Dialog | AseptSoft Documentation

A Dialog is a reusable operator interaction template used in Algorithm Design conditions. Dialogs prompt the operator with a message and collect a response — such as a confirmation, a numeric input, or a selection from buttons.

💡 In pharmaceutical terms: Dialogs are the points where the automation system pauses and asks the operator for input — "Confirm CIP solution concentration is correct", "Enter batch ID", "Acknowledge that manual valve V-301 is in the closed position". In a GMP environment, dialog responses are typically recorded in the batch record as evidence of operator involvement.

📋 Properties

Property	Type	Description
Name	Text	Unique identifier for the dialog (e.g., "ConfirmCIPStart", "EnterTemperature")
Title	Text	Display title shown in the dialog window header
Description	Text	Additional description or context for the dialog
Message	Text	The prompt text shown to the operator
Result Type	Selection	What type of response is expected (see table below)
Buttons	List	Clickable action buttons (each with Name, Control Type, Description, Title)
Non-Button Controls	List	Input controls for data entry (each with Name, Control Type, Description, Title)

📊 Result Types

The Result Type determines what kind of response the dialog collects from the operator:

Result Type	What It Means	Example Use
Whole number	Operator enters a whole number	"Enter batch count"
Decimal number	Operator enters a decimal number	"Enter target temperature (°C)"
Yes / No	Operator selects Yes or No	"Is the line drained?"
Free text	Operator enters free text	"Enter batch ID"
Button selection	Operator clicks one of the defined buttons	"Select cleaning agent: Caustic / Acid / WFI"
Confirmation	Operator confirms or cancels	"Confirm CIP start?"
Continue or Abort	Operator chooses to continue or abort the process	"Tank not empty. Continue or abort?"
Continue or Restart	Operator chooses to continue or restart the current step	"Temperature not reached. Continue or restart?"

✏️ Dialog Editor

The Dialog Editor is a visual tool for designing the layout and controls of a dialog. It provides a live preview on the right side and a control palette on the left.

Opening the Dialog Editor

There are two ways to open the Dialog Editor:

From the Condition Editor — In the Condition Editor Prompt field, click the arrows icon on the right → in the dialog overview window, click the + button in the bottom right corner
From the Module Data window — Navigate to the Dialogs section and create or edit a dialog

Control Types

The left side of the Dialog Editor shows the available control types you can add:

Control	Icon	Description
Button	■	Clickable action button — the operator clicks one of the options you define
CheckBox	☑️	Toggle option — multiple checkboxes can be ticked at the same time
RadioButton	⊙	Exclusive selection — only one option can be chosen from the group
TextInput	T	Free-text entry field where the operator can write any text
NumericInput	↕	Whole number entry field
FloatInput	↕	Decimal number entry field

Building a Dialog

Set the Dialog Name — Enter a descriptive name at the top (e.g., "CONTINUE TO STEP 2")
Add controls — Click on a control type from the left palette to add it to the dialog. You can add multiple controls of different types
Edit labels — Click directly on any text in the preview to edit it (button labels, checkbox names, input field names, etc.)
Reorder controls — Drag and drop controls within the preview to change their order
Remove controls — Drag a control to the trash icon (🗑️) at the bottom left
Use AI — Click the AI button to have the system automatically generate a dialog layout based on your requirements
Preview — The right side shows a live preview of how the dialog will appear to operators

💡 Tip: The Title and Description of the dialog appear at the top of the preview. The Title is shown in a colored header bar, and the Description appears below it.

Saving and Closing

Click OK to save and close the Dialog Editor
Click Abort to discard changes

📂 Managing Dialogs

Dialog Overview Window

When you click the arrows icon in the Condition Editor Prompt field, a window opens showing all available dialogs:

Operation	How
Create new	Click the + button in the bottom right to open the Dialog Editor
Select	Click on a dialog to insert it into the condition's Prompt field
Edit	Right-click on a dialog → Edit (or click an inserted dialog preview in the Prompt field)
Duplicate	Right-click on a dialog → Duplicate
Remove	Right-click on a dialog → Remove

Using Dialogs in Conditions

When you select a dialog from the overview:

The dialog name is inserted into the Prompt field
A preview of the dialog appears on the right side of the Prompt field
Click the preview to reopen the Dialog Editor and make changes
You can add plain text around the dialog reference to provide additional context (e.g., "Please review and confirm: [Dialog Name]")

🏷️ Dialog Types

Dialogs can also serve different purposes beyond simple operator prompts:

Dialog Type	Purpose
Dialog	Standard operator interaction — prompts and collects input
Fault	Fault notification requiring operator acknowledgement
Alarm	Alarm notification with operator response options
Warning	Warning message with options to proceed or take corrective action

📖 How To: Create a Dialog for a CIP Process

Open the Condition Editor — Module Ribbon → Condition panel → Edit
Navigate to the Prompt field — Click the arrows icon on the right
Create a new dialog — Click the + button to open the Dialog Editor
Set the name — Enter "CIP Start Confirmation"
Add controls:
- Add a CheckBox labeled "Manual valves are in correct position"
- Add a CheckBox labeled "CIP solution is prepared at correct concentration"
- Add a RadioButton group with options: "Standard CIP", "Extended CIP", "Rinse Only"
- Add a NumericInput labeled "Target concentration (% w/w)"
Review the preview — Verify the layout looks correct
Click OK to save
Select the dialog from the overview to insert it into the Prompt field

🏭 Examples

Example: CIP Confirmation Dialog

Property	Value
Name	ConfirmCIPStart
Title	CIP Process Confirmation
Message	Confirm that all manual valves are in the correct position and CIP solution is prepared at the specified concentration.
Result Type	Confirmation
Dialog Type	Dialog

Example: CIP Solution Concentration Entry

Property	Value
Name	EnterCIPConcentration
Title	CIP Solution Concentration
Message	Enter the measured concentration of the CIP caustic solution (% w/w).
Result Type	Decimal number
Controls	FloatInput ("Concentration % w/w")

Example: Cleaning Agent Selection

Property	Value
Name	SelectCleaningAgent
Title	Select Cleaning Agent
Message	Select the cleaning agent for this CIP cycle.
Result Type	Button selection
Buttons	"Caustic (NaOH)", "Acid (H3PO4)", "WFI Rinse Only"

Example: Sterile Breach Warning

Property	Value
Name	SterileBreachWarning
Title	Sterile Boundary Breach Detected
Message	A sterile boundary valve has been opened unexpectedly. The sterile status of the system may be compromised. Do you want to continue or abort?
Result Type	Continue or Abort
Dialog Type	Warning

🛠️ Common Operations

Operation	Description
Create	Add a new dialog from the Dialog Editor or Module Data window
Edit	Modify dialog properties, add/remove controls
Duplicate	Create a copy with all buttons and controls deep-copied
Delete	Remove a dialog
Search	Filter by title, description, name, or control names
Add Control	Drag a control type from the left palette in the Dialog Editor
Remove Control	Drag a control to the trash in the Dialog Editor
Reorder Controls	Drag and drop controls within the preview area

📋 Module Data — All module data types
🧠 Algorithm Design — Where dialogs are used in condition logic
Build Condition Field — Building conditions that reference dialogs
Build Action Field — Building actions that use dialog results
📐 Process Design — Process steps where dialogs appear