dotConnect for Dynamics CRM

Connect Dynamics CRM Data With .NET Application Easily

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM is an ADO.NET provider for working with Dynamics CRM data through the standard ADO.NET or Entity Framework interfaces. It allows you to easily integrate Dynamics CRM data into your .NET applications, and integrate Dynamics CRM services with widely used data-oriented technologies.

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM has the same standard ADO.NET classes as other standard ADO.NET providers: DynamicsConnection, DynamicsCommand, DynamicsDataAdapter, DynamicsDataReader, DynamicsParameter, etc. This allows you quickly get started with it and eliminates the need to study any Dynamics CRM data access specificities.

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM makes it simple to create .NET applications in C#, VB, or other languages, working with Dynamics CRM data. It's powerful design-time editors together with seamless Visual Studio integration allow you to work with Dynamics CRM data with less efforts and less code writing. See how easy it is with dotConnect for Dynamics CRM.

Features

• Access live Dynamics CRM store data
• Perform aggregations & JOINs for data analysis
• Encrypted connections protect your data
• Improves performance by processing queries locally
• Simplifies data access with Entity Framework integration
• Design EF models visually in your IDE
• Streamlines development with design-time features
• Simplifies data access and manipulation in Visual Studio

Compatibility

The following table show which version of this package to use with which version of frameworks.

More information here

Usage

To establish a connection to server you have to provide the required connection parameters to dotConnect for Dynamics 365. This information is used by DynamicsConnection component to connect to Dynamics 365. The parameters are represented as a connection string. You can compose the connection string manually or have dotConnect for Dynamics 365 construct it for you.

The following connection string parameters are required:

Authentication Type - determines the authentication method used: UserNamePassword or RefreshToken (OAuth 2.0).

Server - The login URL to the Dynamics 365 service;

User Id - The Dynamics 365 login account. Required for UserNamePassword authentication;

Password - The password for the Dynamics 365 login account. Required for UserNamePassword authentication;

Client ID - one of the pair of OAuth 2.0 credentials, that you can obtain when you register an OAuth application in Azure AD tenant. This parameter is used for RefreshToken authentication.

Client Secret - the second one of the pair of OAuth 2.0 credentials, that you can obtain when you register an OAuth application in Azure AD tenant. This parameter is used for RefreshToken authentication.

Refresh Token - the OAuth 2.0 refresh token for Dynamics 365.

To get the Host, User Id, and Authentication Token parameters, sign in to Dynamics CRM in the browser, point to the Settings link in the bottom left corner of the page, and then in the Advanced Settings column click the Legacy API Settings link. After this, you can find all the necessary parameters in the opened Legacy API Account Details. Username corresponds to the User Id parameter, API Path - to the Host parameter, and API Token - to the Authentication Token parameter.

This snippet directly configures a Dynamics CRM connection using a connection string.

dynamicsConnection.ConnectionString = "Server=https://your_company.crm4.dynamics.com;User Id=Test@Test.onmicrosoft.com;Password=A123456789;";

Creating Connection in Server Explorer

To create a Server Explorer connection, you just need to:

1. Click Connect to Database on the Server Explorer toolbar 2. If the Dynamics CRM Data Source is not selected by default, click the Change button. 3. Select Dynamics CRM Data Source (dotConnect for Dynamics CRM) and click OK. 4. Specify the Dynamics CRM API Path, your user id and authentication token.

Power of SQL

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM allows you to perform SQL queries against your Dynamics CRM data. Use SQL statements to work with Dynamics CRM accounts, contacts, leads, contracts, products, campaigns opportunities, and other objects.

Our provider offers full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) support and allows you to get Dynamics CRM data with SELECT statements and manage data with INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.

No need to study and use complex Dynamics CRM API, just use familiar SQL statements. You may use complex JOINs, WHERE conditions, etc. - all the SQL benefits, not available with Dynamics CRM API.

Entity Framework Support

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM allows you to access Dynamics CRM data via Entity Framework - Microsoft's recommended data access technology. It supports Entity Framework and Entity Framework Core, and enables you to use the following Entity Framework features with Dynamics CRM data:

• LINQ to Entities (no need for Dynamics CRM API)
• Entity relations with lazy/eager loading
• No need to post each edited/created object separately - a single SaveChanges() call to persist all the changed objects

dotConnect for Dynamics CRM provides enhanced Entity Framework support for Dynamics CRM data with a bundled visual designer for ORM models with Visual Studio integration - Entity Developer. Standard Visual Studio Entity Data Model designer is also supported.

Dynamics CRM Data Binding

• Build your data access layer without writing code manually
• Configure dotConnect for Dynamics CRM components in powerful design-time editors
• Bind data grids and other controls to Dynamics CRM data just by configuring the smart tags
• Work with Dynamics CRM data just like with a database

License

See pricing options for ordering.

Trial Limitations

The dotConnect for Dynamics CRM Evaluation License lets you try dotConnect for Dynamics CRM Trial Edition for a period of 30 days. You may not use applications developed using Trial versions of the Software for any commercial purposes.

Support Area

Documentation Request form Feedback page Product history