Extract Data Types from Dynamics 365 with Plugin

In this blog post, we’ll walk through how to retrieve different types of data from a Microsoft Dynamics 365 entity using a plugin. We'll explore different field types and their corresponding retrieval methods, including:

Single-line and multiple-line text fields
Numeric fields (Integer, Decimal)
Date fields
Entity reference fields (Lookup)
Currency fields
Option Set and Multiselect Option Set fields

Let’s dive right in!

Retrieving Various Data Types in a Plugin

Single-line / Multiple-line Text (String)

 string accountName = targetEntity.Contains("name") && targetEntity["name"] != null ? 
                         targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<string>("name") : null;

Numeric Fields (Integer and Decimal)

Integer Field:

 int? quantity = targetEntity.Contains("quantity") && targetEntity["quantity"] != null ?
                     targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<int?>("quantity") : null;

Decimal Field:

 decimal? price = targetEntity.Contains("price") && targetEntity["price"] != null ?
                     targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<decimal?>("price") : null;

Date Time Fields (Date and Time / Date Only)

 DateTime? createdOn = targetEntity.Contains("createdon") ? 
                          targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<DateTime?>("createdon") : null;

Entity Reference (Lookup) Fields

Retrieve Entity Reference:

 EntityReference owner = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ? 
                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner") : null;

Retrieve Entity Reference Guid:

 Guid? ownerId = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ? 
                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner")?.Id : null;

Retrieve Entity Reference Logical Name:

 string owner_entityname = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ? 
                              targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner")?.LogicalName : null;

Currency Fields
Retrieve Currency:

 Money revenue = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue") : null;

Retrieve Currency Value:

 decimal? revenueValue = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Value : null;

Retrieve Currency Entity Reference:

 EntityReference? currencyE = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                                 targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Currency : null;

Retrieve Currency Name:

 string? currencyCode = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                           targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Currency?.Name : null;

Option Set (Single Select)

Retrieve Option Set Value:

 OptionSetValue status = targetEntity.Contains("statuscode") && targetEntity["statuscode"] != null ?
                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>("statuscode") : null;

Retrieve OptionSet Value and Label:

 int? statusValue = targetEntity.Contains("statuscode") && targetEntity["statuscode"] != null ?
                       targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>("statuscode")?.Value : null;

 // Option Set & Two Optionset -> Option Set: If you want optionset formatted value/label                                        
 string statusFormattedValue = targetEntity.FormattedValues.Contains("statuscode") ?
                                  targetEntity.FormattedValues["statuscode"] : null;

Multiselect Option Set

Retrieve Multiselect Option Set Values:

  OptionSetValueCollection interests = targetEntity.Contains("interests") && targetEntity["interests"] != null
                     ? targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValueCollection>("interests")
                     : null;

 // Multi Select Optionset -> If you want optionset values
 int[] selectedValues = targetEntity.Contains("interests") && targetEntity["interests"] != null
                     ? targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValueCollection>("interests").Value
                     : null;

Retrieve MultiSelect OptionSet Labels:

 List<string> selectedLabels = new List<string>();
 if (targetEntity.FormattedValues.Contains("interests"))
 {
    string formattedValues = targetEntity.FormattedValues["interests"];
    selectedLabels = formattedValues.Split(',').ToList();
 }

Plugin Code

using System.ServiceModel;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
public class FollowupPlugin : IPlugin
{
    public void Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
    {
        // Obtain the tracing service
        ITracingService tracingService = (ITracingService)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(ITracingService));

        // Obtain the execution context from the service provider.  
        IPluginExecutionContext context = (IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext));

        // The InputParameters collection contains all the data passed in the message request.  
        if (context.InputParameters.Contains("Target") && context.InputParameters["Target"] is Entity)
        {
            // Obtain the target entity from the input parameters.  
            Entity targetEntity = (Entity)context.InputParameters["Target"];

