Need real time example of an action in Microsoft dynamics CRM - dynamics-crm

In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, I know the requirements when to use the plugin, workflows and custom workflows, but I cannot come across those cases or situations when I can use the actions or custom actions.
Can anybody suggest me real time requirement when to use the action?
If possible, please demonstrate an "action" with an example.
Thanks,

Actions are really a supported way to create a custom request, that performs a custom action (or more likely, set of actions) and returns a custom response. I'd say the most likely use case is if you have an external system that needs to perform a set of actions in CRM. Let's say the external system handles phone calls, and needs to create an account, and a phone call record. The custom action could accept the phone number and a couple other fields and then generate the Account, Phone Call, and associate the phone call to the account all in one SOAP request.

One simple use is when you need to execute some server side code from JavaScript by clicking a button in the ribbon OR any where in the client side(not on an entity delete, update, create etc.... messages.) , then you need to create an Action.
e.g if you have to implement some logic and you feel it would be very complex Or not possible on client side (JavaScript), then you should just create an action, implement your logic in that action(server side) and call that action in JavaScript.
For more Info Actions

Related

Trigger a particular flow in Power Automate Desktop

I want to trigger a particular flow in Power Automate Desktop. How can I do this instead of clicking on the run button against the flow manually? Is there a way?
there are several ways for you to do this.
Let's say you wanna start a desktop flow by a http request (a post request for example). You can create a simple flow at your cloud PWA using the trigger below:
and then call your desktop flow:
It depends on how you wanna trigger it, if you want you can use a recurrence trigger, the email one, etc.
Let me know if it helped you.

Dynamics WebAPI: Update only changed fields?

I am writing an application that accesses Dynamics 365 CE via the webapi (v9.0 / 9.1). My application retrieves a record and displays that to the user, the user can make changes and save the record again.
In that case, my application will attempt to save the changes using a Patch call against the Dynamics WebAPI.
Is there a built in way of updating only the fields that the user had changes? This is in a web application where I can't be sure to be able to have a proper client side change tracking, meaning I either have to do another call against the CRM, compare both records and send only the updated values to the CRM or send the entire record to the CRM. The second case is obviously much more performant and easier but I can't seem to find a way to tell the WebAPI to only update the changed fields..
Retrieval of record attributes using web API & binding the values to UI controls, identifying the dirty attributes & update back the source system with only those dirty fields - this is what usual cycle will be.
What you have is issue in identifying the dirty fields - it is not actual change tracking. Try to identify them in client side using an efficient way before submitting a update server request (PATCH).
Sending whole record field values irrespective of its dirtiness is not recommended for various reasons like losing Audit track, pipeline business logic in CRM Plugin/Workflow, etc.

How To Integrate Microsoft Flows

I am creating Flows in https://flow.microsoft.com,
I Don't know that How I can use or call these flow from my website. or how I can integrate it from my website.
What I want : I want to create these flow in my website and want users to select or create flows and then want to trigger these flow on some conditions.
So do I have to design this all in my website or I can integrate already created user flow in my website from
https://flow.microsoft.com
Is there any api to integrate it?
I want to integrate Dynamic 365 and sales force flows
I saw a thread Microsoft Flow integration But no answer here.
Please suggest what should I do to trigger flows from external websites.
Thanks
One option would be to select "HTTP Request" as the trigger, and pass in a JSON object to start a Flow. This would enable you to call it from an external website with whatever parameters you want.

Dynamics 365 - Create Server Side Script

I know how to Load a JScript to interact with a field or a form within "Form Properties". However, how do I load a Script or code to process server side?
Writing server side code with Microsoft Dynamics 365
We have two choices for adding server side code into the application,
plugins or custom workflow activities (CWA). These are developed using
assemblies from the 365 SDK. Almost every event – create, update,
assign, and many more – that occurs in 365 starts an event pipeline.
These events can be subscribed to by plugins or workflows. The
workflows can be used to execute CWAs. The plugin or CWA can then be
used edit or change the execution of the event, or perform an entirely
new action.
Depending on the complexity of the code, it may be possible to re-write it as a CRM Business Rule
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customer-engagement/customize/create-business-rules-recommendations-apply-logic-form
You can create business rules and recommendations to apply form logic
without writing JavaScript code or creating plug-ins. Business rules
provide a simple interface to implement and maintain fast-changing and
commonly used rules. They can be applied to Main and Quick Create
forms, and they work in PowerApps apps, Dynamics 365 web apps,
Dynamics 365 for tablets, and Dynamics 365 for Outlook (online or
offline mode).
By combining conditions and actions, you can do any of the following
with business rules:
Set field values
Clear field values
Set field requirement levels
Show or hide fields
Enable or disable fields
Validate data and show error messages
Create business recommendations based on business intelligence.

Microsoft Flow integration

I read an article about Microsoft Flow. I was wondering if it is possible to trigger events using this in an external website.
For instance, supposing a post is made on Yammer for some approval flow based application. If an authorized user comments saying "Approved", this must trigger an action in my external website.
Is this feasible using Flow?
You can also make your own custom connectors if your website has a RESTful API. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/flow/register-custom-api
There is an event for Yammer in Microsoft flow. I have something set up similar for my company and Twitter. When our company is mentioned it sends a message off to our social director.
I have several such flows for things like Yelp, Twitter, Facebook.
You need your Yammer account.
The events that you can trigger from and then include a trigger word or phrase are:
Get All messages
Get Messages in a group
Get Messages from my Following Feed
Post Message
Once you have that trigger its simple enough to look for the key word within a condition step.
Chances are good there is already a template for this in Microsoft Flow. Just look at the ones for Yelp, Facebook, etc. and modify for your needs
Just as AJAX mentioned, you can apply your own Custom Connector for a case like this. A Connector is the "plugin" used with a Flow, such as Yammer.
It's a bit late since November 28th (practically a 30-day late response here), but PowerApps allows you to create your own Custom Connector applying Microsoft's API. You'd be able to plug into your website (GET, POST, etc) directly with this when you create a trigger (the condition met true) that would launch an action. If you created your own API, Microsoft would have to validate if it's met standards pertaining to security.
By applying PowerApps, you'd be able to create your own actions and triggers. From this, you can integrate your own web based process' based on documentation that was observed: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/brand-new-custom-api-experience-in-powerapps/. From here, you'd be able to customize it was needed.
JSON is required for some circumstances, however Postman would be a great IDE to consider as it also applies a pre-approved API by Micrsoft.

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