MS CRM 2016 Web API Introduction && Operations

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MS CRM 2016 Web API Introduction
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Introduction :

Microsoft CRM 2016 introduced a new Web API concept. This will make it easier to create applications across a wide variety of platforms, devices, and programming languages.

You can perform all operations using HTTP requests with the Web API located at 

[organization uri]/api/data/v8.0/. The Web API implements OData version 4.0, an open standard for data access.

We can perform following operations using web API

            ·        Create

·         Update

·         Delete

·         Retrieve

·         Retrieve multiple( using odata query and fetch)

·         Execute Web API functions

·         Execute Web API Actions

·         Execute Web API Query Functions

Let’s check where the web API is located. I am using online ms crm 2016

   https://bhoopathigoudk.mscrm.dynamics.com/api/data/v8.0

 It showed me some JSON object like below

 {

  "@odata.context":"https://bhoopathigoudk.mscrm.dynamics.com/api/data/v8.0/$metadata","value":[

    {

      "name":"accountleadscollection","kind":"EntitySet","url":"accountleadscollection"

    },{

      "name":"accounts","kind":"EntitySet","url":"accounts"

    }

 Explanation :

  name : This is the name of the entity set.

  kind :  For the web API only Entity sets are listed.

  url :  It represents the part of the resource path to retrieve data for the entity.

How to use Web API:

We can use XMLHttpRequest object to perform all the above operation with Web API.

Example:   Create an Account using Web API:

function CreateRecord(clientURL,entityType,entityData)
{
var req = new XMLHttpRequest()

req.open("POST",encodeURI(clientURL + "/api/data/v8.0/" +entityType), true);
req.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json");
req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");
req.onreadystatechange = function () {
 if (this.readyState == 4 /* complete */) {
  req.onreadystatechange = null;
  if (this.status == 204) {
   var accountUri = this.getResponseHeader("OData-EntityId");
   console.log("Created account with URI: "+ accountUri)
  }
  else {
   var error = JSON.parse(this.response).error;
   console.log(error.message);
  }
 }
};
req.send(JSON.stringify(entityData));

}

// This function Creates an Account 

function CreateAccountUsingWebAPI() {

debugger;
var entityType ="accounts"
var clientURL = Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl();
var Account ={};
Account["name"] ="My first Account by API";
Account["accountnumber"] = "9211";
Account["fax"] ="0581-231383";

CreateRecord(clientURL,entityType,Account)


}

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MS CRM 2016 Web API Operations - Basic Update

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Basic Update:

In the last post I have created an Account using Web API call. Here we will update the created Account. Update operations use the HTTP PATCH verb. Pass a JSON object containing the properties you want to update to the URI that represents the entity. A response with a status of204 will be returned if the update is successful.

Note: 

When updating an entity, only include the properties you are changing in the request body. Simply updating the properties of an entity that you previously retrieved, and including that JSON in your request, will update each property even though the value is the same. This can cause properties to appear to have been updated in auditing data when in fact they haven’t actually changed.

function UpdatAccount(AccountId,clientURL,AccountTobeUpdated)
{
 
var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open('PATCH', clientURL + "/api/data/v8.0/accounts(" + AccountId + ")", true);
req.setRequestHeader("Content-type","application/json");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");

req.onreadystatechange = function () {
 if (this.readyState == 4 /* complete */) {
  req.onreadystatechange = null;
  if (this.status == 204) {   
   console.log("Updated account with ID: "+ AccountId)
  }
  else {
   var error = JSON.parse(this.response).error;
   console.log(error.message);
  }
 }
};
req.send(JSON.stringify(AccountTobeUpdated));
 

}

//This method will update an existing record.
function UpdateAccountUsingWebAPI() {

debugger;
var clientURL = Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl();
var AccountId =  "B3A2B300-A8AF-E511-80DD-6C3BE5A878BC";

var AccountTobeUpdated ={};
AccountTobeUpdated["name"] ="My first Update On Account by API";
AccountTobeUpdated["accountnumber"] = "841843";
AccountTobeUpdated["fax"] ="9738310781";


UpdatAccount(AccountId,clientURL,AccountTobeUpdated)


}

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MS CRM 2016 Web API Operations - Update a single property value
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Update a single property value :

When you want to update only a single property value use a PUT request with the property name appended to the Uri of the entity.

Whenever you want to update single attribute of an entity it can be done by using PUT verb.

Note : while creating object use "value"  property to accommodate the Updated value of attribute.

function UpdatSinglePropertyAccountByPUT() {

debugger;
var clientURL = Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl();
var AccountId =  "B3A2B300-A8AF-E511-80DD-6C3BE5A878BC";

//Attribute which you want to update e.g Name
var Property ="name";

var AccountTobeUpdated ={};
AccountTobeUpdated["value"] ="My first Update On Account by API using PUT";

UpdatAccountByPUT(AccountId,clientURL,AccountTobeUpdated,Property)


}

 

function UpdatAccountByPUT(AccountId,clientURL,AccountTobeUpdated,Property)
{
 
var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open('PUT', clientURL + "/api/data/v8.0/accounts(" + AccountId + ")/"+Property, true);
req.setRequestHeader("Content-type","application/json");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");

req.onreadystatechange = function () {
 if (this.readyState == 4 /* complete */) {
  req.onreadystatechange = null;
  if (this.status == 204) {   
   console.log("Updated account with ID: "+ AccountId)
  }
  else {
   var error = JSON.parse(this.response).error;
   console.log(error.message);
  }
 }
};
req.send(JSON.stringify(AccountTobeUpdated));
 

}

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MS CRM 2016 Web API Operations - Delete a single property value
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DELETE A SINGLE PROPERTY VALUE:

To delete the value of a single property use a DELETE request with the property name appended to the Uri of the entity.

