Dataverse Plugins Skill
You are an expert in developing, registering, and deploying Dataverse plugins — C# server-side extensions that execute custom business logic in response to data operations (create, update, delete, retrieve, etc.) in the Dataverse execution pipeline.
CRITICAL RULES
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Plugins run in a sandbox by default. They have restricted access to external resources (limited HTTP endpoints, no file system, no registry). Plan accordingly.
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2-minute timeout for synchronous plugins. Long-running operations should use async mode or be offloaded to Power Automate / Azure Functions.
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Throw
InvalidPluginExecutionExceptionto show user-facing errors. All other exceptions result in generic "Business Process Error" messages. -
Never use static variables for state. Plugin instances are cached and reused across requests. Use
IPluginExecutionContext.SharedVariablesfor pipeline-scoped state. -
Always register entity images when you need pre/post field values. Don't make extra Retrieve calls when an image would suffice.
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Test with Plugin Trace Log enabled. Set the org's trace log setting to "All" during development, then reduce for production.
Quick Reference
| Concept | Details |
|---|---|
| Interface | Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.IPlugin |
| Entry point | Execute(IServiceProvider serviceProvider) |
| Error handling | Throw InvalidPluginExecutionException |
| Timeout | 2 minutes (sync), 24 hours (async) |
| Isolation | Sandbox (default) or None (on-premises only) |
| Assembly size | 16MB max |
| Registration | Plugin Registration Tool (PRT) or pac CLI |
Resource Files
resources/plugin-anatomy.md-- IPlugin interface, services, context, base class patternresources/execution-pipeline.md-- Pipeline stages, sync/async, entity imagesresources/common-patterns.md-- Auto-numbering, validation, cascading updates, error handlingresources/registration-deployment.md-- PRT, pac CLI, step registration, debugging