Extending the Alerts Functionality

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

The guidelines in this section provide information about how the Alerts functionality can be customized within the Alerts framework. The Alerts functionality is a notification system that helps users track critical events in Microsoft Dynamics AX, and the Alerts framework is the framework that enables the Alerts functionality.

Understanding the framework will enable you to customize it for your customers’ needs. You will also receive step-by-step guidance on how to customize events, actions, and the user interface (UI) for rules, as indicated in the table below.

The Alerts functionality consists of four major parts; with the exception of event detection, you are likely to modify all of them:

• Rule creation

• Event detection

• Event processing

• Alert viewing

The following two tables describe various aspects of Alerts (on a module-by-module basis) that are essential to customizing the Alerts functionality.

Topic	Description
Creating Rules for Alerts	Provides information about where rule information is collected and where it can be maintained.
Event Detection and Processing for Alerts	Provides information about the processing and detection of change-based (Create/Update/Delete, or CUD) events and due date events.
Viewing Alerts	Provides information for customizing the EventAlertInbox form.
Event Enabling a Field for Alert Rules	Provides information for event enabling a field so that alert rules can be created in that field.
How to: Add Custom Actions for Alerts	Provides information for implementing custom EventAction classes.
How to: Add Custom Actions UI for Alerts	Provides information for adding UI for custom actions on the CreateAlertRule form and the ManageAlertRule form.
How to: Implement a New EventType Class	Provides information for implementing custom EventType classes.
Registering New Event Types	Provides information for registering new event types with the Alerts framework.

Terminology applied

Term	Description
Event	Any type of change (in data) or activity being monitored. The current implementation of the Alerts functionality can monitor change-based events and due date events. A change-based event is an event type that occurs when users create, delete, or change a record. Change-based events are categorized into create and delete events. These event types include creating and deleting records, and updating events that include changing records. Change-based events are also referred to as Create/Update/Delete (CUD) events. A due date event is an event type that occurs when a date occurs that is specified in the system.
Rule	To monitor events, you must subscribe to them. A rule is basically your subscription to a certain type of event; for example, when a record is inserted in a specific table.
Alert	A notification that you receive when an event occurs to which you have subscribed.
Action	The response of the system to a certain type of event. For example, an action could be inserting an alert in a user's inbox or sending an e-mail message. The current implementation of the Alerts functionality enables multiple actions per event to be carried out.

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