Sample: Serialize and deserialize an entity Instance
Applies To: Dynamics CRM 2013
This sample code is for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. Download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK package. It can be found in the following location in the download package:
SampleCode\CS\BusinessDataModel\BusinessManagement\SerializeAndDeserialize.cs
SampleCode\VB\BusinessDataModel\BusinessManagement\SerializeAndDeserialize.vb
Requirements
For more information about the requirements for running the sample code provided in this SDK, see Use the sample and helper code.
Demonstrates
This sample shows how to serialize early-bound and late-bound entity instances into an XML format, and how to de-serialize from an XML format to an early-bound entity instance.
Example
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Runtime.Serialization;
using System.ServiceModel;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query;
namespace Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Samples
{
/// <summary>
/// This sample shows how to serialize both early-bound and late-bound entity instances (records). In
/// addition, it shows how to de-serialize from XML to an early-bound entity instance.
/// </summary>
public class SerializeAndDeserialize
{
#region Class Level Members
private OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy;
private Guid _contactId;
#endregion Class Level Members
#region How To Sample Code
/// <summary>
/// Run this sample, which shows both how to serialize late-bound and
/// early-bound entity instances to XML and how to de-serialize them back from
/// XML into entity instances.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="serverConfig"> Contains server connection information.</param>
/// <param name="promptToDelete"> When True, the user will be prompted to delete all
/// created entities.
public void Run(ServerConnection.Configuration serverConfig, bool promptToDelete)
{
using (_serviceProxy = ServerConnection.GetOrganizationProxy(serverConfig))
{
// This statement is required to enable early-bound type support.
_serviceProxy.EnableProxyTypes();
CreateRequiredRecords();
#region Retrieve the contact from Microsoft CRM
// Create the column set object that indicates the fields to be retrieved.
var columns = new ColumnSet(
"contactid",
"firstname",
"lastname",
"jobtitle");
// Retrieve the contact from Microsoft CRM using the ID of the record that was just created.
// The EntityLogicalName indicates the EntityType of the object being retrieved.
var contact = (Contact)_serviceProxy.Retrieve(
Contact.EntityLogicalName, _contactId, columns);
Console.WriteLine("The contact for the sample has been retrieved.");
#endregion
#region Serialize the contact into XML and save it
// Serialize the contact into XML and write it to the hard drive.
var earlyBoundSerializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(Contact));
// Create a unique file name for the XML.
String earlyboundFile = "Contact_early_" + contact.ContactId.Value.ToString("B") + ".xml";
// Write the serialized object to a file. The using statement will
// ensure that the FileStream is disposed of correctly. The FileMode
// will ensure that the file is overwritten if it already exists.
using (var file = new FileStream(earlyboundFile, FileMode.Create))
{
// Write the XML to disk.
earlyBoundSerializer.WriteObject(file, contact);
}
Console.WriteLine(
"The early-bound contact instance has been serialized to a file, {0}.",
earlyboundFile);
// Convert the contact to a late-bound entity instance and serialize it to disk.
var lateboundContact = contact.ToEntity<Entity>();
String lateboundFile = "Contact_late_" + lateboundContact.Id.ToString("B") + ".xml";
var lateBoundSerializer = new DataContractSerializer(typeof(Entity));
// Write the serialized object to a file.
using (var file = new FileStream(lateboundFile, FileMode.Create))
{
lateBoundSerializer.WriteObject(file, lateboundContact);
}
Console.WriteLine(
"The late-bound contact instance has been serialized to a file, {0}.",
lateboundFile);
#endregion
#region De-serialize the Microsoft CRM contact from XML
Contact deserializedContact = null;
using (var file = new FileStream(earlyboundFile, FileMode.Open))
{
deserializedContact = (Contact)earlyBoundSerializer.ReadObject(file);
Console.WriteLine("The contact has been de-serialized: {0} {1}",
deserializedContact.FirstName, deserializedContact.LastName);
}
#endregion
#region Update contact in Microsoft CRM
// Update the contact in Microsoft CRM to prove that the de-serialization worked.
deserializedContact.JobTitle = "Plumber";
_serviceProxy.Update(deserializedContact);
Console.WriteLine("The contact was updated in Microsoft CRM.");
#endregion
DeleteRequiredRecords(promptToDelete);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Creates a contact which is required for running this sample.
/// </summary>
private void CreateRequiredRecords()
{
// Create a contact entity record that will be serialized into XML.
var contactCreate = new Contact();
contactCreate.FirstName = "Thomas";
contactCreate.LastName = "Andersen";
// Create the entity in Microsoft CRM and get its ID.
_contactId = _serviceProxy.Create(contactCreate);
Console.WriteLine("The contact for the sample has been created.");
}
/// <summary>
/// Deletes the contact record that was used in the sample if the user responds in the
/// affirmative.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="promptToDelete">whether or not to delete the contact</param>
private void DeleteRequiredRecords(bool promptToDelete)
{
var toBeDeleted = true;
if (promptToDelete)
{
// Ask the user if the created entities should be deleted.
Console.Write("\nDo you want these entity records deleted? (y/n) [y]: ");
String answer = Console.ReadLine();
if (answer.StartsWith("y") ||
answer.StartsWith("Y") ||
answer == String.Empty)
{
toBeDeleted = true;
}
else
{
toBeDeleted = false;
}
}
if (toBeDeleted)
{
_serviceProxy.Delete(Contact.EntityLogicalName, _contactId);
Console.WriteLine("The contact has been deleted.");
}
}
#endregion How To Sample Code
#region Main method
/// <summary>
/// Standard Main() method used by most SDK samples.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="args"></param>
static public void Main(string[] args)
{
try
{
// Obtain the target organization's Web address and client logon
// credentials from the user.
ServerConnection serverConnect = new ServerConnection();
ServerConnection.Configuration config = serverConnect.GetServerConfiguration();
var app = new SerializeAndDeserialize();
app.Run(config, true);
}
catch (FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault> ex)
{
Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", ex.Detail.Timestamp);
Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", ex.Detail.ErrorCode);
Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Detail.Message);
Console.WriteLine("Plugin Trace: {0}", ex.Detail.TraceText);
Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
null == ex.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
}
catch (System.TimeoutException ex)
{
Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Message);
Console.WriteLine("Stack Trace: {0}", ex.StackTrace);
Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
null == ex.InnerException.Message ? "No Inner Fault" : ex.InnerException.Message);
}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
// Display the details of the inner exception.
if (ex.InnerException != null)
{
Console.WriteLine(ex.InnerException.Message);
FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault> fe = ex.InnerException
as FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault>;
if (fe != null)
{
Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", fe.Detail.Timestamp);
Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", fe.Detail.ErrorCode);
Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", fe.Detail.Message);
Console.WriteLine("Plugin Trace: {0}", fe.Detail.TraceText);
Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
null == fe.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
}
}
}
// Additional exceptions to catch: SecurityTokenValidationException, ExpiredSecurityTokenException,
// SecurityAccessDeniedException, MessageSecurityException, and SecurityNegotiationException.
finally
{
Console.WriteLine("Press <Enter> to exit.");
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
#endregion Main method
}
}
See Also
Use the early bound entity classes in code
Sample: Initialize a record from an existing record
Mix early and late bound entities
DataContractSerializer Class