Writing a Simple Dynamics 365 Plugin: A Step-by-Step Guide

Dynamics 365 is a powerful customer relationship management (CRM) tool that can be customized using plugins. These plugins extend the functionality of Dynamics 365 and can perform various business operations automatically. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of writing a simple Dynamics 365 plugin with step-by-step instructions.

Step 1: Create a New Visual Studio Project
The first step in creating a Dynamics 365 plugin is to create a new Visual Studio project. Open Visual Studio and select ‘New Project’ from the ‘File’ menu. In the ‘New Project’ dialog box, select the ‘Class Library’ option under the ‘Visual C#’ language category. Give your project a name and click the ‘Create’ button.

Step 2: Add References
Once the project is created, you need to add references to the Dynamics 365 SDK assemblies. Right-click on your project in the ‘Solution Explorer’ window and select ‘Manage NuGet Packages’. In the ‘NuGet Package Manager’ window, search for ‘Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies’ and install it. This package will install the necessary assemblies for interacting with Dynamics 365.

Step 3: Define the Plugin Class
Now that the project is set up, you need to define the plugin class. The plugin class should implement the ‘IPlugin’ interface, which provides methods for initializing and executing the plugin. Here’s an example of what your plugin class definition should look like:

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

public class MyPlugin : IPlugin
{
public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
{
// Your plugin code goes here
}
}

Step 4: Implement the Plugin Code
With the plugin class defined, you can now implement the code that performs your desired business operation. For example, let’s say you want to update a contact record every time a new account is created. Here’s what your plugin code would look like:

public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
{
IPluginExecutionContext context = (IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext));

if (context.InputParameters.Contains(“Target”) && context.InputParameters[“Target”] is Entity)
{
Entity account = (Entity)context.InputParameters[“Target”];

if (account.LogicalName == “account”)
{
IOrganizationService service = (IOrganizationService)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IOrganizationService));

Entity contact = new Entity(“contact”);
contact.Id = new Guid(“CONTACT_GUID”); // Replace with the GUID of the contact you want to update
contact.Attributes[“telephone1”] = “NEW_PHONE_NUMBER”; // Replace with the new phone number value

service.Update(contact);
}
}
}

This code retrieves the account entity that triggered the plugin and checks if it’s an account and not some other entity. If it’s an account, it retrieves the ‘IOrganizationService’ interface, which allows for interaction with Dynamics 365 data. Then, it creates a new contact entity and updates its ‘telephone1’ attribute with a new phone number value. Finally, it calls the ‘Update’ method of ‘IOrganizationService’ to save the changes.

Step 5: Register the Plugin in Dynamics 365
Now that the plugin is written, you need to register it in Dynamics 365. Open your Dynamics 365 instance and navigate to the ‘Settings’ menu, then select ‘Customizations’. In the ‘Customizations’ window, select ‘Plug-in Trace Log’ and click on the ‘New’ button. In the ‘New Plug-in Trace Log’ dialog box, enter a name for your plugin and select the assembly containing the plugin code. Choose the ‘MyPlugin’ class from the ‘Class’ dropdown menu and click the ‘Create’ button.

Conclusion
In this article, we’ve shown you how to write a simple Dynamics 365 plugin with step-by-step instructions. By following these steps, you can extend Dynamics 365’s functionality and automate business operations easily. Whether you’re a developer or a power user, writing Dynamics 365 plugins is a valuable skill to have in your arsenal.