Dynamics 365 Sales Customization Manager

A comprehensive solution for managing and deploying Dynamics 365 Sales customizations, including themes, forms, views, dashboards, and web resources.

Features

• Theme Management: Pull and deploy custom themes with color mappings
• Form Customizations: Track and deploy form modifications
• View Management: Manage custom views and filters
• Dashboard Configuration: Deploy custom dashboards and components
• Web Resources: Manage CSS, JavaScript, and HTML resources
• Version Control: Track all customizations in YAML format
• Backup System: Automatic backups before deployments

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Configure environment:

   • Copy .env.example to .env
   • Add your Dynamics 365 credentials:
     • DYNAMICS_INSTANCE_URL: Your ForIT instance (https://forit.crm.dynamics.com)
     • DYNAMICS_CLIENT_ID: Azure AD app client ID
     • DYNAMICS_CLIENT_SECRET: Azure AD app secret
     • DYNAMICS_TENANT_ID: Azure tenant ID

3. Azure AD App Setup:

   • Register an app in Azure Active Directory
   • Grant Dynamics 365 API permissions
   • Create a client secret

Usage

Pull Current Theme

Download existing customizations from Dynamics 365:

npm run pull-theme

Deploy Customizations

Deploy local customizations to Dynamics 365:

npm run deploy-theme

Validate Configuration

Check customization file syntax:

npm run validate

Create Backup

Manually create a backup:

npm run backup

Customization Structure

customizations.yaml

The main configuration file tracking all customizations:

• metadata: Instance information and sync status
• theme: Colors, typography, spacing, and branding
• navigation: Custom menu items and hidden elements
• forms: Entity form customizations
• views: Custom views and filters
• dashboards: Dashboard configurations
• workflows: Automated processes
• webResources: Custom CSS/JS files
• securityRoles: Role modifications
• plugins: Custom business logic

Web Resources

Custom styles and scripts stored in:

• /webresources/styles/ - CSS files
• /webresources/scripts/ - JavaScript files

Workflow

1. Initial Setup: Configure environment and credentials
2. Pull Existing: Download current customizations
3. Modify Locally: Edit customizations.yaml and web resources
4. Test Changes: Validate configuration
5. Deploy: Push changes to Dynamics 365
6. Verify: Check changes in the Dynamics 365 interface

Best Practices

• Always pull before making changes
• Create backups before deployments
• Test in a sandbox environment first
• Use version control for tracking changes
• Document significant customizations
• Follow Dynamics 365 naming conventions

File Structure

ForIT-DynamicsSales/
├── customizations.yaml     # Main customization mapping
├── package.json            # Project configuration
├── .env                    # Environment variables (not in git)
├── .env.example           # Environment template
├── scripts/
│   ├── pullTheme.js       # Pull customizations
│   ├── deployTheme.js     # Deploy customizations
│   ├── validate.js        # Validation utilities
│   └── backup.js          # Backup utilities
├── webresources/
│   ├── styles/
│   │   └── custom.css     # Custom styles
│   └── scripts/
│       └── validation.js  # Custom scripts
└── backups/               # Automatic backups

Security

• Never commit .env files
• Use Azure Key Vault for production secrets
• Implement proper RBAC in Dynamics 365
• Regular security audits of customizations

Support

For issues or questions about Dynamics 365 customizations, consult:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Documentation
• Power Platform Developer Center