Plugins are the handlers for the events fired by Dynamics CRM. Each action executed in Dynamics CRM, such as create, update, delete, publish customizations, and so on. is an event. Using plugins, we can extend the standard behavior of Dynamics CRM with a custom code written in the .NET framework.
Dynamics CRM provides a list of all the supported messages and entities for plugins. They are available in the following MSDN site:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg328576.aspx
In this chapter, we will go through the following topics:
- Event execution pipeline: Through the event execution pipeline, one can get an idea about the different stages where plugins can be registered and the types of operations that can be performed using a plugin
- Isolation modes: Isolation modes are the modes in which you can register a plugin
- Plugin Development: We will cover some scenarios to develop a plugin for a better understanding of how plugins can be developed
A plugin can be written in both online and on-premise environments. Mentioned here are some of the functionalities that could be accomplished via a plugin:
- Executing some server side data validation
- Accessing some external third party system and relaying information between the two
- Executing some server side complex business logic
- Using the Microsoft Azure bus service, we can also write an Azure-aware plugin that can then be used for setting up integration to third-party applications