Microsoft CRM: Generic Web Development?

Microsoft CRM: Generic Web Development?

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM is designed to be customizable. Also the conception of Microsoft CRM – it is webbased application – sure it has MS Outlook client, but this is auxiliary – so think about MS CRM as your web front. We do, however understand that programmer should be given examples on how to modify MS CRM. We are trying to cover this in this small article.

Imaging something like this. You need to handle incoming email before it is committed to MS Exchange database. You need to analyze if incoming email doesn’t have GUID in its Subject (GUID will allow MS CRM Exchange Connector to move email to Microsoft CRM and attach it to the Contact, Account or Lead) then you still need to lookup MS CRM in case if one of the accounts, contacts or leads has email address that matches with sender email address then you need to create closed activityemail in MS CRM, attached to the object and placed into general queue.

How to create MS Exchange handler is outside of the scope, please see this article: http://www.albaspectrum.com/Customizations_Whitepapers/Dexterity_SQL_VBA_Crystal/ExchangeHandlerExample.htm

Now the code below is classical MS CRM SDK and it will create activity email:

public Guid CreateEmailActivity(Guid userId, int objectType, Guid objectId, string mailFrom, CRMUser crmUser, string subject, string body) {

try {

log.Debug(กPrepare for Mail Activity Creatingก);

// BizUser proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser bizUser = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser();

ICredentials credentials = new NetworkCredential(sysUserId, sysPassword, sysDomain);

bizUser.Url = crmDir + กBizUser.srfก;

bizUser.Credentials = credentials;

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CUserAuth userAuth = bizUser.WhoAmI();

// CRMEmail proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail email = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail();

email.Credentials = credentials;

email.Url = crmDir + กCRMEmail.srfก;

// Set up the XML string for the activity

string strActivityXml = กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

strActivityXml += กก) + กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

strActivityXml += userId.ToString(กBก) + กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

// Set up the XML string for the activity parties

string strPartiesXml = กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + crmUser.GetEmailAddress() + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otSystemUser.ToString() + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก+ crmUser.GetId().ToString(กBก) + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TO_RECIPIENT.ToString();

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + mailFrom + กก;

if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount.ToString() + กก;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact.ToString() + กก;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead.ToString() + กก;

}

strPartiesXml += กก+ objectId.ToString(กBก) + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_SENDER.ToString();

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

log.Debug(strPartiesXml);

// Create the email object

Guid emailId = new Guid(email.Create(userAuth, strActivityXml, strPartiesXml));

return emailId;

}

catch (System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException e) {

log.Debug(กErrorMessage: ก + e.Message + ก ก + e.Detail.OuterXml + ก Source: ก + e.Source);

}

catch (Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + ก

ก + e.StackTrace);

}

return new Guid();

}

Now I would like to share the trick with you there is no method to make this activity closed in MS CRM SDK 1.2 (if somebody knows the one I owe you small pocket aquarium smile!). Obviously Microsoft doesn’t support if you do direct SQL programming bypassing SDK. However I would say this is not direct objects creation this is rather flags correction. So here is what we have this procedure will do the job and make activity closed:

public void UpdateActivityCodes(Guid emailId) {

try {

OleDbCommand command = conn.CreateCommand();

command.CommandText = กUPDATE ActivityBase SET DirectionCode = (?), StateCode = (?), PriorityCode = (?) WHERE ActivityId = (?)ก;

command.Prepare();

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กDirectionCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.EVENT_DIRECTION.ED_INCOMING));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กStateCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_STATE.ACTS_CLOSED));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กPriorityCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.PRIORITY_CODE.PC_MEDIUM));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กActivityIdก, emailId));

log.Debug(กPrepare to update activity code ก + emailId.ToString(กBก) + ก in ActivityBaseก);

command.ExecuteNonQuery();

}

catch(Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + ก

ก + e.StackTrace);

}

}

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, serving Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Canada, UK, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Germany ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 13

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM Customization secrets – second editi

Microsoft CRM Customization secrets – second edition

by: Andrew Karasev

This article is for advanced Microsoft CRM SDK C# developers. It describes the technique of direct SQL programming, when SDK doesn’t have the functionality to do the job.

Introduction. Looks like Microsoft CRM becomes more and more popular, partly because of Microsoft muscles behind it. Now it is targeted to the whole spectrum of horizontal and vertical market clientele. It is tightly integrated with other Microsoft Business Solutions products such as Microsoft Great Plains, Solomon, Navision (the last two in progress).

