Dynamics 365 Tools

Dynamics 365 Tools VS Code Extension

Publish Dynamics 365 web resources straight from VS Code. Bind local files or folders to CRM web resources, then push updates to one or many environments without leaving the editor.

Why use it

Publish from Explorer with a couple of clicks, no DevOps pipeline needed.
Reuse the same bindings across the team via .vscode/dynamics365tools.bindings.json.
Speed up folder publishes with caching, parallel uploads, and cancellation support.
Keep credentials safe (Secret Storage) while still supporting client secrets.
See a quick status bar shortcut to republish the last resource in seconds.

Main features

Multi-environment config stored in .vscode/dynamics365tools.config.json (dev/test/prod, etc.), with optional custom resource/audience and opt-in user agent header.
Solution-aware bindings for files or folders saved in .vscode/dynamics365tools.bindings.json; file bindings override folder bindings when both exist.
Explorer context menu Dynamics 365 Tools → Publish Resource / Bind Resource; bound folders publish all supported files inside.
Publish last resource from the status bar (cloud icon) or via Dynamics 365 Tools: Publish Last Resource; remembers the last environment used.
Folder publish extras: up to 4 files publish in parallel, unchanged files are skipped using .vscode/dynamics365tools.publishCache.json, and you can cancel from the progress notification.
Auth options: interactive sign-in (default) or client credentials stored securely; per-environment authType control.
Output channel logging with clear summaries and a “copy error details” action when something fails.

Install

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (search for “Dynamics 365 Tools”) or load the packaged .vsix.

Configure environments and solutions

Edit .vscode/dynamics365tools.config.json (or run Dynamics 365 Tools: Edit Environments & Solutions). Example:

{
  "environments": [
    {
      "name": "dev",
      "url": "https://your-dev.crm.dynamics.com",
      "authType": "interactive",
      "createMissingWebResources": true,
    },
    {
      "name": "prod",
      "url": "https://your-prod.crm.dynamics.com",
      "authType": "clientSecret",
      "resource": "https://your-prod.crm.dynamics.com",
      "createMissingWebResources": false,
      "userAgentEnabled": true,
      "userAgent": "Dynamics365Tools-VSCode",
    },
  ],
  "solutions": [
    { "name": "CoreWebResources", "prefix": "cwr_" },
    { "name": "ComponentWebResources", "prefix": "cmp_" },
  ],
}

Notes:

Set resource if the token audience is not the org URL. Turn on userAgentEnabled or set userAgent to add a custom header to every HTTP call.
createMissingWebResources: false blocks creation; publish will only update existing items for that environment.

Authenticate

Interactive (default): run Dynamics 365 Tools: Sign In (Interactive) or publish; tokens are requested with the /.default scope for the environment URL (or resource).
Client credentials: run Dynamics 365 Tools: Set Environment Credentials to store clientId, clientSecret, and optional tenantId in Secret Storage. Set the environment authType to clientSecret to force this path.
The extension remembers the last picked environment so you do not have to choose it every time.

Bind resources

From Explorer: right-click a file or folder → Dynamics 365 Tools → Bind Resource.
From Command Palette: Dynamics 365 Tools: Bind Resource (uses the active file/folder).
The default remote path uses the publisher prefix from the selected solution when it matches the local path; you can overwrite it.
Bindings are saved to .vscode/dynamics365tools.bindings.json for team sharing. Example:

{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "relativeLocalPath": "src/webresources/cwr_",
      "remotePath": "cwr_",
      "solutionName": "CoreWebResources",
      "kind": "folder",
    },
    {
      "relativeLocalPath": "src/webresources/cwr_/contact/form.js",
      "remotePath": "cwr_/contact/form.js",
      "solutionName": "CoreWebResources",
      "kind": "file",
    },
  ],
}

File bindings win over folder bindings when both cover the same file.

Publish resources

In Explorer, right-click any bound file/folder → Dynamics 365 Tools → Publish Resource (or run Dynamics 365 Tools: Publish Resource from the Command Palette). Pick an environment when asked.
For bound folders, supported files inside are published (file bindings are used when present). Up to 4 files publish at once. The progress dialog can be cancelled.
Unchanged files in a folder publish are skipped using .vscode/dynamics365tools.publishCache.json (based on content hash, size, and mtime).
Quick publish: click the status bar item (cloud upload) or run Dynamics 365 Tools: Publish Last Resource to republish the most recent file or folder with the same environment and binding.

Supported file types

Supported: .js, .css, .htm, .html, .xml, .json, .resx, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .xsl, .xslt, .ico, .svg. The Explorer Dynamics 365 Tools menu is visible on those types or folder.

Oleg Verhoglyad