            // Obtain the IOrganizationService instance which you will need for  
            // web service calls.  
            IOrganizationServiceFactory serviceFactory = (IOrganizationServiceFactory)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IOrganizationServiceFactory));
            IOrganizationService service = serviceFactory.CreateOrganizationService(context.UserId);

            try
            {
                // Retrieve values from the Target entity

                //String -> Single line / Multiple lines of text
                string accountName = targetEntity.Contains("name") && targetEntity["name"] != nul ?
                                        entity.GetAttributeValue<string>("name") : null;

                // Number -> Integer
                int? quantity = targetEntity.Contains("quantity") && targetEntity["quantity"] != null ?
                                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<int?>("quantity") : null;

                // Number -> Decimal/float
                decimal? price = targetEntity.Contains("price") && targetEntity["price"] != null ?
                                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<decimal?>("price") : null;


                // Datetime -> Date and time || Date only
                // Question mark (?) represents nullable value also
                // If datatype is Date only in crm then the time value will be 00:00:00
                DateTime? createdOn = targetEntity.Contains("createdon") ?
                                        targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<DateTime?>("createdon") : null;

                // EntityReference -> Lookup
                EntityReference owner = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ?
                                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner") : null;

                // EntityReference -> Lookup: If you want related entity Guid
                Guid? ownerId = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ?
                                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner")?.Id : null;

                // EntityReference -> Lookup: If you want related entity logical name
                String? owner_entityname = targetEntity.Contains("owner") && targetEntity["owner"] != null ?
                                    targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<EntityReference>("owner")?.LogicalName : null;

                // Number -> Currency                                      
                Money revenue = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                                        targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue") : null;

                // Number -> Curreny: If you want only value 
                decimal? revenueValue = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Value : null;

                // Number -> Curreny: If you want only curreny entity reference 
                EntityReference? currencyE = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                                                targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Currency : null;

                // Number -> Curreny: If you want only currency name
                string? currencyCode = targetEntity.Contains("revenue") && targetEntity["revenue"] != null ?
                                            targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<Money>("revenue")?.Currency?.Name : null;

                // Option Set & Two Optionset -> Option Set
                OptionSetValue status = targetEntity.Contains("statuscode") && targetEntity["statuscode"] != null ?
                                        targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>("statuscode") : null;

                // Option Set & Two Optionset -> Option Set: If you want optionset value                                        
                int? statusValue = targetEntity.Contains("statuscode") && targetEntity["statuscode"] != null ?
                                        targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValue>("statuscode")?.Value : null;

                // Option Set & Two Optionset -> Option Set: If you want optionset formatted value/label                                        
                string statusFormattedValue = targetEntity.FormattedValues.Contains("statuscode") ?
                                                targetEntity.FormattedValues["statuscode"] : null;

                // Multi Select Optionset                
                OptionSetValueCollection interests = targetEntity.Contains("interests") && targetEntity["interests"] != null
                    ? targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValueCollection>("interests")
                    : null;

                // Multi Select Optionset -> If you want optionset values
                int[] selectedValues = targetEntity.Contains("interests") && targetEntity["interests"] != null
                    ? targetEntity.GetAttributeValue<OptionSetValueCollection>("interests").Value
                    : null;

                // Multi Select Optionset -> If you want optionset labels/ formatted values
                List<string> selectedLabels = new List<string>();
                if (targetEntity.FormattedValues.Contains("interests"))
                {
                    string formattedValues = targetEntity.FormattedValues["interests"];
                    selectedLabels = formattedValues.Split(',').ToList();
                }
            }
            catch (FaultException<OrganizationServiceFault> ex)
            {
                throw new InvalidPluginExecutionException("An error occurred in FollowUpPlugin.", ex);
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                tracingService.Trace("FollowUpPlugin: {0}", ex.ToString());
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

Retrieve Different Data Types from Dynamics 365 Target Entity with a Plugin