Using Dynamic Entities
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[Applies to: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0]
Find the latest SDK documentation: CRM 2015 SDK
This sample shows how to create, retrieve, and update a contact as a dynamic entity.
This sample code can be found in the following files in the SDK download:
Server\HowTo\CS\Entities\DynamicEntityHowTo.cs
Server\HowTo\VB\Entities\DynamicEntityHowTo.vb
For more information about the helper methods in the Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Utility.CrmServiceUtility namespace, see Utility Sample Code.
Example
[C#]
using System;
using System.Collections;
using CrmSdk;
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Utility;
namespace Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.HowTo
{
/// <summary>
/// This sample shows how to create a contact with a DynamicEntity and
/// retrieve it as a DynamicEntity.
/// </summary>
public class DynamicEntityHowTo
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// TODO: Change the server URL and organization to match your Microsoft
// Dynamics CRM Server and Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization.
DynamicEntityHowTo.Run("https://localhost:5555", "CRM_SDK");
}
public static bool Run(string crmServerUrl, string orgName)
{
bool success = false;
try
{
// Set up the CRM Service.
CrmService service = CrmServiceUtility.GetCrmService(crmServerUrl, orgName);
#region Setup Data Required for this Sample
// Create the account object.
account account = new account();
account.name = "Fourth Coffee";
// Create the target object for the request.
TargetCreateAccount target = new TargetCreateAccount();
target.Account = account;
// Create the request object.
CreateRequest createRequest = new CreateRequest();
createRequest.Target = target;
// Execute the request.
CreateResponse createResponse = (CreateResponse)service.Execute(createRequest);
Guid accountID = createResponse.id;
#endregion
#region Create Contact Dynamically
// Set the properties of the contact using property objects.
StringProperty firstname = new StringProperty();
firstname.Name = "firstname";
firstname.Value = "Jesper";
StringProperty lastname = new StringProperty();
lastname.Name = "lastname";
lastname.Value = "Aaberg";
// Create the DynamicEntity object.
DynamicEntity contactEntity = new DynamicEntity();
// Set the name of the entity type.
contactEntity.Name = EntityName.contact.ToString();
// Set the properties of the contact.
contactEntity.Properties = new Property[] {firstname, lastname};
// Create the target.
TargetCreateDynamic targetCreate = new TargetCreateDynamic();
targetCreate.Entity = contactEntity;
// Create the request object.
CreateRequest create = new CreateRequest();
// Set the properties of the request object.
create.Target = targetCreate;
// Execute the request.
CreateResponse created = (CreateResponse) service.Execute(create);
#endregion
#region Retrieve Contact Dynamically
// Create the retrieve target.
TargetRetrieveDynamic targetRetrieve = new TargetRetrieveDynamic();
// Set the properties of the target.
targetRetrieve.EntityName = EntityName.contact.ToString();
targetRetrieve.EntityId = created.id;
// Create the request object.
RetrieveRequest retrieve = new RetrieveRequest();
// Set the properties of the request object.
retrieve.Target = targetRetrieve;
// Be aware that using AllColumns may adversely affect
// performance and cause unwanted cascading in subsequent
// updates. A best practice is to retrieve the least amount of
// data required.
retrieve.ColumnSet = new AllColumns();
// Indicate that the BusinessEntity should be retrieved as a DynamicEntity.
retrieve.ReturnDynamicEntities = true;
// Execute the request.
RetrieveResponse retrieved = (RetrieveResponse) service.Execute(retrieve);
// Extract the DynamicEntity from the request.
DynamicEntity entity = (DynamicEntity)retrieved.BusinessEntity;
// Extract the fullname from the dynamic entity
string fullname;
for (int i = 0; i < entity.Properties.Length; i++)
{
if (entity.Properties[i].Name.ToLower() == "fullname")
{
StringProperty property = (StringProperty) entity.Properties[i];
fullname = property.Value;
break;
}
}
#endregion
#region Update the DynamicEntity
// This part of the example demonstrates how to update properties of a
// DynamicEntity.
// Set the contact properties dynamically.
