All-in-One Guide to C# Plugin Data Types: Working with Strings, Currency, Lookups, and More
In Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, C# plugins play a crucial role in extending the functionality of your applications. One of the key aspect’s developers need to grasp is how to handle various data types effectively. This guide will walk you through the most commonly used data types in C# plugins, including strings, currency, lookups, option sets, and more.
Introduction to C# Plugins
C# plugins are custom business logic that you can implement in Dynamics 365 to execute in response to specific events, like creating, updating, or deleting records. They allow you to manipulate data and interact with the system in powerful ways. Understanding how to work with different data types is essential for writing effective plugins.
Retrieving Entities
Before you can manipulate data types, you first need to retrieve the entity record you want to work with. Here’s how you can do that:
| public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider) { IPluginExecutionContext context =(IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext)); IOrganizationServiceFactory serviceFactory = (IOrganizationServiceFactory)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IOrganizationServiceFactory)); IOrganizationService service = serviceFactory.CreateOrganizationService(context.UserId); // Retrieve entity by ID Entity entity = service.Retrieve(“entity_logical_name”, context.PrimaryEntityId, new ColumnSet(true)); } |
Working with Different Data Types
String
The most common data types are strings. They can represent text values.
| Getting a String Value: | string name = entity.GetAttributeValue<string>(“string_attribute_name”); |
| Setting a String Value: | entity[“string_attribute_name”] = “New String Value”; |
Currency
Currency is represented by the Money type in Dynamics 365.
| Getting a Currency Value: | Money amount = entity.GetAttributeValue<Money>(“currency_attribute_name”); decimal currencyValue = amount?.Value ?? 0; |
| Setting a Currency Value: | entity[“currency_attribute_name”] = new Money(150.00m); // Set to 150.00 |
Lookups
Lookup fields refer to related entities. They are represented by the EntityReference type.
| Getting a Lookup Value: | EntityReference lookup = entity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>(“lookup_attribute_name”); if (lookup != null) { Guid lookupId = lookup.Id; string lookupName = lookup.Name; // Requires another retrieve call to get the name } |
| Setting a Lookup Value: | entity[“lookup_attribute_name”] = new EntityReference(“related_entity_logical_name”, lookupId); |
Option Sets (Picklists)
Option sets are used to represent a list of choices. They are represented by the OptionSetValue type.
| Getting an Option Set Value: | OptionSetValue optionSetValue = entity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>(“optionset_attribute_name”); int selectedValue = optionSetValue?.Value ?? 0; |
| Setting an Option Set Value: | entity[“optionset_attribute_name”] = new OptionSetValue(1); // Assuming 1 is a valid option |
Multiselect Option Set
Multiselect option sets allow multiple selections from a list.
| Getting a Value: | IEnumerable<OptionSetValue> multiSelectOptions = entity.GetAttributeValue<IEnumerable<OptionSetValue>>(“multiselect_optionset”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“multiselect_optionset”] = new List<OptionSetValue> { new OptionSetValue(1), new OptionSetValue(2) }; // Assuming 1 and 2 are valid options |
Boolean Values or Two Options
Boolean fields represent true/false values.
| Getting a Boolean Value: | bool? isActive = entity.GetAttributeValue<bool?>(“boolean_attribute_name”); |
| Setting a Boolean Value: | entity[“boolean_attribute_name”] = true; // or false |
| Getting a Boolean Value: | OptionSetValue twoOptionsValue = entity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>(“two_options_attribute”); bool isSelected = twoOptionsValue?.Value == 1; // Assuming 1 is ‘Yes’ |
| Setting a Boolean Value: | entity[“two_options_attribute”] = new OptionSetValue(1); // Set to ‘Yes’ |
DateTime
DateTime fields are used for date and time information.
| Getting a DateTime Value: | DateTime? createdOn = entity.GetAttributeValue<DateTime?>(“datetime_attribute_name”); |
| Setting a DateTime Value: | entity[“datetime_attribute_name”] = DateTime.UtcNow; // Set to current date and time |
Image
Image fields store binary data like photos or documents.
| Getting an Image: | var image = entity.GetAttributeValue<EntityImage>(“image_attribute”); byte[] imageData = image?.ImageData; // Assuming you handle the image type properly |
Whole Number
Whole numbers are represented as int.
| Getting a Value: | int wholeNumber = entity.GetAttributeValue<int>(“whole_number_attribute”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“whole_number_attribute”] = 42; |
Floating Point Number
Floating point numbers allow for decimal values.
| Getting a Value: | float floatingPointNumber = entity.GetAttributeValue<float>(“floating_point_attribute”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“floating_point_attribute”] = 3.14f; |
Decimal Number
Decimal fields store precise decimal values.
| Getting a Value: | decimal decimalNumber = entity.GetAttributeValue<decimal>(“decimal_number_attribute”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“decimal_number_attribute”] = 123.45m; |
Setting Data Types
After retrieving the desired values and possibly making changes, you need to update the entity. This is done using the Update method.
| service.Update(entity); |
Some Additional Data Types you Might Encounter in Dynamics 365 C# Plugins such as :
1. Guid
- Used for unique identifiers, especially in custom or unique fields outside of standard lookup references.
| Getting a Value: | Guid uniqueId = entity.GetAttributeValue<Guid>(“unique_attribute”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“unique_attribute”] = new Guid(“d3c1d9c8-7438-44b5-91b1-f40241b0f84d”); |
2. Composite Fields
- Composite fields are fields with multiple parts, often seen in address fields (e.g., street, city, state).
| Getting a Value: | string city = entity.GetAttributeValue<string>(“address1_city”); string state = entity.GetAttributeValue<string>(“address1_stateorprovince”); |
| Setting a Value: | entity[“address1_city”] = “Seattle”; entity[“address1_stateorprovince”] = “WA”; |
3. Unique Identifier (Primary Key)
- Id provides the primary key of the record, often used when retrieving or updating records
| Getting a Value: | Guid entityId = entity.Id; |
| Setting a Value: | Entity newEntity = new Entity(“entity_logical_name”) { Id = Guid.NewGuid() }; |
4. PartyList (Used in Activities)
- PartyList fields represent participants in activities like emails and appointments, allowing multiple users or entities.
| Getting a Value: | string city = entity.GetAttributeValue<string>(“address1_city”); EntityCollection partyList = entity.GetAttributeValue<EntityCollection>(“to”); foreach (Entity party in partyList.Entities) { EntityReference partyRef = party.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>(“partyid”); // Do something with partyRef } |
| Setting a Value: | Entity party = new Entity(“activityparty”); party[“partyid”] = new EntityReference(“contact”, new Guid(“c3e4b159-64af-4c3d-b894-6d62007dbe79”)); EntityCollection partyList = new EntityCollection(new List<Entity> { party }); entity[“to”] = partyList; |
Conclusion
Handling various data types in Dynamics 365 plugins is critical for creating robust and adaptable solutions. Knowing how to work with fields such as text, currencies, lookups, option sets, and others enables you to manage data more precisely and conduct custom activities in our CRM. With these examples, you now have the ability to retrieve and set values for a variety of common data types, making it easy to create plugins that match our organization’s requirements. As you gain experience, you’ll notice that handling data in plugins becomes easier, allowing you to focus on developing smart and effective solutions.
We hope you found this article useful, and if you would like to discuss anything, you can reach out to us at transform@cloudfronts.com
