Moving Beyond DLLs: Creating Plugin Packages with Power Platform Tools for Visual Studio

In a previous post, we explored the evolution of plugin development in Dynamics 365:

We compared the legacy DLL approach to the modern Plugin Package model, highlighting benefits like better ALM, dependency management, and solution-aware deployments. Now, let’s take it one step further:

How do you actually build, debug, and deploy Plugin Packages the right way?

Enter the Power Platform Tools for Visual Studio.

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📚 What Are Power Platform Tools for Visual Studio?

Power Platform Tools is a Visual Studio extension that simplifies plugin and workflow activity development by:

• Providing project templates for plug-ins, workflow libraries, and CRM packages
• Supporting debugging and profiler integration
• Enabling solution-aware deployment to Microsoft Dataverse

⚠️ Note: This tool is not compatible with the older Developer Toolkit for Dynamics CRM. It’s a completely independent, modern tool.

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⚙️ Prerequisites

Before you begin:

• Visual Studio 2019 or 2022
• .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later
• C# development environment
• Access to a Dataverse environment (trial is fine)

If building workflow activities, install Windows Workflow Foundation via Visual Studio Installer.

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🔄 Installing Power Platform Tools

1. Open Visual Studio
2. Select Extensions > Manage Extensions
3. Go to Online > Visual Studio Marketplace
4. Search “Power Platform Tools”
5. Install the appropriate version:
   • “Power Platform Tools” for VS 2019
   • “Power Platform Tools for VS 2022” for VS 2022

You’ll only see tool options after you create a project using its templates.

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📅 Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Plugin Project

1. File > New > Project

2. Search for: Power Platform Solution Template

3. Choose it and click Next. Enter project details and choose a .NET Framework version (4.6.2+).

4. Connect to your Dataverse environment

5. Select the template projects

6. Specify the project name

7. The project and the solution will be created as shown below:

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🔹 Creating Plugin Classes

1. Open Power Platform Explorer (View > Power Platform Explorer)

2. Expand Tables, right-click your target entity, then select Create Plug-in. Choose or specify your class name.

3. Your plugin class file will be created as shown below:

4. Write your plugin code, sign the assembly, and build the project.

5. Use the Deploy option to deploy the package. This will auto-register the plugin and DLL.

6. Verify registration in Power Platform Explorer:

🔧 Install the Plug-in Profiler (for Debugging)

1. Open View > Power Platform Explorer
2. Connect to your environment
3. Expand your org node > Right-click Plug-in Assemblies
4. Select Install Profiler