Preparing the Development Setup for Model-Driven App Plugins

Preparing the Development Setup for Model-Driven App Plugins

Setting up the development environment for Model-Driven App plugins requires strict alignment with Microsoft Dataverse requirements. The environment must be configured exactly as specified; any deviation results in unsupported code that fails at registration or runtime.

Choosing the Correct IDE

Plugin development must be done using Visual Studio. Visual Studio Code is not sufficient because plugins depend on the full .NET Framework and project templates that VS Code does not provide.

While installing Visual Studio, select the .NET desktop development workload. This ensures that all necessary build tools, compilers, and templates for .NET Framework class libraries are installed.

Installing the Supported .NET Framework

After selecting the workload, go to the Individual components tab in the Visual Studio Installer. Microsoft Dataverse plugins are supported only on .NET Framework 4.6.2.

Make sure the following components are checked:

  • .NET Framework 4.6.2 SDK
  • .NET Framework 4.6.2 Targeting Pack

Both components are required. If either one is missing, Visual Studio cannot target the correct framework, and plugins will be incompatible. This installation occupies significant disk space.

Creating a Plugin Project

To confirm that the environment is set up correctly and begin development:

  • Select Create a new project from the Visual Studio start screen
  • Choose the Class Library (.NET Framework) project template
  • Avoid selecting templates for:
    • Console apps
    • Linux or macOS targets
    • Modern .NET versions like .NET Core or .NET 5+
  • From the framework dropdown, select .NET Framework 4.6.2

Choosing any newer framework may compile the project but will fail during registration or execution in Dataverse.

Why Precision Matters

Dataverse enforces strict compatibility for plugins. Using unsupported or newer frameworks does not improve reliability; it results in assemblies that the platform cannot execute.

The plugin environment must match the platform’s specified requirements to ensure predictable behavior and successful execution within Dynamics CRM and Model-Driven Apps.

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