An option set is a field with a constrained set of options from which users can choose one value. An option set field is sometimes called a picklist or dropdown field.
In previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, option sets could not be re-used and had to be redefined separately each time you wanted the same field with the same options to be used on different entities.
Using the new global option sets feature in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, you can define an option set once and re-use it in multiple entities or even for the multiple times within the same entity. When you update the options for a global option set, all fields that reference the global option set are updated. This makes option set maintenance much easier for the system administrators and makes option sets easier to use for users and developers.
In this section we'll learn about:
Creating a global option set
Modifying a global option set
Deleting a global option set