MSCRM 3.0 ships with a really cool web page that allows you to view the current CRM system schema. If you browse to the following location:

http://[your crm server]/sdk/list.aspx

You will receive a list of all of the entities within the current CRM system.

Clicking on the Definition icon ( little yellow box ), will show a web page containing a complete overview of just about everything you need to know about that Entity: Type information, Attributes, and Relationships.

Copy that page, paste it into an Excel worksheet, and you have fully documented most of the information about that Entity.

Caveats:

  • The List doesn't show you any JavaScript Event information ( OnLoad, OnSave, OnChange ).
  • The Entities are listed by their Schema name so if you've renamed system entities, you will find them listed under their original name.
  • Custom entities are listed by their Schema name as well: new_entityname. ( Assuming you haven't altered the custom prefix. )

I think the thing I like the most about this feature is that it let's me see the Entity layout in a quick, at-a-glance, view without having to resort to SQL Enterprise Manager or SQL Query Analyzer.  This is very useful when you are creating several related Entities that need to have similar or exact table structures.