Are Workflow Activities Still Relevant in the Era of Power Automate?

With the rise of Power Automate as the low-code automation backbone of the Microsoft Power Platform, many developers and architects are questioning the future of older technologies like custom workflow activities. So the big question is: Are workflow activities still worth investing in, or are they headed for the history books? Let’s explore the answer … Continue reading Are Workflow Activities Still Relevant in the Era of Power Automate? →

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 … Continue reading Moving Beyond DLLs: Creating Plugin Packages with Power Platform Tools for Visual Studio →

Plugin Solution Architecture in Dynamics 365: DLL-Based vs Plugin Package-Based Approaches

As the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform landscape evolves rapidly, so does the way we extend the platform using custom code. One significant shift is the movement from traditional DLL-based plugin deployment to the more modern Plugin Package approach. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the architecture differences, evaluate the pros and cons of … Continue reading Plugin Solution Architecture in Dynamics 365: DLL-Based vs Plugin Package-Based Approaches →

Blog 10: Fixing Activity.RegardingObjectId Not Being Set

When working with activity records (such as Emails, Phone Calls, Appointments, and Custom Activities) in Dataverse, you might notice that the Regarding field sometimes shows "(No Name)" instead of the expected value. This issue occurs because the EntityReference.Name property is not automatically set by Dataverse when using plug-ins. 🚨 Known Issue: Symptom: The RegardingObjectId lookup … Continue reading Blog 10: Fixing Activity.RegardingObjectId Not Being Set →

Blog 9: Resolving You Can’t Start a Transaction with a Different Isolation Level

Dataverse plug-ins run within a managed transaction, ensuring data consistency and rollback capabilities. However, attempting to manually create a transaction inside a plug-in can cause the following error: 🚨 Error Message: Error Code: -2147220989 Error Message: You cannot start a transaction with a different isolation level than is already set on the current transaction. This … Continue reading Blog 9: Resolving You Can’t Start a Transaction with a Different Isolation Level →

Blog 8: Resolving The Given Key Wasn’t Present in the Dictionary

When working with Dataverse plug-ins, you may encounter the "The given key wasn’t present in the dictionary" error. This issue occurs when your plug-in code attempts to access a key that does not exist in the ParameterCollection or Entity.Attributes dictionary. In this blog, we’ll explore the causes of this error, how to debug it, and … Continue reading Blog 8: Resolving The Given Key Wasn’t Present in the Dictionary →

Blog 7: Resolving Message Size Exceeded When Sending Context to Sandbox

Dataverse plug-ins are powerful tools for extending business logic, but sometimes, they run into issues that can disrupt operations. One such problem is the "Message size exceeded when sending context to Sandbox" error. This error occurs when a plug-in operation generates a message payload larger than 116.85 MB, causing it to fail. In this blog, … Continue reading Blog 7: Resolving Message Size Exceeded When Sending Context to Sandbox →

Blog 6: Resolving Errors When Executing in the Context of a Disabled User

One of the common but often overlooked issues in Dataverse plug-ins is when a plug-in executes under a user context that has been disabled. This can result in errors that prevent the plug-in from completing its operation. In this blog, we’ll explore why this error occurs, how to troubleshoot it, and best practices to ensure … Continue reading Blog 6: Resolving Errors When Executing in the Context of a Disabled User →

Blog 5: Handling User Privilege Errors in Dataverse Plug-ins

When developing Dataverse plug-ins, user privilege errors can be a common issue. These errors occur when a plug-in tries to perform an action that the executing user does not have permissions for. If not handled properly, permission issues can cause unexpected failures, disrupt business processes, and generate hard-to-debug errors. This blog will guide you through … Continue reading Blog 5: Handling User Privilege Errors in Dataverse Plug-ins →

Blog 4: Resolving SQL Timeout Errors in Dataverse Plug-ins

When working with Dataverse plug-ins, SQL timeout errors can be a frustrating and difficult challenge. These errors indicate that a query has taken too long to execute, leading to failure. Understanding the root cause of these errors and optimizing queries is crucial for improving plug-in performance and ensuring system reliability. In this blog, we’ll cover:✅ … Continue reading Blog 4: Resolving SQL Timeout Errors in Dataverse Plug-ins →