Community Tools & Extensions | Power Platform & D365

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Community Tools & Extensions | Power Platform & D365


Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 have revolutionized the way businesses operate, offering a suite of tools that empower organizations to analyze data, build solutions, automate processes, and create virtual agents. But did you know that there's a vibrant community of developers and enthusiasts who have created a plethora of tools and extensions to enhance these platforms even further? Let's dive in!

Community Tools for Microsoft Dataverse

XrmToolBox

XrmToolBox is a Windows application that connects to Dataverse, providing tools to ease customization, configuration, and operation tasks. It's an essential tool for any developer working with Dynamics 365. It offers a range of plugins that can help with tasks such as metadata browsing, code generation, data import/export, synchronization, and much more.

Here are some of the key plugins and their functionalities:

  • Metadata Browser: This plugin allows you to browse the metadata of your Dataverse environment. You can view entities, attributes, relationships, option sets, and more.
  • FetchXML Builder: This tool helps you build and test FetchXML queries, which are used to retrieve data from Dataverse.
  • Plugin Trace Viewer: This plugin helps you view and analyze trace logs generated by your plugins in Dynamics 365.
  • Solution Components Mover: This tool allows you to move components between solutions in your Dataverse environment.
  • Attribute Editor: This plugin lets you edit attributes of an entity in bulk.
  • Data Import/Export: XrmToolBox offers several plugins for importing and exporting data, such as the Data Transporter and the Easy Translator for handling translations.
  • Synchronization Tools: There are also tools like the Configuration Data Mover for synchronizing configuration data across different environments.

Remember, XrmToolBox is a community-driven tool, and new plugins are being developed all the time. You can even develop your own plugins if you have specific needs. It's an indispensable tool for any Dynamics 365 developer or administrator.


Visual Studio Code Extensions

For those who prefer working in Visual Studio Code, there are extensions like Dataverse DevTools and Power Apps Portal Helper that can make your development process smoother. These extensions provide features like IntelliSense for schema names, easy navigation between portal assets, syntax highlighting for Liquid templates, etc.

Microsoft Power Platform Developer Tools

Microsoft also provides a range of developer tools for the Power Platform:

Power Platform CLI

The Power Platform CLI is a one-stop developer command-line interface that empowers developers to perform various operations in Microsoft Power Platform. It allows developers to manage Dataverse solutions, create and update environment variables, manage application users, etc., all from the command line.

Power Platform Tools for Visual Studio

These tools support the rapid creation, debugging, and deployment of plug-ins. They provide project templates for plug-ins, workflow activities, and unit tests. They also offer a plug-in registration tool for registering and managing plug-ins and custom workflow activities.


Chrome Web Store Extensions

There are also several Chrome extensions available that can enhance your experience with Dynamics 365:

Dynamics 365 Power Pane

This extension provides a set of handy tools and features that can save you time when working with Dynamics 365. The Dynamics 365 Power Pane is a browser extension that adds a sidebar to your Dynamics 365 interface. This sidebar contains a collection of utilities and shortcuts that can streamline your workflow.

Here are some of the key features:

  • Form Information: Quickly view all the essential details about the current form, such as its name, ID, and URL.
  • Record Properties: Access important properties of the current record without navigating away from the page.
  • Advanced Navigation: Navigate to different parts of Dynamics 365 with just a few clicks.
  • God Mode: Disable all client-side scripts and unlock all fields, making it easier to debug and test forms.
  • Refresh All Subgrids: Refresh all subgrids on the current form without having to refresh the entire page.

Remember, as with any tool, it's important to use Dynamics 365 Power Pane responsibly. While it can be a powerful aid for development and debugging, it should not be used to circumvent any rules or restrictions set by your organization's administrators. Happy developing!

Level up for Dynamics 365/Power Apps 

This is a browser extension that adds a collection of useful features to your Dynamics 365 and Power Apps interface. It's designed to help developers and power users quickly perform common tasks and navigate entities.

Here are some of the key features:

  • Form Information: Quickly view all the essential details about the current form, such as its name, ID, and URL.
  • Record Properties: Access important properties of the current record without navigating away from the page.
  • Advanced Navigation: Navigate to different parts of Dynamics 365 with just a few clicks.
  • God Mode: Disable all client-side scripts and unlock all fields, making it easier to debug and test forms.
  • Refresh All Subgrids: Refresh all subgrids on the current form without having to refresh the entire page.
  • Show Logical Names: This feature replaces the display names with their logical names on the form, which can be very helpful for developers.

Remember, as with any tool, it's important to use Level up for Dynamics 365/Power Apps responsibly. While it can be a powerful aid for development and debugging, it should not be used to circumvent any rules or restrictions set by your organization's administrators.


Others

Power Apps Checkers

Power Apps Checkers is a community tool that helps you analyze your Power Apps applications for performance and coding best practices. It provides a detailed report highlighting areas of improvement and offers suggestions to optimize your app.

FetchXML Builder

FetchXML Builder is a tool for building and testing FetchXML queries. It's integrated into XrmToolBox and allows you to construct complex queries without having to write them manually.

Power Automate Visualizer

Power Automate Visualizer is a Chrome extension that provides a visual representation of your Power Automate flows. It helps you understand the flow structure and debug issues more effectively.

PCF Gallery

PCF Gallery is a community-driven catalog of Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) components. It's a great resource if you're looking for custom components to use in your Power Apps applications.

Conclusion

The community around Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 continues to grow, and with it, the number of tools and extensions available. These tools can significantly enhance your productivity and make it easier to build, debug, and deploy your applications. Remember, these community-created tools are not supported by Microsoft. If you have questions or issues with these tools, it's best to contact the publisher of the tool. Happy developing!

 


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