Code Snippet: Retrieve data with oData query

Just though of sharing a code snippet on retrieving data via oData query.

RetrieveOfficeLocationsByAccount: function()
{
    var _serverUrl = Xrm.Page.context.getServerUrl();
    var _accountID = Xrm.Page.data.entity.getId();
    var _oDataEndpointUrl = _serverUrl + "/XRMServices/2011/OrganizationData.svc/";
    var _offices = RetriveOfficesCollection(_oDataEndpointUrl, _accountID);

    if (_offices != null) 
    {
        alert(_offices.results.length);

        for (var j = 0; j < _offices.length; j++) 
        {
            if (_offices[j].new_Location != null) 
            {
                alert(_offices[j].new_Location.Value);
            }
        }
    }
}

RetriveOfficeCollection: function(_oDataEndpointUrl, _accountID) 
{
    var _offices = null;
    _oDataEndpointUrl += "new_officeSet?$select=new_name,new_Location&$filter=new_AccountId/Id eq (guid'" + _accountID + "')&$orderby=new_name";
    var service = getRequestObject();

    if (service != null) {
        service.open("GET", _oDataEndpointUrl, false);
        service.setRequestHeader("X-Requested-Width", "XMLHttpRequest");
        service.setRequestHeader("Accept", "application/json, text/javascript, */*");
        service.send(null);

        var requestResults = eval('(' + service.responseText + ')').d;
        if (requestResults != null && requestResults.results.length > 0) {
            _offices = requestResults;
        }
    }
    return _offices;
}

getRequestObject: function () 
{
    if (window.XMLHttpRequest) 
    {
        return new window.XMLHttpRequest;
    }
    else 
    {
        try 
        {
            return new ActiveXObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.3.0");
        }
        catch (ex) 
        {
            return null;
        }
    }
}

There are two important notes about this code.

If you build the query correctly, you should be able to browse through your browser and see the list of records. It’s always good to check your query this way before proceeding, which will save a lot of time.

Other one is a note of caution. If you check the field names in the code, you may realize they are the schema names! (You see capital letters!.. example: new_Location not new_location). Usually, we use Name (which is all low case in CRM 2011) in most of the codes including Plug-ins.

Using same plug-in for all Create, Update and Delete events

In some cases, we may need to execute same plug-in for Create, Update and Delete. Is this possible?

Yep, you don’t need to write many plug-ins if it’s the same logic. Only thing, we need to have two different ways of triggering the logic in same code. If you need to refresh the knowledge, check Create, Update and Delete code snippets.

You can write a one code accommodating both needs. Different is, in Create/Update we get the target entity in the context while in Delete we get only the reference.

try
{
  context = (IPluginExecutionContext)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(IPluginExecutionContext));

  // Create, Update
  
  if (context.InputParameters.Contains("Target") && context.InputParameters["Target"] is Entity)
  {
     TargetEnt = (Entity)context.InputParameters["Target"];

     //Logic here
     //Read Guid like this; 
     //Guid _officeid = (Guid)TargetEnt.Attributes["new_officeid"];

  }

  // Delete

  if (context.InputParameters.Contains("Target") && context.InputParameters["Target"] is EntityReference)
  {
     EntityReference EntityRef = (EntityReference)context.InputParameters["Target"];

     //Logic here
     //Read Entity reference like this; 
     //EntityReference _officeidRef = (EntityReference)context.InputParameters["Target"];

  }
  
}

(*I suppose we use a custom entity called new_office in this example)

Hope this is Clear…  register this all Create, Update and Delete steps.

Note:
In Create/Update section always get field values by retrieve method (passing Guid), rather than reading via target entity. If you can remember, though we get all fields in the context for Create, we get only updated fields in Update. Remember?