Introduction:
With the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, Web API which was introduced offers a development experience across many devices, languages and platforms.
In this blog we will take a look at how to set the all the datatypes in the CRM using C# through a windows application and using Web API.
You may refer this blog for connecting the CRM through the Web API.
Sample code to create an Account Entity Record with all Data Types:
//Initialize the WebAPIHandler class on Load of the Form as seen below:
//Global Variable of Class WebApiHandler
WebApiHandler _webAPIHandler=null;
//Method which Waits for all of the provided Task objects(i.e. Start Method in our case) to complete execution
private void CRUD_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Task.WaitAll(Task.Run(async () => await Start()));
}
private async Task Start()
{
//Initialize the WebAPIHandler class
webAPIHandler = new WebApiHandler();
}
//Button click code which creates the Account record.
private void btnCreate_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string recordId = string.Empty;
//A Json Object used to create account record
JObject account = null;
//Request Uri to store the accounts path
string requestUri = "api/data/v8.0/accounts";
try
{
//Get the Account Object
account = CreateAccountRecordObject();
//WebAPI Handler method call to Create Record
recordId = _webAPIHandler.CreateRecord(account, requestUri);
}
catch (Exception err)
{
throw new Exception(err.Message);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Create Account Record Object
/// </summary>
/// <returns></returns>
private JObject CreateAccountRecordObject()
{
JObject account = null;
try
{
account = new JObject();
//String Value
account["name"] = "Sid Test Co";//Account Name
//Optionset
account["accountcategorycode"] = "2"; //Category : 1--> Preferred Customer, 2--> Standard
//Two Options
account["donotsendmm"] = false; //Marketing Materials : 0-->False/Send, 1-->True/Do Not Send
//Whole number
account["numberofemployees"] = 100;//Number of Employees
//Custom Decimal Field
account["new_creditrate"] = 2.25;//Decimal Number (Custom Field)
//Lookup
//Setting the Primary Contact
account["primarycontactid@odata.bind"] = "/contacts(E15C03BA-10EC-E511-80E2-C4346BAD87C8)"; //Primary Contact
//setting the Transaction Currency
account["transactioncurrencyid@odata.bind"] = "/transactioncurrencies(63D588A2-10EC-E511-80E2-C4346BAD87C8)"; //Currency
//Currency/Money Field
account["creditlimit"] = 1000; //Currency Limit
//Custom Date Only Field
account["new_effectivedate"] = DateTime.Now; //Date Only (Custom Field)
}
catch (Exception error)
{
throw new Exception(error.Message);
}
return account;
}
Sample code to create an Activity & set Activity Party:
/// <summary>
/// To Create the Phone Call Record
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender"></param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void btnCreatePhoneCall_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Request Uri to store the accounts path
string requestUri = "api/data/v8.0/phonecalls";
string recordId = string.Empty;
try
{
//Create Phone Call Object
JObject phoneCall = CreatePhoneCall();
//WebAPI Handler method call to Create Record
recordId = _webAPIHandler.CreateRecord(phoneCall,requestUri);
}
catch (Exception error)
{
throw new Exception(error.Message);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Create PhoneCall Object
/// </summary>
/// <returns></returns>
private JObject CreatePhoneCall()
{
//create activity party collection
JArray parties = new JArray();
//create JSON object
JObject jsonPhoneCall = new JObject();
try
{
//set fields using JSON object
//Single line of text
jsonPhoneCall["subject"] = "Test Phone Call" + DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString(); //Subject
//Single line of text & format of phone
jsonPhoneCall["phonenumber"] = "4565898756"; //Phone Number
//Multiple Line of Text
jsonPhoneCall["description"] = "Phone Call Activity for Testing Purpose only...!"; //Description
//Date and Time
jsonPhoneCall["scheduledend"] = DateTime.Now; //Due
//Lookup
jsonPhoneCall["regardingobjectid_account@odata.bind"] = "/accounts(4B47AA19-88F3-E511-80E6-C4346BACF5C0)"; //Regarding is an account
//ActivityParty (From)
JObject sender = new JObject();
sender["partyid_systemuser@odata.bind"] = "/systemusers(2e68e212-c82d-4bc6-9493-fbd80204a763)";
sender["participationtypemask"] = 1; //From
//ActivityParty (To)
JObject receiver1 = new JObject();
receiver1["partyid_account@odata.bind"] = "/accounts(4B47AA19-88F3-E511-80E6-C4346BACF5C0)";
receiver1["participationtypemask"] = 2; //To
JObject receiver2 = new JObject();
receiver2["partyid_systemuser@odata.bind"] = "/systemusers(2e68e212-c82d-4bc6-9493-fbd80204a763)";
receiver2["participationtypemask"] = 2; //From
//Add this to collection
parties.Add(sender);
parties.Add(receiver1);
parties.Add(receiver2);
//pass parties[] to phonecall_activity_parties
jsonPhoneCall["phonecall_activity_parties"] = parties;
//Whole Number
jsonPhoneCall["actualdurationminutes"] = 25; //Duration
//Two Options
jsonPhoneCall["directioncode"] = true;//Direction : 0-->False/Incoming, 1-->True/Outgoing
}
catch (Exception error)
{
throw new Exception(error.Message);
}
return jsonPhoneCall;
The __webAPIHandler.CreateRecord() method is in WebApiHandler class.
It is as below:
/// <summary>
/// Method to Return the record ID after creating it in CRM
/// </summary>
/// <param name="record"></param>
/// <param name="requestUrl"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
public string CreateRecord(JObject record, string requestUrl)
{
string recordId = string.Empty;
try
{
//Create HttpClient object to send and receive Http Requests and Response
using (HttpClient httpClient = GetHttpClientObject())
{
//Http Request needed to be sent by the HttpClient
HttpRequestMessage requestMessage = GetHttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, requestUrl, record);
//Send the HttpRequest
Task<HttpResponseMessage> response = httpClient.SendAsync(requestMessage);
//Wait till the Response Execution is complete
response.Wait();
//If the response is Successfully executed then it will return the value true
if (response.Result.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
_recordUrl = response.Result.Headers.GetValues("OData-EntityId").FirstOrDefault();
splitRetrievedData = _recordUrl.Split('[', '(', ')', ']');
recordId = splitRetrievedData[1];
}
}
}
catch (Exception error)
{
throw new Exception(error.Message);
}
return recordId;
}
For the methods GetHttpClientObject(),GetHttpRequestMessage you may refer this blog.
To get the JObject, JArray i.e Json Objects you need to add reference to the Newtonsoft.Json.You may add it through Nuget using this command Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json.
Conclusion:
Hope the above code helps to set all the data types in Dynamics CRM.
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