This document discusses developing Silverlight applications for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It presents an approach using frameworks like Prism and common libraries to create reusable components and improve productivity. The key points covered include: - Developing Silverlight applications in CRM usually involves creating standalone XAP files and uploading them as web resources. - This approach has limitations like repeating code and inconsistent standards between applications. - Using frameworks like Prism and common libraries in a shared Silverlight framework allows creating reusable modules and components to reduce effort and improve consistency. - The framework includes a shared shell, base class libraries, and modules developed following MVVM patterns that can be deployed as CRM solutions. - This approach

1. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Silverlight & Microsoft
CRM Development
Ramon Tebar Bueno
Wael Hamze

2. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Agenda
• Usual Silverlight development with
Dynamics CRM
• Objectives
• How?
• Things to think about
• Conclusion
• Questions

3. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Usual Development
• Create Silverlight Application
• Upload XAP as a Web Resource
• Add Web Resource to CRM Front End

4. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo
• Usual Silverlight CRM Development

5. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Limitation of Usual Approach
• Create new Silverlight application from
scratch every time
– Effort + Time -> More Cost
• No common components
– Repeated Code
– Inconsistent Code
– Difficult to Maintain
• No standards & patterns

6. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Objectives
• Improve productivity
– Less Effort, Less Time -> Less Cost
• Common Re-usable components
– Consistency
– Easier maintenance
• Standards & patterns
– Reduce learning curve
– Consistency

7. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
How?
• Frameworks & Patterns used
– Enterprise Library (Unity & Prism)
– MVVM
• Silverlight Framework
– Base Libraries
– Shell
– Modules
• Deployment using CRM Solutions

8. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo…

9. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Enterprise Library
• Unity
– Dependency Injection Framework
– Promotes using Interfaces and decoupling the
Interfaces from actual implementation
– Allows configuration by defining mappings
between interfaces and actual implementation
– Provides object factory for creating instance
of classes using interfaces

10. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Unity
• Code Samples

11. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Enterprise Library
• Prism
– Composite UI Framework for Silverlight
– Provides a shell that is composed of
composite views using regions
– Provides the platform for building modular
and loose coupled UIs through the concept of
modules
– Provides the platform for building loose
coupled communication through Events

12. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Prism

13. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
MVVM
• Design Pattern for building Silverlight UI
components
• Model
– Business Entity Model
• View
– Silverlight User Interface (XAML)
• View-Model
– Provides the logic and operations for the view

14. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
MVVM
MVVM

15. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Silverlight Framework
• Base Libraries
– MVVM Base Classes
– Logging & Error Handling
– XrmContext (CRM JavaScript Bridge)
– CRM Styles & Templates
– Common Controls
– XrmService Provider
– Used by Shell & Modules

16. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo…
• Base Libraries

17. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Silverlight Framework
• Shell
– Main entry point into the application
– Loads the configuration
– Loads the required modules and views based
on the configuration
– Initializes the XrmContext
– Initializes the Logging Services
– Handles common Exceptions

18. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo…
• Shell

19. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Silverlight Framework
• Modules
– Contains the Views that will be displayed in
CRM
– Contains the implementation of Models &
View-Models to support the views
– Will be loaded by the Shell using the module
configuration file
– Can interact with CRM Page using XrmContext
– Can interact with CRM Platform Services

20. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo…
• Module

21. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Deployment using CRM Solutions
• CRM Base Solution
– Contains the Silverlight Shell
– Used by all other CRM Solutions
• CRM Solution
– Contains the Module for the Silverlight UI
– Contains Configuration for each Module
• CRM Form Customizations
– Add the Shell and point to the Module
Configuration

22. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
CRM Organization 1
Base Solution
Solution 1XAP 1 XML 1
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
</Module>
</Modules>
Module 1
UI (Dashboard 1)
• Shell
• XML 1
XAP (Base) Shell Base
Libraries

23. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
CRM UI XAP (Shell) XML (Config) XAP (Modules) Module (Views)

24. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Base Solution
• Shell (XAP)
• Main Silverlight Application
• Base Libraries
Solution 1
XAP 1 XML 1
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 2
</Module>
</Modules>
Module 1
Module 2

25. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Base Solution
• Shell (XAP)
• Main Silverlight Application
• Base Libraries
Solution 1
XAP 1 XML 1
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 2
</Module>
</Modules>
Module 1
Module 2
XAP 2
Module 1
Module 3
XML 2
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 3
</Module>
</Modules>

26. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Base Solution
• Shell (XAP)
• Main Silverlight Application
• Base Libraries
Solution 1
XAP 1 XML 1
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 2
</Module>
</Modules>
Module 1
Module 2
XAP 2
Module 1
Module 3
XML 2
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 3
</Module>
</Modules>
Solution 2
XAP 1 XML 1
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 2
</Module>
</Modules>
XAP 3
Module 1
Module 5
XML 3
<Modules>
<Module>
Module1
Module 5
</Module>
</Modules>

27. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Demo
• Silverlight Framework using Developer
Toolkit

28. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Things to think about

29. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Conclusion
• Improve productivity
– Use Framework & Concentrate on your
Module
• Common Re-usable components
– Base Libraries
– Shell
• Standards & patterns
– Common Development Model using Prism,
Modules & Re-use of Base Libraries

30. For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners and Customers
Questions?