The Thembronics MSCRM 4 Toolbox is a framework containing a comprehensive set of tools that simplify some of the tedious tasks you have to carry out as a MSCRM specialist. These tools cover a wide range of tasks, from making bulk deletes of data to generating Entity Relationship Diagrams. Some of these tools are available from other sites. The versions found herein offer a consistent interface and to certain extends, more advanced features.
The MSCRM 4 Toolbox is available in portable mode. There used to be an installable version that has since been discontinued until further notice. The portable mode does not require any installation.
The latest version can be downloaded from the link below:
| MSCRM Toolbox Type | Version | Download | Date |
| Portable | 0.9.0.4 |  |
2011/09/11 |
How it works
The MSCRM 4 Toolbox contains the host application, which provides an interface for interacting with the various tools, the Thembronics CRM 4 Application framework libraries, the Plugin Installer and the actual tools / plugins.
Layout
The Host application supports 3 layout modes
| MDI Layout | Ribbon Layout | Navigation Bar Layout |
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| The Multiple Document Interface layout mode supports launching more than one instance of a tool at a given time. | The ribbon layout mode offers uses the Ribbon control used in a lot of applications as a replacement to the standard Toolbar used in older applications. Only one instance o a given tool can be instantiated in this mode. | The Navigation Bar layout mode uses the a Navigation bar control to interact with the various tools available in the framework. Only one instance of a given tool can be instantiated in this mode. |
The layout mode is changed from the general tab of the options dialog of the host application.
Plugin Installer
The plugin installer is launched automatically when the host application is ran for the first time and detects if there are plugins that have not yet been registered in the framework.
The framework uses the term “Compartment” to group tools with a common purpose together. These groupings affect where a given tool can be launched from in the host application. Each layout mode has its own method of displaying compartments and the tools they contain.
The plugin installer uses a configuration file whose location is dependant on the mode of the application (portable or installed) and the logged in user. When you uninstall the installable version of the toolbox, this configuration file is not deleted. When you reinstall, the plugin installer will use the configuration file and may not detect any new plugins that may have come with the new installation. To force this detection, you need to delete the configuration file. This is done from the general tab of the options dialog in the host application.
When there is no configuration file present in the expected locations, the framework will create one.
Tools/ Plugins
The current version of the toolbox contains the following plugins or tools.
| Tool | Description | Version |
| Attribute Updater |
This utility performs bulk deletes of attribute, or bulk updates of the required level and searchable properties of a given attribute. The utility uses either an input excel file containing a list of entities, attributes as well as an action to be performed on the attribute or attributes selected on the tool’s interface. |
1.5 |
| Attribute Code Usage Analyzer |
Analyses an attribute’s usage in code. This tool take the xml file exported from the CRM Attribute Usage Analyser Tool as input and checks if a given attribute is referenced in code. Once the analysis is complete, an excel document is produced with the results of the analysis. |
1.4 |
| CRM Attribute Usage Analyzer | Analyses a given attribute’s usage within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4. Attribute usage is checked in the form, workflows, database, mappings, ISV and views. Once the analysis is complete, a file is produced with the results. The file can be saved in a Excel format or xml. Saving the file as xml (for Code Usage Analysis) makes it possible to import it using the Code Usage Analysis Tool which checks if a given attribute is referenced in code. | 1.5 |
| Bulk Data Deleter |
Deletes records from MSCRM. It supports deleting from views as well as all records in a given entity |
1.9 |
| ERD Generator |
Generates an Entity Relationship Diagram for selected entities on a given CRM environment. This utility requires Microsoft Visio 2003 or later |
1.3 |
| Roles Utility |
Exports and imports Security Roles in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4. It supports exporting from and importing to child business units. |
1.5 |
| Security Roles Manager |
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1.2 |
| Data Management Basic – Beta |
Features
Limitations:
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0.9.0.3 |
License
These tools are available for free (unless other wise stated). You may use and redistribute as you please, but may not reverse engineer any of the component without prior consent from myself (Treasure Baloyi)
Version History
| Version | Date | Description |
| 0.9.0.4 | 11/09/2011 |
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| 0.9.0.3 | 07/09/2011 |
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| 0.8.0.2 | 10/12/2010 |
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| 0.8.0.0 | 17/11/2010 |
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| 0.7.3.5 | 19/10/2010 |
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| 0.7.3.4 | 18/10/2010 | Fixed bug in ERD Generator that caused the tool to render ERDs on one page. |
| 0.7.3.3 | 17/10/2010 | Released with a portable version |
Tools Pipeline
There are still quite a lot of tools that will be available in future version of the framework. Please subscribe to the RSS feed to stay up to date.
Suggestions / Feedback
Your feedback on these tools is greatly appreciated. If you have suggestions on tools you would like on the framework, please let me know.
It appears 0.8.0.2 is corrupt, is this the case?
Hi,
Yes, indeed that was a problem with the archive. It somehow got corrupted while moving my site from one server and restoring it on another. Thanks for bringing this issue to my attention. I have since updated the file with a new one.
Thankyou, I have been able to use them and they make my life so much easier.
I tried using the tool to import a security role that I had exported from a Dev box to a Test Box and I get an error Object not set exception.
I think the toolset is fantastic just can not get the thing to work.
Hi,
Was the security role exported from/to a child business unit?
Hi,
I have had a further look ito the Roles Utility and identified a couple of things that needed to be updated. I have since made the updates and released them on version 0.9.0.4.
Hi,
The security role was exported as a child business unit. It is a child of the top level Business Unit.
It seems now that I can not get logged in when I use 0.9.0.4.
I now get an error saying object not set.
That is because you probably do not have a connection profile created; you just entered the details of the server and not linking them to a profile.
In the previous versions, a profile was not necessary in order to connect. Providing the url of the server and credentials was enough to establish a connection. In version 0,9.0.4, I have introduced the concept of caching metadata into your local machine. This new feature requires a connection profile to exist because the ID of the profile is used to create the xml file that stores the metadata.
In a future version, I will put in validation that only allows the fields on the profile dialog to be editable only after a connection profile has been selected on the profile’s list.
To establish a connection in version 0.9.0.4, please create a connection profile first by clicking on the New button on the toolbar of the profile dialog, specify the connection details and then connect. Doing so should not give you the same error as before and should allow you to connect.
Thank you for your advice. It worked like a charm.
Should the tool also work with CRM 2011? I have tried it and it did not work. Regards Christian
Hi,
Support for CRM 2011 is achieved through its backwards compatiblity to CRM 4. The itself has not yet been upgraded to work with the CRM 2011 SDK.