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Dynamics CRM 2011 Dialogs

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Creating a new Dialog

In order to manage Dialogs navigate to Settings -> Processes. This presents a list of existing Workflows and Dialogs that you can work with as well as the option to create new records.  When creating a new dialog you will need to assign a name by which to reference it, choose the entity type that it will be associated with, and then select Dialog as the Category. Additionally you can choose to create a New blank process or a New process from an existing template. 

After beginning a new dialog you will be presented with a number of options before adding any steps. The Activate As option gives you the choice of creating a stand-alone dialog when you select Process. Selecting Process template allows you to save the record as a template which can later be re-used to save time when creating future dialogs. The selections under Available to Run are As an on-demand process which allows the dialog to be run manually or As a child process which allows the dialog to be run from within another dialog. Both options can be selected if they meet your requirements. 

Adding Steps to the Dialog

Making selections from the Add Step menu are what allow you to add the actual automation and prompts to your dialog. 

Input Arguments: Used by child dialogs to accept incoming values created by a parent dialog – can be of the following data types and must specify a default value:

  • Single Line of Text
  • Whole Number
  • Floating Point Number
  • Date and Time
  • Date Only
  • Lookup

Variables: Can be used to store temporary values being used during the dialog process – can be of the following data types and must specify a default value:

  • Single Line of Text
  • Whole Number
  • Floating Point Number
  • Date and Time
  • Date Only
  • Lookup

Steps:

  • Stage – allows steps to be separated into logical groups - once a Stage is added, all steps in the workflow must be contained in a Stage
  • Page – this is the actual screen that is displayed – it can contain multiple Prompt and Response entries
  • Prompt and Response:
    • Statement Label – corresponds to the description line provided for other Steps
    • Prompt Text – the area where you can enter the verbiage that will prompt the user to enter a response - allows the entry of a hyperlink based on free-form text of record values
    • Tip Text – text that will be displayed to the right of the Prompt Text intended to provide additional information  for the Prompt Text -- allows the entry of a hyperlink based on free-form text of record values
    • Response Type – can be of the following data types:
      • None
      • Single Line – Text, Integer, or Float
      • Option Set (radio buttons) - Text, Integer, or Float
      • Options Set (picklist) - Text, Integer, or Float
      • Options Set (picklist) - Text, Integer, or Float
      • Date and Time
      • Date Only
      • Lookup – Can reference any entity type and related their related lookups

Once saved, the Response Type can be changed but the Data Type cannot be changed without deleting the step.

At least one Prompt and Response must be added to a dialog before it can be activated.

  • Check Condition - allows one or more conditions to be evaluated to determine if child steps to the Check Condition should be executed – multiple conditions are created using an AND operator – functions like IF logic
  • Conditional Branch – used in conjunction to a Check Condition to provide an alternate path if the original condition evaluates to FALSE – this will only be available as a selectable option if a Check Condition is currently selected – functions like ELSE IF logic
  • Default Action – also used in conjunction to a Check Condition to allow a fallback set up child steps to be executes if the original Check Condition and any Conditional Branches evaluate to FALSE – this will only be available as a selectable option if a Check Condition or Conditional Branch  is currently selected – functions like ELSE logic
  • Query CRM Data:
    • Statement Label – corresponds to the description line provided for other Steps
    • Query Details – allows constructing a query through and interface similar to the Advanced Find – results can be used to populate subsequent Prompt and Response value choices
  • Assign Value – used to assign a static or dynamic value to a Variable or an Input Argument
  • Create Record – allows the dialog to create a new record for the specified entity and set initial values - values can be based on related records or can be manually entered
  • Update Record – defines a set of updates to the current record the workflow is being processed against - values can be based on related records or can be manually entered
  • Assign Record – changes the ownership of a record to a different User or Team – values can be based on related records or can be manually entered
  • Send E-mail – creates and sends a new E-mail record – values can be based on related records or can be manually entered
  • Start Child Workflow – allows a Workflow which has been defined as a Child Process to begin execution
  • Link Child Dialog – allows a Dialog which has been defined as a Child Process to begin execution – static or dynamic values can be assigned to the child dialog’s Input Arguments
  • Change Status – allows Status of the current or a related record to be updated
  • Stop Dialog – terminates any further processing of the dialog

As each step is added a step description line is added to allow users to enter some brief notes defining the functionality of the step. 

Changing the Insert menu from After Step to Before Step dictates if a new step will be placed before or after the currently selected step.

Using Delete this step will remove the current step and all child steps from the dialog.

Administration and Notes

On the Administration tab you will you be able to change the Owner of the dialog to another User. There is a message indicating that when a dialog is reassigned that it must be activated before it can be used again. From this tab, in order to change the Owner the record must already be deactivated, however from the main record grid Workflows and Dialogs can be reassigned while they are still active – requiring them to be reactivated. A large Description field is also present to document any additional information regarding the dialog. A standard Notes tab is also available to include additional time stamped detail that can include file attachments.

Auditing can be enabled for Workflows and Dialogs under the Process entity but details regarding the Steps are omitted. Only the header information and status changes are recorded.

Activating the Dialog

Once all steps have been added and changes have been saved you will see the dialog in a Draft Status. In order for the dialog to be useable, you must select a record and use the Activate button. A dialog can only be activated if all steps have been completed. An example of an incomplete step would be adding a Create Record step but not defining the entity type and setting any required fields. If successful, the dialog will now be in an Activated Status. At which point changes to the dialog will not be allowed until the selected dialog is deactivated using the Deactivate button.