Connecting to Dynamics 365 using C#

Summary

There are multiple methods for connecting to Microsoft Dynamics from a command line application.

I have added some deprecated/un-supported methods for connecting to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement for historic context.

Using the OrganizationServiceProxy (Deprecated)

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using System;
using System.Linq;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;
using System.ServiceModel.Description;
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;

namespace Carl.Crm.OrgServiceProxy
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                Uri oUri = new Uri("https://yourcrm.crm.dynamics.com/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc");
                ClientCredentials clientCredentials = new ClientCredentials();
                clientCredentials.UserName.UserName = "your@email.com";
                clientCredentials.UserName.Password = "yourpassword";

                OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(oUri, null, clientCredentials, null);
                _serviceProxy.EnableProxyTypes();

                OrganizationServiceContext orgContext = new OrganizationServiceContext(_serviceProxy);

                RetrieveVersionRequest versionRequest = new RetrieveVersionRequest();
                RetrieveVersionResponse versionResponse = (RetrieveVersionResponse)_serviceProxy.Execute(versionRequest);

                Console.WriteLine("Microsoft Dynamics CRM version {0}.", versionResponse.Version);
                Console.ReadLine();

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
            }
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.Client (deprecated)

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using Microsoft.Xrm.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Client.Services;
using Xrm;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace CRM_Console_App
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //Simplified Connection: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg695810.aspx
            CrmConnection crmConnection = CrmConnection.Parse("Url=http://crm/beta; Domain=MyDomainName; Username=Administrator; Password=MyPassword;");
            OrganizationService service = new OrganizationService(crmConnection);
            XrmServiceContext context = new XrmServiceContext(service);

            var allisonBrown = new Xrm.Contact
            {
                FirstName = "Allison",
                LastName = "Brown",
                Address1_Line1 = "23 Market St.",
                Address1_City = "Sammamish",
                Address1_StateOrProvince = "MT",
                Address1_PostalCode = "99999",
                Telephone1 = "12345678",
                EMailAddress1 = "allison.brown@example.com"
            };

            context.AddObject(allisonBrown);
            context.SaveChanges();

        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.tooling v8.1 D365 (Deprecated)

Works for Dynamics 365 Online (period of 2018 & 2019) version 8.1.

Note that this method has been deprecated as of 2021. The method uses an un-secure approach to storing credentials.

using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Dynamics365.Connections
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                var connectionString = @"AuthType = Office365; 
                Url = https://[org].crm4.dynamics.com/;Username=[username];Password=[password]";
                CrmServiceClient conn = new CrmServiceClient(connectionString);

                IOrganizationService service;
                service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient != null ? (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient : (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                RetrieveEntityRequest retrieveEntityRequest = new RetrieveEntityRequest
                {
                    EntityFilters = EntityFilters.All,
                    LogicalName = "account"
                };
                RetrieveEntityResponse retrieveAccountEntityResponse = (RetrieveEntityResponse)service.Execute(retrieveEntityRequest);
                EntityMetadata AccountEntity = retrieveAccountEntityResponse.EntityMetadata;

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity metadata:");
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.SchemaName);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.DisplayName.UserLocalizedLabel.Label);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.EntityColor);

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity attributes:");
                foreach (object attribute in AccountEntity.Attributes)
                {
                    AttributeMetadata a = (AttributeMetadata)attribute;
                    Console.WriteLine(a.LogicalName);
                }
                Console.ReadLine();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            { }
        }
    }
}

Using Xrm.tooling v9.1 D365 (Deprecated)

The snippet illustrates connecting to an on-premise environment. Other authentication types can be found here:

using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Metadata;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector;
using System;
using System.Net;

namespace Dynamics365.Connections
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                ServicePointManager.SecurityProtocol = SecurityProtocolType.Tls12;

                string envcon = @"AuthType = AD; Url = http://192.168.0.30/exp01/;Domain=cedomain;Username=serviceaccount;Password=CC%******";
                CrmServiceClient conn = new CrmServiceClient(envcon);
                //var service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient ?? conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                IOrganizationService service;
                service = (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient != null ? (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationWebProxyClient : (IOrganizationService)conn.OrganizationServiceProxy;

                RetrieveEntityRequest retrieveEntityRequest = new RetrieveEntityRequest
                {
                    EntityFilters = EntityFilters.All,
                    LogicalName = "account"
                };
                RetrieveEntityResponse retrieveAccountEntityResponse = (RetrieveEntityResponse)service.Execute(retrieveEntityRequest);
                EntityMetadata AccountEntity = retrieveAccountEntityResponse.EntityMetadata;

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity metadata:");
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.SchemaName);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.DisplayName.UserLocalizedLabel.Label);
                Console.WriteLine(AccountEntity.EntityColor);

                Console.WriteLine("Account entity attributes:");
                foreach (object attribute in AccountEntity.Attributes)
                {
                    AttributeMetadata a = (AttributeMetadata)attribute;
                    Console.WriteLine(a.LogicalName);
                }

                Console.ReadLine();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            { }

            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}