
            frappe.db.get_value("Customer", frm.doc.customer, "territory",
                function(r) {
                    frm.set_value("territory", r.territory);
                }
            );
        }
    },

    // Before save hook
    before_save(frm) {
        frm.doc.full_name = `${frm.doc.first_name} ${frm.doc.last_name}`;
    },

    // After save hook
    after_save(frm) {
        frappe.show_alert({
            message: __("Document saved successfully"),
            indicator: "green"
        });
    }
});

// Child table events
frappe.ui.form.on("My DocType Item", {
    qty(frm, cdt, cdn) {
        let row = locals[cdt][cdn];
        frappe.model.set_value(cdt, cdn, "amount", row.qty * row.rate);
        calculate_total(frm);
    },

    items_remove(frm) {
        calculate_total(frm);
    }
});

function calculate_total(frm) {
    let total = 0;
    (frm.doc.items || []).forEach(row => {
        total += row.amount || 0;
    });
    frm.set_value("grand_total", total);
}