Introducing PromptDialog: Boosting Efficiency in AL and Business Central
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Theme at Directions
- Prompt Dialogue Page
- New Page Type in Business Central
- Challenges with the Prompt Dialogue Page
- Layout and Areas
- Prompt Modes
- Source Table in Prompt Dialogue Page
- Specificity of Prompt Dialogue Page
- Actions and System Actions
Introduction
Hey, I'm Eric! I recently returned from a trip to France and I just wanted to say how cool it was to meet all of You. Unlike before, where I can't see you, it was great to have face-to-face interactions with the attendees at the Directions conference. Now, let's get down to business. The theme of the conference was AI or co-pilot, and that was evident in all the demos and Sessions. One particular page type that stood out in Business Central was the Prompt Dialogue Page. In this article, we'll explore this new page type, its features, and how it can be used in Business Central.
The Theme at Directions
The theme at Directions conference revolved around AI or co-pilot. It was the hot topic that everyone was talking about and exploring. The Microsoft employees at the conference were all excited and enthusiastic about the potential of AI and co-pilot features in Business Central. The entire conference was buzzing with discussions and demos that showcased the capabilities of AI and co-pilot in different scenarios.
Prompt Dialogue Page
The Prompt Dialogue Page is a new page type introduced in Business Central. This page behaves differently from other pages in the application. It was first Mentioned when an employee suggested creating a video on the Prompt Dialogue Page. This sparked Curiosity, and it was decided that exploring this new page type would be a good idea. The Prompt Dialogue Page allows users to prompt the system for input and receive responses, making it a versatile tool in various business scenarios.
New Page Type in Business Central
The Prompt Dialogue Page is a new addition to the page types available in Business Central. However, it is important to note that at the time of writing this article, the page is only available in version 23.1, which is yet to be released. So, if you are running an older version of Business Central, you won't be able to access this page type.
Challenges with the Prompt Dialogue Page
There are a few challenges associated with the Prompt Dialogue Page. One challenge is that the page can only be used if the property "extensible" is set to false. This means that the page cannot be extended, limiting its flexibility. While this might make Sense for certain pages like credential input password pages, it is somewhat restrictive for a general-purpose page type that is meant to prompt users for input and provide responses.
Another challenge is the lack of documentation for the Prompt Dialogue Page, at least at the time of writing. Despite the absence of official documentation, we can still explore the page by examining existing examples and experimenting with its features.
Layout and Areas
The Prompt Dialogue Page has specific layout areas and fields that differentiate it from other page types. The layout areas associated with the Prompt Dialogue Page include the Content Area, Prompt Area, and Prompt Options. These areas are designed to provide a focused and interactive user experience when prompting for input and generating responses.
Prompt Modes
The Prompt Dialogue Page offers different prompt modes to customize its behavior. These modes include content prompting, generate mode, and content mode. Content prompting allows users to input their own values, generate mode triggers a system action upon page open, and content mode sets the properties by setting the variable 'CPagePromMode' before opening the page.
Source Table in Prompt Dialogue Page
In the Prompt Dialogue Page, the Source Table represents an instance of a co-pilot suggestion that includes both user input and co-pilot results. To maintain a history of suggestions and allow users to choose the best one, a new Record is inserted each time a user attempts to regenerate a suggestion before closing the page.
Specificity of Prompt Dialogue Page
The Prompt Dialogue Page is designed with specific use cases in mind. It aims to provide a stellar prompting experience and focuses on delivering AI or co-pilot suggestions effectively. The page's functionality is closely tied to these specific requirements, making it less suitable for general purposes.
Actions and System Actions
Actions and system actions play a crucial role in the Prompt Dialogue Page. System actions such as 'Generate' and 'Cancel' are used to control the prompting behavior, while custom actions can be added to extend the functionality of the page. These actions can be specified with Captions to provide clear instructions to the users.
These are just some of the key highlights and details about the Prompt Dialogue Page in Business Central. By exploring its features, capabilities, and challenges, users can leverage this page type to enhance their business processes and interactions.
Highlights
- The Prompt Dialogue Page is a new page type introduced in Business Central.
- It enables users to prompt the system for input and receive responses.
- The page is specific to AI and co-pilot suggestions.
- The 'extensible' property of the page can limit its flexibility.
- The Prompt Dialogue Page has layout areas and fields tailored for interactive prompting.
- Specific prompt modes are available to control the behavior of the page.
- The Source Table maintains a history of suggestions and user input.
- Documentation for the Prompt Dialogue Page is currently limited.
- System actions like 'Generate' and 'Cancel' are used to control the page's behavior.
- Custom actions can be added to enhance the functionality of the page.
FAQ
Q: Can the Prompt Dialogue Page be used in older versions of Business Central?
A: No, the Prompt Dialogue Page is only available in version 23.1 of Business Central.
Q: How can I extend the functionality of the Prompt Dialogue Page?
A: Custom actions can be added to the page to extend its functionality beyond the default system actions.
Q: Is it possible to customize the layout of the Prompt Dialogue Page?
A: Yes, the Prompt Dialogue Page provides layout areas that can be customized to suit specific requirements.
Q: Can I use the Prompt Dialogue Page in scenarios other than AI or co-pilot suggestions?
A: The Prompt Dialogue Page is specifically designed for AI or co-pilot interactions and may not be suitable for general-purpose use cases.