DV Choice Editor

Dataverse choice management inside VS Code.

DV Choice Editor is a focused utility from DV ForgeLab for managing Dataverse local choice columns and global choices directly from VS Code.

The extension provides a lightweight, preview-first workflow for creating, updating, deleting, reviewing, and publishing Dataverse choice values without leaving the development workspace.

v1.4.0 — Native Reconstruction Artifacts

DV Choice Editor now supports both local entity choice columns and global choices through the same preview-first workflow.

Supported local/global operations:

• Load choice values
• Add values
• Update labels
• Delete values
• Preview staged metadata changes
• Apply and publish explicitly
• Export native DVCE .json choice definition artifacts
• Import native DVCE .json artifacts
• Import DV Quick Run .dvce.json reconstruction artifacts using the same DVCE-owned schema

DV Choice Editor remains the owner of the dvce.choiceDefinition artifact schema.

Manual exports generated by DV Choice Editor use standard .json files:

• dvce-{entity}-{attribute}-{yyyyMMdd-HHmmss}.json
• dvce-{globalChoiceName}-{yyyyMMdd-HHmmss}.json

DV Quick Run reconstruction handoff artifacts use the .dvce.json extension while preserving the same native DVCE schema, allowing DVCE to distinguish reconstruction artifacts from standard exports without introducing a separate artifact format.

Legacy v1.x/v2.x value-array artifacts remain fully supported.

Screenshot

Highlights

• Preview-first metadata updates
• Local and global choice support
• JSON choice definition import and export
• Environment-aware publishing (DEV / TEST / PROD)
• Staged changes before publish
• Add, update, and delete choice values
• Export selected choice definitions as plain .json files
• Import plain .json files or DVQR-generated .dvce.json artifacts into local or global choice targets
• Safety guardrails for production environments
• Built for Dataverse developers working inside VS Code
• Direct DV ForgeLab feedback integration

Features

Manage Dataverse Choice Values

• Browse local entity choice columns
• Browse global choices
• View existing choice values
• Create new choice values
• Update choice labels
• Delete choice values
• Preview metadata changes before publishing

JSON Definition Artifacts

DV Choice Editor exports native DVCE choice definition artifacts as standard .json files and can import both standard .json exports and DV Quick Run .dvce.json reconstruction artifacts using the same dvce.choiceDefinition schema.

Local Choice Artifact

{
  "artifactType": "dvce.choiceDefinition",
  "version": "3.0",
  "scope": "local",
  "entityLogicalName": "account",
  "attributeLogicalName": "new_membershiptype",
  "values": [
    {
      "label": "Gold",
      "value": 100000000
    }
  ]
}

Global Choice Artifact

{
  "artifactType": "dvce.choiceDefinition",
  "version": "3.0",
  "scope": "global",
  "optionSetName": "new_membershiptype",
  "values": [
    {
      "label": "Gold",
      "value": 100000000
    }
  ]
}

Imported definitions are compared against the currently loaded target. Missing values and label changes are staged locally, then reviewed through the normal preview-first workflow before publishing.

Preview-First Workflow

All metadata changes are staged locally before being applied.

Select local choice column
or
Select global choice
↓
Stage changes
↓
Review preview
↓
Apply and publish

Environment Awareness

DV Choice Editor detects the connected environment and provides visual indicators:

• DEV
• TEST
• PROD

Production-class environments display elevated publish warnings before metadata changes are applied.

Safety Features

• Preview-first mutation workflow
• Local staging before publish
• Remove individual staged changes
• Clear all staged changes
• Prevent deletion of the final remaining choice value
• Boolean choice editing safeguards
• Choice values treated as immutable identities after creation
• Inspect potential usage across forms, views, personal views, and processes
• Import JSON definitions into local staged changes
• Export selected choices as reusable JSON definitions
• Read-only protection for non-customizable global choices
• View/export support for read-only global choices
• Global choice metadata validation

Shared DV ForgeLab Environment Settings

DV Choice Editor supports the shared DV ForgeLab environment setting:

"dvForgeLab.environments": [
  {
    "name": "DEV",
    "url": "https://org.crm6.dynamics.com",
    "tenantId": "optional-tenant-id"
  }
]

This setting can be reused by DV ForgeLab utilities. The legacy dvChoiceEditor.environments setting remains supported as a fallback.

DVCE v3.0 Operation Artifacts

DVCE v1.4.0 accepts native operation-based .json / .dvce.json artifacts. This is the preferred reconstruction handoff format because DVCE remains the artifact owner and the workflow still follows:

Import
↓
Stage
↓
Validate
↓
Preview
↓
Apply

{
  "artifactType": "dvce.choiceDefinition",
  "version": "3.0",
  "generatedBy": "DV Quick Run",
  "generatedUtc": "2026-06-26T00:00:00.000Z",
  "scope": "local",
  "entityLogicalName": "account",
  "attributeLogicalName": "new_status",
  "displayName": "Status",
  "operations": [
    { "operation": "AddOption", "label": "Pending Review", "value": 100000001 },
    { "operation": "UpdateLabel", "value": 100000002, "nextLabel": "Approved" },
    { "operation": "DeleteOption", "value": 100000003, "label": "Deprecated" }
  ]
}

Supported operation names:

• AddOption
• UpdateLabel
• DeleteOption

When a VS Code workspace is available, DVCE imports from and exports to .dvforgelab/dvce/exports. Native DVCE exports use the .json extension, while DV Quick Run reconstruction artifacts use .dvce.json.

Commands

Open Choice Editor

DV Choice Editor: Open Choice Editor

Feedback

DV Choice Editor includes direct integration with the DV ForgeLab feedback portal.

Share:

• Feature requests
• Bug reports
• Metadata reconstruction scenarios
• Workflow suggestions
• Product feedback

Feedback is routed through the shared DV ForgeLab feedback experience and automatically identifies DV Choice Editor as the source product.

https://www.dvforgelab.com/feedback

Scope

DV Choice Editor intentionally focuses on Dataverse choice management.

Supported

• Local entity choice columns
• Global choices
• JSON definition import/export
• Preview-first metadata publishing

Not Included

• CSV import/export
• Solution management
• Multi-language labels
• Metadata administration beyond choice values
• Bulk editing workflows
• Cross-environment comparison
• Timeline reconstruction
• Drift analysis

Why DV Choice Editor?

Many Dataverse customization tasks still require switching between browser-based administration experiences and development tooling.

DV Choice Editor brings a focused choice management workflow directly into VS Code while preserving explicit review and publish steps.

Part of the DV ForgeLab Family

DV Choice Editor is a focused Dataverse utility from DV ForgeLab.

For operational investigation, execution, runtime analysis, and cross-environment comparison, see DV Quick Run.

DV Choice Editor follows the same principles:

• Preview-first
• Environment-aware
• Metadata-backed
• Explicit execution
• Calm operational UX

Built by DV ForgeLab.