TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Plugin 1.7.0

TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Plugin

MSBuild integration for Dataverse plugin assembly projects. Configures Visual Studio project type GUIDs for CRM plugin development, brings in Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies and Microsoft.PowerApps.MSBuild.Plugin, applies automatic Git-based versioning, merges referenced managed dependencies into the output DLL via ILRepack so the Dataverse sandbox can load all required types from a single assembly, and exposes metadata targets that allow Solution projects to discover and integrate plugin assemblies during build.

Installation

<PackageReference Include="TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Plugin" Version="0.0.0.1" PrivateAssets="All" />

Or use the SDK approach:

<Project Sdk="TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Sdk/0.0.0.1">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ProjectType>Plugin</ProjectType>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

How It Works

The package sets ProjectType to Plugin and configures ProjectTypeGuids for CRM plugin recognition in Visual Studio.

Build-time targets

• _ApplyPluginVersionBeforeBuild (runs before BeforeBuild) -- executes GenerateVersionNumber followed by ApplyPluginVersionNumber to set AssemblyVersion, FileVersion, Version, and PackageVersion from Git.
• AssemblyMergeDependencies (runs after Build) -- uses ILRepack to merge every managed DLL that landed in $(OutDir) into the main plugin assembly, so the Dataverse sandbox (which loads a single assembly) can resolve all referenced types without sibling DLLs. By default, sandbox-provided assemblies are skipped: Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk*, Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Proxy, Newtonsoft.Json, System.*, mscorlib, netstandard (configurable via $(AssemblyMergeExcludes)). Idempotent — always reads the raw compiler output from $(IntermediateOutputPath) so the target can safely re-run within the same Solution build. Merged types keep their original public names (Internalize=false) to preserve Dataverse's reflection-based plugin type detection. Disable per-project with <AssemblyMergeSkip>true</AssemblyMergeSkip>.

Integration targets

These targets are called by TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Solution when it discovers this project via ProjectReference:

• GetProjectType -- returns Plugin so the Solution build knows how to handle this reference.
• GetPluginAssemblyInfo -- returns PluginRootPath, PluginAssemblyId, TargetFramework, PublishFolderName, and AssemblyName for automatic plugin assembly metadata generation in the solution.

MSBuild Properties

Related Packages

• Depends on: TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Tasks, Microsoft.PowerApps.MSBuild.Plugin, Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies, ILRepack.Lib.MSBuild.Task
• Consumed by: TALXIS.DevKit.Build.Dataverse.Solution projects via ProjectReference