Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE | Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Plugin Development: Create and Register Plugin - Dynamics 365 CE - Part 2

2023-09-04T00:34:00.009+05:30

Title: Plugin Development: Create and Register Plugin - Dynamics 365 CE - Part 2

This tutorial is a continuation of Plugin Development. Kindly follow the following link for part 1 to create the plugin solution.

Part1: Plugin Development: Create and Register Plugin - Dynamics 365 CE - Part 1

Step 5: Register the Plugin

Register your plugin within the Dynamics 365 CE environment. This step tells the system when and where your plugin should execute.

To register a plug-in, you will need the Plug-in Registration tool – download it from here. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/developer/data-platform/download-tools-nuget

Launch the Plugin Registration tool and Connect to the Dataverse.

Click PluginRegistration.exe to open.

Select Office 365, click Show Advance to Enter login credentials for the Dataverse.

Hit Login

After you are connected, you will see any existing registered plug-ins, custom workflow activities and data providers.

Now click on Register dropdown and click Register New Assembly

In the Register New Assembly dialog, select the ellipses (…) button and browse to the assembly you built in the previous step. Go to the Solution location > bin > debug folder.

Select the Plugin DLL and Hit Open

Review the Plugin Assembly and click Register Selected Plugins.

For Dynamics 365 online, isolation mode is set to Sandbox and Location to store the assembly is Database.

You will see a Registered Plug-ins confirmation dialog.

Click OK to close the dialog; your plugin Assembly registered will be displayed under the Organization.

Step 6: Register for a new Plugin Step.

Plugin Step says how, when and where plugin will run and execute.

Right-click the (Plugin) and select Register New Step.

In the Register New Step dialog, set the following fields:

Message – Create

Primary Entity – account

Event Pipeline Stage of Execution – PostOperation (plugin will run after record creation)

Execution Mode – Synchronous (plugin will execute synchronously)

Click Register New Step: you can see the registered step.

Now, let's assume after deployment, you made some changes to Plugin code, and you need to update the Assembly.

Just build the solution again, go to Plugin registration tool, select the (Assembly) from the list, click Update from ribbon, browse the Assembly DLL, remember to Select All check box, click Update Selected Plugins.

Step 7: Test the Plugin

After deployment of your plugin to your Dynamics 365 CE environment and test it thoroughly.

Go To your Dynamics 365 Environment > open an App > and Create new Account.

On the Timeline section, you will see the Task Created.

Trace Log:

By default, plug-in trace logs are not enabled. Enable the plug-in trace logs.

Navigate to Advance Settings > under System > Administration

In Administration, select System Settings.

In the System Settings dialog, on the Customization tab, set Enable logging to plug-in trace log to All.

Click OK

To view the Plugin Trace Log, navigate to Settings > Customization > Plug-In Trace Log

OR Open Advance Find look for Table Plug-in Trace Logs and click Results

Open the Record to see the Trace Log Information.

Best Practices for Plugin Development

1. Modular Coding: Divide your logic into reusable modules for maintainability.

2. Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to ensure smooth operation.

3. Avoid Infinite Loops: Carefully design your plugin to avoid triggering an infinite loop of events.

4. Logging: Utilize logging mechanisms to track plugin execution and troubleshoot issues.

5. Testing: Test your plugin in a sandbox environment before deploying it to production.

*Conclusion

Dynamics 365 CE plugins open the door to endless possibilities for customization, automation, and integration. By mastering the art of creating plugins, you're equipped to unleash the full potential of Dynamics 365 CE and tailor it precisely to your organization's needs.

Stay tuned for more in-depth explorations into the Dynamics 365 CE Platform and Plugin Development.

#Dynamics365 #Development #Plugin #PowerApps #PowerPlatform

Next Steps: Learn more about other powerful features of Plugin!

Filtering Attributes with Plugins Registered on Create and Update Message - Dynamics 365 CE

2023-08-29T01:02:00.002+05:30

Title: Filtering Attributes with Plugins Registered on Create and Update Message - Dynamics 365 CE

In the world of Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) customization, plugins are your toolkit for customizing the business process. One of the hidden gems within this customization is the ability to filter attributes when registering your plugins. In this blog, we'll deep dive into the filtering attributes as you register your plugins.

To Learn more about Plugin Development: Follow:

Plugin Development: Create and Register Plugin - Dynamics 365 CE

Power of Filtering Attribute

Imagine being able to specify exactly which attributes your plugin will execute, right from the moment of registration.

Filtering Attribute empowers you to narrow down your trigger, ensuring that your plugin only runs when needed.

If no filtering attributes are set for a plug-in registration step, then the plug-in will execute every time an update message occurs for that event.

With the Latest version of Plugin Registration Tool, we can specify filtering attributes for plugins on Create message in Dataverse.

The Benefits of Filtering Attribute in Registration

Attribute filtering during plugin registration brings lots of advantages to your customization strategy:

1. Efficiency: Focus your plugin's actions on specific attributes, boosting processing efficiency.

2. Performance Optimization: Most plug-ins registered for an entity's update message do not need to execute on all updates. Usually, there is only a need to process certain logic when a specific attribute or attributes have changed. This Reduce the amount of custom code execution and improving overall system performance.

Step-by-Step Guide: Filtering Attributes during Plugin Registration

Step 1: Identify Attributes: Determine the attributes that align with your plugin's purpose and customization objectives.

Step 2: Plugin Registration: When registering your plugin in the Dynamics 365 CE environment, specify the attributes using the appropriate configuration settings. For example, when using the Plugin Registration Tool:

Select Message Create or Update (Create Message Filtering Attributes)
Choose the entity for which you're registering the plugin.
In the "Filtering Attributes" section, select the desired attributes that your plugin will work with.

Filtering Attribute on Update Message.

Click on … dots button and select your desired attribute filtering. And Click OK.

Filtering Attribute on Create Message:

With the Latest version of Plugin Registration Tool, we can specify filtering attributes for plugins on Create message in Dataverse.

The following Plugin will only trigger when Create of an Account that has Email Id. You can have any attribute as filtering attributes selected based on your requirement.

Best Practices for Attribute Filtering in Plugin Registration

1. Be Selective: Choose attributes that are essential to your plugin's purpose, minimizing data transfer and processing.

2. Dynamic Configuration: If your attribute filtering requirements might change over time, ensure that your plugin registration can be adjusted accordingly.

Conclusion

Filtering attributes during Dynamics 365 CE plugin registration is like setting the stage for a precision performance.

As you continue to refine your plugin development skills, remember that attribute filtering during registration is your tool for early data refinement, ensuring that your plugin's actions align seamlessly with your CRM environment.

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of Dynamics 365 CE customization and Plugin Development.

#Dynamics365 #Development #Plugin #PowerApps #PowerPlatform

Next Steps: Learn more about other powerful features of Plugin!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Debugging Dynamics 365 CE Plugins