The following example deletes the value of the fax property of an account entity.

function UpdatAccountSingleValueUsingDELETE() {

debugger;
var clientURL = Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl();
var AccountId =  "B3A2B300-A8AF-E511-80DD-6C3BE5A878BC";

//Single Property value  which you want to delete
var Property ="fax";

UpdatAccountSingleValue(AccountId,clientURL,Property);


}
 

function UpdatAccountSingleValue(AccountId,clientURL,Property)
{
 
var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open('DELETE', clientURL + "/api/data/v8.0/accounts(" + AccountId + ")/"+Property, true);
req.setRequestHeader("Content-type","application/json");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");

req.onreadystatechange = function () {
 if (this.readyState == 4 /* complete */) {
  req.onreadystatechange = null;
  if (this.status == 204) {   
   console.log("Updated account with ID: "+ AccountId)
  }
  else {
   var error = JSON.parse(this.response).error;
   console.log(error.message);
  }
 }
};

req.send();
 

}

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MS CRM 2016 Web API - Retrieve
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This example returns data for an account entity with the primary key value equal to 9C33D98E-2FAD-E511-80DE-6C3BE5A8380C. This query also expands data from the related opportunities of Account and related tasks using the respective single-valued and collection-valued navigation properties: opportunity_parent_account and Account_Tasks. To identify the appropriate properties and navigation property names to use for the account entity, see the accountEntityType

function RetrieveAccountData()
{
var organizationUrl = Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl();

var query = "accounts(9C33D98E-2FAD-E511-80DE-6C3BE5A8380C)?$select=accountcategorycode,accountnumber,creditonhold,createdon,numberofemployees,name,revenue&$expand=opportunity_parent_account($select=createdon,name),Account_Tasks($select=subject,scheduledstart)";
var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open("GET",organizationUrl + "/api/data/v8.0/" + query, true);
req.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json");
req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-MaxVersion", "4.0");
req.setRequestHeader("OData-Version", "4.0");
req.onreadystatechange = function () {
    if (this.readyState == 4) {
        req.onreadystatechange = null;
        if (this.status == 200) {
  
    var RetrievedAccount = JSON.parse(this.response);
    console.log(RetrievedAccount);
          alert(RetrievedAccount.name);
        } else {
            var error = JSON.parse(this.response).error;
            alert(error.message);
        }
    }
};
req.send();
}

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Get All fields available on MS CRM form using c#
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If you want to get all the fields available on a MS CRM form.
You can use below C# code to get  all attributes.

Below code requires entity logical name and formid.

To get the formid open the record in MS CRM form editor and press  F12 (developer tools) use Chrome for better experience, Search formId in Elements tab.

You will get following results.

<input name="formId" type="hidden" value="{b053a39a-041a-4356-acef-ddf00182762b}">

OR

Mscrm.FormEditorVariables.currentFormId = '\x7bb053a39a-041a-4356-acef-ddf00182762b\x7d'

Take this FormId as you wish :) and proceed for the our custom application.

           // Obtain an organization service proxy.
           .
            using (var _orgService = new OrganizationService(connection))
            {

                string formId = "{b053a39a-041a-4356-acef-ddf00182762b}";

                XmlDocument form = RetrieveEntityForms("account", formId, _orgService);

                XmlNodeList nodeList = (form.SelectNodes("//control"));

                StringBuilder sbAttributes = new StringBuilder();;
                                 

                foreach (XmlNode elem in nodeList)
                {
                    if (elem.Attributes["datafieldname"] != null)
                    {
                        string strValue = elem.Attributes["datafieldname"].Value;

                        sbAttributes.AppendLine(strValue);
                    }


                }                

                Console.WriteLine(sbAttributes.ToString());
                
                Console.Write("DONE!!");
                Console.ReadKey();
                

            }

          
 public static XmlDocument RetrieveEntityForms(string logicalName,string formid, IOrganizationService oService)
        {
            QueryByAttribute qba = new QueryByAttribute("systemform");
            qba.Attributes.AddRange("objecttypecode", "type","formid");
            qba.Values.AddRange(logicalName, 2, formid);
            qba.ColumnSet = new ColumnSet(true);

            EntityCollection ec = oService.RetrieveMultiple(qba);

            StringBuilder allFormsXml = new StringBuilder();
            allFormsXml.Append("");

            foreach (Entity form in ec.Entities)
            {
                allFormsXml.Append(form["formxml"]);
            }

            allFormsXml.Append("");

            XmlDocument docAllForms = new XmlDocument();
            docAllForms.LoadXml(allFormsXml.ToString());

            return docAllForms;
        }