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FrankFFrankF 

Case Comments Updating the Last Modified Date on a Case

We currently use SFDC to track Support cases at our company and we're using a pretty stock Case tab. When editing the Case details, upon saving the record, the Last Modified date is updated as expected. However, the support engineers are very fond of using a related list - Case Comments to continually add comments to the case. They like that each Comment is encapsulated by itself (as opposed to a giant scrolling textbox) which keeps track of who when and what was happening. However, they'd like the Case Detail last modified date to be updated each time a comment is updated or created.
 
In talking with Basic support at SFDC, they didn't think this was possible. One solution that I could think of is to write some sort of scheduled job outside (like .NET) of SFDC that periodically checks all the cases and then update the last modified date of the Case detail if the max(last modified) field of any related comment is greater than the last modified date of the case detail. However, before going this route, I was wondering if there was another method that others have used that I haven't found in my (so far in vain) searching on the web.
I'm also questioning if I can/should be able to directly modify the last modified date field in the case details table in sfdc.
 
Thanks in advance,
Frank.
Best Answer chosen by Admin (Salesforce Developers) 
Jeff TalbotJeff Talbot
Internal comments isn't a giant scrolling text box. As I mentioned, when the Case is saved, the data entered into the Internal Comments field is transferred to a new Case Comment record. When you edit the Case again, Internal Comments is blank again.

All Answers

Jeff TalbotJeff Talbot

The standard Case field "Internal Comments" may be your solution. It is a "special" Salesforce field.

On a Case edit page, when you enter text into the standard Case field "Internal Comments" and then save the Case record, the "Internal Comments" entry is transferred to an entry in the Case Comments section. Because you have to "edit" a Case to do this, the Last Modified Date is then updated.

Hope that helps!
FrankFFrankF
We do realize that the internal comments field is available but the support engineers like the way the case comments work such that they do not all type into one giant scrolling textbox...
 
Any other ideas?
MarkSilberMarkSilber
I believe workflow will be updated to allow capturing Comments events similar to the new email workflow that was made available in the Spring 08 release. Until then, there really aren't any good options. We built a custom Apex driven function that periodically scans the Comments table and performs actions (i.e., update the status on the Case). When Summer 08 is released, we will be able to do this through workflow. To update the last modified date/time with workflow, you would just need to update a field on the Case based on the Comment.
Jeff TalbotJeff Talbot
Internal comments isn't a giant scrolling text box. As I mentioned, when the Case is saved, the data entered into the Internal Comments field is transferred to a new Case Comment record. When you edit the Case again, Internal Comments is blank again.
This was selected as the best answer
FrankFFrankF

Oops, my bad. Misunderstood you.

I've sent the suggestion to our support engineers. Their continued resistance to using the Case Details edit is now that other things might accidentally get changed. However, I think they can be a little careful and the internal comment field should work.

Thanks a ton for the help.

Frank.
FrankFFrankF

Mark,

Thanks for the info. I'll see what becomes available this coming release. Maybe I'll see you at one of SFDCs dev meetings.

Best regards,

Frank.
kimkim

Use the workflow on Case Comments to stamp a custom field on the Case.

 

1. Create custom field on case, format date/time

2. Create a workflow on case comments, on creation only would be sufficient.
You can exclude anyusers or profiles like automation users or portal users if you dont want to include that.

3.  Create a field update that uses a formul: Now()

 

That will do the trick.

 

Kim