OData POST To Dynamics 365 Web API in C#

When working with Dynamics 365 and its Web API, you may often need to create or update records programmatically. One of the ways to achieve this is by using OData to make HTTP POST requests in C#. In this blog post, we'll explore how to perform a POST request to the Dynamics 365 Web API using C#.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the code, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Dynamics 365 Account: You need access to a Dynamics 365 environment and the necessary credentials to interact with it.
2. C# Development Environment: Have a C# development environment, such as Visual Studio, installed on your system.
3. Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.CrmConnectControl: You'll need this library, which is commonly used for working with Dynamics 365.

Setting Up the Project

1. Create a new C# console application project in Visual Studio.

2. Add the Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.CrmConnectControl NuGet package to your project. This package provides the necessary libraries for interacting with Dynamics 365.

Writing the Code

Now, let's write the C# code to perform a POST request to create a new record in Dynamics 365. In this example, we'll create a new account. 

using Microsoft.Xrm.Tooling.Connector;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        // Replace these values with your Dynamics 365 connection details.
        string connectionString = "AuthType=Office365;Url=https://yourorg.crm.dynamics.com;Username=username;Password=password;RequireNewInstance=True";

        CrmServiceClient service = new CrmServiceClient(connectionString);

        if (service.IsReady)
        {
            IOrganizationService orgService = (IOrganizationService)service.OrganizationServiceProxy;

            Entity account = new Entity("account");
            account["name"] = "Sample Account";

            Guid accountId = orgService.Create(account);

            Console.WriteLine($"Account created with ID: {accountId}");
        }
        else
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Failed to connect to Dynamics 365.");
        }
    }
}

Code Explanation

• We establish a connection to Dynamics 365 using the provided connection string.

• If the connection is successful, we create a new Entity representing an account and set its attributes.

• We use the Create method to send a POST request to the Dynamics 365 Web API and create a new account.

• If the creation is successful, we print the ID of the newly created account.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we've learned how to make a POST request to the Dynamics 365 Web API in C# to create records. You can extend this knowledge to update existing records or work with other entities. This approach is valuable for automating tasks and integrating Dynamics 365 with other systems.

Feel free to adapt this code to your specific needs and take advantage of the flexibility and power of Dynamics 365 Web API for your applications.