Here we describe the technique of creating closed activityemail using MS CRM SDK and direct SQL programming.

Imaging something like this. You need to handle incoming email before it is committed to MS Exchange database. You need to analyze if incoming email doesn’t have GUID in its Subject (GUID will allow MS CRM Exchange Connector to move email to Microsoft CRM and attach it to the Contact, Account or Lead) then you still need to lookup MS CRM in case if one of the accounts, contacts or leads has email address that matches with sender email address then you need to create closed activityemail in MS CRM, attached to the object and placed into general queue.

How to create MS Exchange handler is outside of the scope, please see this article:

http://www.albaspectrum.com/Customizations_Whitepapers/Dexterity_SQL_VBA_Crystal/ExchangeHandlerExample.htm

Now the code below is classical MS CRM SDK and it will create activity email:

public Guid CreateEmailActivity(Guid userId, int objectType, Guid objectId, string mailFrom, CRMUser crmUser, string subject, string body) {

try {

log.Debug(กPrepare for Mail Activity Creatingก);

// BizUser proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser bizUser = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser();

ICredentials credentials = new NetworkCredential(sysUserId, sysPassword, sysDomain);

bizUser.Url = crmDir + กBizUser.srfก;

bizUser.Credentials = credentials;

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CUserAuth userAuth = bizUser.WhoAmI();

// CRMEmail proxy object

Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail email = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMEmail();

email.Credentials = credentials;

email.Url = crmDir + กCRMEmail.srfก;

// Set up the XML string for the activity

string strActivityXml = กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

strActivityXml += กก) + กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

strActivityXml += userId.ToString(กBก) + กก;

strActivityXml += กก;

// Set up the XML string for the activity parties

string strPartiesXml = กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + crmUser.GetEmailAddress() + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otSystemUser.ToString() + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก+ crmUser.GetId().ToString(กBก) + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TO_RECIPIENT.ToString();

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก + mailFrom + กก;

if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otAccount.ToString() + กก;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otContact.ToString() + กก;

}

else if (objectType == Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead) {

strPartiesXml += กก + Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ObjectType.otLead.ToString() + กก;

}

strPartiesXml += กก+ objectId.ToString(กBก) + กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_PARTY_TYPE.ACTIVITY_PARTY_SENDER.ToString();

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

strPartiesXml += กก;

log.Debug(strPartiesXml);

// Create the email object

Guid emailId = new Guid(email.Create(userAuth, strActivityXml, strPartiesXml));

return emailId;

}

catch (System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException e) {

log.Debug(กErrorMessage: ก + e.Message + ก ก + e.Detail.OuterXml + ก Source: ก + e.Source);

}

catch (Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + ก

ก + e.StackTrace);

}

return new Guid();

}

Our credits to Anna Osborn (so obviously small pocket aquarium goes to her – smile!), she let us know how to close MS CRM Activity:

//creates the activity

strActivityId = oActivity.Create(userAuth, strXml, activityPartyXml);

//closes it as long as the relevant fields are complete oActivity.Close(userAuth, strActivityId, 1);

But in any case whatever you find below could help you to do whatever CRM SDK can’t.

Now I would like to share the trick with you there is no method to make this activity closed in MS CRM SDK 1.2 (if somebody knows the one I owe you small pocket aquarium smile!). Obviously Microsoft doesn’t support if you do direct SQL programming bypassing SDK. However I would say this is not direct objects creation this is rather flags correction. So here is what we have this procedure will do the job and make activity closed:

public void UpdateActivityCodes(Guid emailId) {

try {

OleDbCommand command = conn.CreateCommand();

command.CommandText = กUPDATE ActivityBase SET DirectionCode = (?), StateCode = (?), PriorityCode = (?) WHERE ActivityId = (?)ก;

command.Prepare();

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กDirectionCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.EVENT_DIRECTION.ED_INCOMING));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กStateCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.ACTIVITY_STATE.ACTS_CLOSED));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กPriorityCodeก, Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Types.PRIORITY_CODE.PC_MEDIUM));

command.Parameters.Add(new OleDbParameter(กActivityIdก, emailId));

log.Debug(กPrepare to update activity code ก + emailId.ToString(กBก) + ก in ActivityBaseก);

command.ExecuteNonQuery();

}

catch(Exception e) {

log.Debug(e.Message + ก

ก + e.StackTrace);

}

}

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Georgia, Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally , he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 03, 2004

by Andrew Karasev