confused about what product, need guidance

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Posted on by Community Member Microsoft Employee

I began a Dynamics 365 trial and attended a two day Microsoft training class for Dynamics 365. In the class we were told to use PowerApps. Since then I have a license. I made a solution through Dynamics.com. This is where I made custom entities, views, and forms. Then through PowerApps.com I made a model-driven app referencing the entities and was able to share a URL to users for testing.

The application posts transactions to an account using transaction codes. Again, these are custom entities. I want two things. First, I want to update a status field in the account when transactions are posted, based on information in the transaction type. Second I want to concatenate last+first+middle initial and write that into the default name field for the account.

The history entity has many-to-one relationships to both the account and transaction type entities. So, to update the account record, it needs to read the transaction-type record used, get some info, then update the account record referenced by the history record.

I want separate first name, last name, and middle initial fields on the account form. The default "name" field displays at the top of the form, and the default "name" field is used for look ups. So I need to update that value from last, first, and middle entered on the form.

I need to know whether to use plug-ins to do what I want, or use workflows. I can code, but want to use workflows since that would not involve coding. Unfortunately I can't see anywhere to create a workflow. I'm looking at the solution right now, through Dynamics.com, but the pop-up window says PowerApps. In the left explorer pane it has entities, option sets, client extensions, web resources, processes, etc. No where on the page can I find anything related to workflows. I tried to make business rules within the history and account entities, but that doesn't seem to be robust enough for what I need.

I have given the entire development path for the app since I began this. Please, someone steer me which way to go. Thanks

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Community Member Microsoft Employee on at

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RE: confused about what product, need guidance

The issue constructing full name from last + comma + first + space + middle initial, was resolved with javascript added as a web resource and wired to events on the form.

I want to acknowledge xRMCoaches and their Youtube channel as an excellent resource, giving me what I need.
Community Member Microsoft Employee on at

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RE: confused about what product, need guidance

I made some progress. As a background process I can assign last name and first name, but cannot mix with a literal. I can do either a literal or fields, but not both at the same time. I did a lot of trial and error to no avail. Also, to the right of the properties page there is a Form Assistant. The only way I can use a field is if produced through the Form Assistant such that the value shown is yellow. If I manually enter the value, even if exactly the same, it uses what's entered as a literal. Also, I must use the Form Assistant once and choose last name, click OK, then do it a second time and choose first name. If I do both at the same time a semicolon separates the fields in the value box and that won't work. If I do it twice, a space separates the fields in the value box and that does work.
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Mahadeo Matre 17,021 on at

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RE: confused about what product, need guidance

Hi..

In CRM, under processes you can create workflow, action, business process flow and dialog.

You need to go to processes --> New --> then select category as "Workflow"

As per my understanding you want to update account name = lastname+firstname+middle name.

You can do this using plugin or workflow.. first you need to create those 3 custom fields in account entity.

If you use plugin - with Pre-create event, you can set account name before account record is created.

If you use workflow -- account record need to be created, then only you can update account name with first, last and middle name.

Here are some information on plugin

docs.microsoft.com/.../plugin-development

docs.microsoft.com/.../sample-create-basic-plugin

and workflow

docs.microsoft.com/.../workflow-processes

crmbook.powerobjects.com/.../workflows

Hope this will help..