// Contact Credit Limit
CrmMoneyProperty money = new CrmMoneyProperty();
// Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
money.Name="creditlimit";
money.Value = new CrmMoney();
// Specify a $10000 credit limit.
money.Value.Value=10000M;
// Contact PreferredContactMethodCode property
PicklistProperty picklist = new PicklistProperty();
// Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
picklist.Name="preferredcontactmethodcode";
picklist.Value = new Picklist();
// Set the property's picklist index to 1.
picklist.Value.Value = 1;
// Contact ParentCustomerId property.
CustomerProperty parentCustomer = new CustomerProperty();
// Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
parentCustomer.Name = "parentcustomerid";
parentCustomer.Value = new Customer();
// Set the customer type to account.
parentCustomer.Value.type = EntityName.account.ToString();
// Specify the GUID of an existing CRM account.
// SDK:parentCustomer.Value.Value = new Guid("A0F2D8FE-6468-DA11-B748-000D9DD8CDAC");
parentCustomer.Value.Value = accountID;
// Update the DynamicEntities properties collection to add new properties.
// Convert the properties array of DynamicEntity to an ArrayList.
ArrayList arrProps = new ArrayList(entity.Properties);
// Add properties to ArrayList.
arrProps.Add(money);
arrProps.Add(picklist);
arrProps.Add(parentCustomer);
// Update the properties array on the DynamicEntity.
entity.Properties = (Property[])arrProps.ToArray(typeof(Property));
// Create the update target.
TargetUpdateDynamic updateDynamic = new TargetUpdateDynamic();
// Set the properties of the target.
updateDynamic.Entity = entity;
// Create the update request object.
UpdateRequest update = new UpdateRequest();
// Set request properties.
update.Target = updateDynamic;
// Execute the request.
UpdateResponse updated = (UpdateResponse)service.Execute(update);
#endregion
#region check success
if (retrieved.BusinessEntity is DynamicEntity)
{
success = true;
}
#endregion
#region Remove Data Required for this Sample
service.Delete(EntityName.contact.ToString(), created.id);
service.Delete(EntityName.account.ToString(), accountID);
#endregion
}
catch (System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException ex)
{
// Add your error handling code here...
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message + ex.Detail.InnerXml);
}
return success;
}
}
}
[Visual Basic .NET]
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports CrmSdk
Imports Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Utility
Namespace Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.HowTo
' <summary>
' This sample shows how to create a contact with a DynamicEntity and
' retrieve it as a DynamicEntity.
' </summary>
Public Class DynamicEntityHowTo
Sub Main()
' TODO: Change the server URL and organization to match your Microsoft
' Dynamics CRM Server and Microsoft Dynamics CRM organization.
DynamicEntityHowTo.Run("https://localhost:5555", "CRM_SDK")
End Sub
Public Shared Function Run(ByVal crmServerUrl As String, ByVal orgName As String) As Boolean
Dim success As Boolean = False
Try
' Set up the CRM Service.
Dim service As CrmService = CrmServiceUtility.GetCrmService(crmServerUrl,orgName)
'#region Setup Data Required for this Sample
' Create the account object.
Dim account As account = New account
account.name = "Fourth Coffee"
' Create the target object for the request.
Dim target As TargetCreateAccount = New TargetCreateAccount
target.Account = account
' Create the request object.
Dim createRequest As CreateRequest = New CreateRequest
createRequest.Target = target
' Execute the request.
Dim createResponse As CreateResponse = CType(service.Execute(createRequest), CreateResponse)
Dim accountID As Guid = createResponse.id
'#endregion
'#region Create Contact Dynamically
' Set the properties of the contact using property objects.
Dim firstname As StringProperty = New StringProperty
firstname.Name = "firstname"
firstname.Value = "Jesper"
Dim lastname As StringProperty = New StringProperty
lastname.Name = "lastname"
lastname.Value = "Aaberg"
' Create the DynamicEntity object.
Dim contactEntity As DynamicEntity = New DynamicEntity
' Set the name of the entity type.
contactEntity.Name = EntityName.contact.ToString()
' Set the properties of the contact.
contactEntity.Properties = New StringProperty() {firstname, lastname}
' Create the target.
