AliDiab.DataverseSchemaBuilder 1.2026.1.2

Dataverse Schema Builder

An XrmToolBox plugin that creates Dataverse tables, fields, and lookup relationships in bulk from an Excel workbook — connect, download a template, fill it in, upload it, and watch the log as it builds and publishes your schema.

Why

Creating tables and columns one at a time through the maker portal is slow and error-prone for anything beyond a handful of fields. This tool lets you define an entire schema — one or more tables, each with its own fields, option sets, and lookups — as a spreadsheet, review it like any other document, and apply it in one run.

Features

• Download a blank template directly from the tool — two data-entry sheets (Tables, Fields) plus a hidden Lists sheet that drives the dropdown validation.
• Multiple tables per workbook — each field row is routed to its table via a Table Logical Name column.
• All common field types — text, memo, whole/decimal/float numbers, currency, yes/no, date/time, GUID, lookups, customer lookups, and single/multi-select choice fields with their option values.
• Solution-aware — pick an existing solution from a dropdown populated from your connected environment, or create a new one on the fly (with publisher).
• Idempotent — re-running against a workbook whose tables/fields already exist skips creation but still ensures everything ends up in the target solution.
• Live log — every step streams into an on-screen console in real time, with the UI staying responsive throughout (processing runs on a background thread).
• Publishes automatically at the end of the run.

Requirements

• XrmToolBox installed
• A Dataverse / Dynamics 365 environment to connect to
• To build from source: Visual Studio, targeting .NET Framework 4.6.2+

Installation

From source

1. Clone this repository.
2. Restore NuGet packages:
   • XrmToolBoxPackage
   • Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies
   • ClosedXML
3. Build the solution.
4. Copy every DLL from the build output (bin\Debug or bin\Release) into a new subfolder under:

   %AppData%\MscrmTools\XrmToolBox\Plugins\DataverseSchemaBuilder\
   

5. Make sure XrmToolBox is fully closed (check the system tray) before copying, then relaunch it.
6. Connect to an environment — "Dataverse Schema Builder" should now appear in your local tools list.

Usage

1. Connect to an organization through XrmToolBox as usual.
2. Click Download Template and save the blank workbook.
3. Fill in the Tables sheet — one row per table (Display Name, Plural Name, Schema/Logical Name, Prefix).
4. Fill in the Fields sheet — one row per field, with Table Logical Name pointing to the table it belongs to. Pick Data Type from the dropdown; fill Related Table Logical Name for lookups, or Option Set Values (comma-separated) for choice fields.
5. Save the workbook, then Browse... to it in the tool.
6. Choose a Solution from the dropdown, or select <Create a new solution...> and fill in the new solution's details.
7. Click Create Tables & Fields and watch the log. The tool creates each table, then its fields (non-lookups first, then lookups), adds everything to the chosen solution, and publishes at the end.

Note: if a lookup field points to another table also being created in the same run, put that referenced table earlier in the Tables sheet — tables are processed top-to-bottom.

Project structure

A full technical write-up of the architecture, workbook column reference, and data type mapping lives in docs/Dataverse_Schema_Builder_Technical_Documentation.docx.

Known limitations

• Option set values are assigned sequential IDs starting at 100000000 — not aligned to any org-specific numbering convention.
• No support yet for editing or deleting existing fields/tables — only creating and adding to a solution.
• Global option sets aren't supported; choice fields are always created as local option sets.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. If you're changing the Excel reading logic, please keep the "every filled row is real data, no example/placeholder detection" principle intact — it replaced an earlier, more clever approach that repeatedly misfired in both directions.

Author

Ali Diab