Dim targetCreate As TargetCreateDynamic = New TargetCreateDynamic
targetCreate.Entity = contactEntity
' Create the request object.
Dim create As CreateRequest = New CreateRequest
' Set the properties of the request object.
create.Target = targetCreate
' Execute the request.
Dim created As CreateResponse = CType(service.Execute(create), CreateResponse)
'#endregion
'#region Retrieve Contact Dynamically
' Create the retrieve target.
Dim targetRetrieve As TargetRetrieveDynamic = New TargetRetrieveDynamic
' Set the properties of the target.
targetRetrieve.EntityName = EntityName.contact.ToString()
targetRetrieve.EntityId = created.id
' Create the request object.
Dim retrieve As RetrieveRequest = New RetrieveRequest
' Set the properties of the request object.
retrieve.Target = targetRetrieve
retrieve.ColumnSet = New AllColumns
' Indicate that the BusinessEntity should be retrieved as a DynamicEntity.
retrieve.ReturnDynamicEntities = True
' Execute the request.
Dim retrieved As RetrieveResponse = CType(service.Execute(retrieve), RetrieveResponse)
' Extract the DynamicEntity from the request.
Dim entity As DynamicEntity = CType(retrieved.BusinessEntity, DynamicEntity)
' Extract the fullname from the dynamic entity
Dim fullname As String
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To entity.Properties.Length - 1 Step i + 1
If entity.Properties(i).Name.ToLower() = "fullname" Then
Dim [property] As StringProperty = CType(entity.Properties(i), StringProperty)
fullname = [property].Value
Exit For
End If
Next
'#endregion
'#region Update the DynamicEntity
' This part of the example demonstrates how to update properties of a
' DynamicEntity.
' Set the contact properties dynamically.
' Contact Credit Limit
Dim money As CrmMoneyProperty = New CrmMoneyProperty
' Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
money.Name = "creditlimit"
money.Value = New CrmMoney
' Specify a $10000 credit limit.
money.Value.Value = 10000D
' Contact PreferredContactMethodCode property
Dim picklist As PicklistProperty = New PicklistProperty
' Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
picklist.Name = "preferredcontactmethodcode"
picklist.Value = New Picklist
' Set the property's picklist index to 1.
picklist.Value.Value = 1
' Contact ParentCustomerId property.
Dim parentCustomer As CustomerProperty = New CustomerProperty
' Specify the property name of the DynamicEntity.
parentCustomer.Name = "parentcustomerid"
parentCustomer.Value = New Customer
' Set the customer type to account.
parentCustomer.Value.type = EntityName.account.ToString()
' Specify the GUID of an existing CRM account.
' SDK:parentCustomer.Value.Value = new Guid("A0F2D8FE-6468-DA11-B748-000D9DD8CDAC");
parentCustomer.Value.Value = accountID
' Update the DynamicEntities properties collection to add new properties.
' Convert the properties array of DynamicEntity to an ArrayList.
Dim arrProps As ArrayList = New ArrayList(entity.Properties)
' Add properties to ArrayList.
arrProps.Add(money)
arrProps.Add(picklist)
arrProps.Add(parentCustomer)
' Update the properties array on the DynamicEntity.
entity.Properties = CType(arrProps.ToArray(GetType([Property])), [Property]())
' Create the update target.
Dim updateDynamic As TargetUpdateDynamic = New TargetUpdateDynamic
' Set the properties of the target.
updateDynamic.Entity = entity
' Create the update request object.
Dim update As UpdateRequest = New UpdateRequest
' Set request properties.
update.Target = updateDynamic
' Execute the request.
Dim updated As UpdateResponse = CType(service.Execute(update), UpdateResponse)
'#endregion
'#region check success
If TypeOf retrieved.BusinessEntity Is DynamicEntity Then
success = True
End If
'#endregion
'#region Remove Data Required for this Sample
service.Delete(EntityName.contact.ToString(), created.id)
service.Delete(EntityName.account.ToString(), accountID)
'#endregion
Catch ex As System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException
' Add your error handling code here...
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message + ex.Detail.InnerXml)
End Try
Return success
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
See Also
Concepts
Reference