Dynamics Documentation

Dataverse solutions and web resources for the Time Finance Dynamics / Leasepath work.

Repository

Source repo: timefinance-dynamics

Key idea:

Dataverse environment - where the web resources, forms, tables actually live.
Solutions - lists of components that make up a deployable package.
This repo - unpacked solution files, used as the source of truth for code and config.

pac moves between solution <-> repo.
Dataverse DevTools moves between repo file <-> environment web resource.

Overview

Solution strategy

We use a single main solution to own all Leasepath-related Customizations:

LeasepathCustomizations - app references, cloned forms, custom web resources, flows/plugins, config tables.

Optional:

SharedWebResources - only if we genuinely have shared web resources used across multiple apps/areas.

We do not create one solution per feature. Feature isolation is done via Git branches and PRs.

Repo layout

timefinance-dynamics/
  solutions/
    LeasepathCustomizations/                 # main solution for all Leasepath Customizations
      Solution.xml
      Customizations.xml
      Other/
      WebResources/                          # present only if this solution contains any
        onepc_/Pages/
          AttachedDocuments.html             # web resource as it exists in the solution
          AttachedDocuments.html.data.xml    # metadata for the web resource
    SharedWebResources/                      # optional shared-only solution
      Solution.xml
      Customizations.xml
      Other/
      WebResources/
        onepc_/Common/
          SomeSharedResource.html
          SomeSharedResource.html.data.xml
  artifacts/                                 # exported solution zips (unmanaged + managed)
  README.md

solutions/ - one folder per Dataverse solution (named by SolutionUniqueName), populated by pac solution unpack.
WebResources/ under each solution - files for HTML/JS/CSS web resources owned by that solution.
artifacts/ - exported solution ZIPs from pac solution export or pac solution pack.

Typical flow for LeasepathCustomizations:

Make or add components in Sandbox inside LeasepathCustomizations.
Export and unpack into solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/.
Edit local web resource files there, using DevTools Upload for quick Sandbox testing.
Export and unpack again, then commit so Git matches Sandbox.
Pack from solutions/LeasepathCustomizations when creating a ZIP for Prod.

Getting started

Prerequisites

Access to the Time Sandbox environment
URL: https://timefinancesandbox.crm11.dynamics.com
Dataverse solution in Time Sandbox
Example: display name Leasepath Customizations, unique name LeasepathCustomizations
Git installed
Power Platform CLI (pac) installed and on your PATH
(Optional) Visual Studio Code with:
- Power Platform Tools extension
- Dataverse DevTools extension

On macOS use device-code auth with pac auth create.

Authenticate `pac` against Time Sandbox

Run once:

pac auth create \
  --url "https://timefinancesandbox.crm11.dynamics.com" \
  --name time-sandbox \
  --deviceCode

Then select and verify:

pac auth select --name time-sandbox
pac org list

Expected:

Friendly Name   Url
--------------  ----------------------------------------------
Time Sandbox    https://timefinancesandbox.crm11.dynamics.com

Solutions and web resources

Dataverse rule of thumb: if a component is not in a solution, it is not part of any deployable package.

pac solution export only includes components listed in that solution.
pac solution unpack only writes files for components that belong to that solution. If the solution has no web resources, there will be no WebResources/ folder.

To have a web resource show up under solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/WebResources/:

Create it in the environment.
Add it to LeasepathCustomizations in the maker portal: open the solution -> Add existing -> Web resource -> select the resource -> save.
Export + unpack the solution into this repo.

Shared assets can live in SharedWebResources if needed. Add those web resources to that solution, export/unpack into solutions/SharedWebResources/, and commit changes from that folder when they change.

Each solution folder in Git holds only the components that solution owns - do not duplicate the same web resource in multiple solution folders.

You edit the .html (or .js/.css) file. The .data.xml metadata file is maintained by pac and DevTools; do not hand edit it.

Sync a solution with Sandbox (export -> unpack -> commit)

All commands run from the repo root timefinance-dynamics.

Most of the time you will be syncing LeasepathCustomizations. Replace <SolutionUniqueName> if you are syncing a different solution.

Export from Time Sandbox

pac auth select --name time-sandbox

pac solution export \
  --name <SolutionUniqueName> \
  --path ./artifacts \
  --managed false \
  --overwrite

Example:

pac solution export \
  --name LeasepathCustomizations \
  --path ./artifacts \
  --managed false \
  --overwrite

Unpack into solutions/<SolutionUniqueName>

pac solution unpack \
  --zipFile ./artifacts/<SolutionUniqueName>.zip \
  --folder ./solutions/<SolutionUniqueName> \
  --allowDelete true

Example:

pac solution unpack \
  --zipFile ./artifacts/LeasepathCustomizations.zip \
  --folder ./solutions/LeasepathCustomizations \
  --allowDelete true

This writes the unpacked solution files into:

solutions/<SolutionUniqueName>/
  Solution.xml
  Customizations.xml
  Other/
  WebResources/
    ...

Commit to Git

git status
git diff

git add solutions/<SolutionUniqueName>
git commit -m "Update <SolutionDisplayName> solution"
git push

This is the environment -> solution -> repo sync. DevTools uploads (see below) change the environment; this export/unpack step pulls those changes into Git.

Team workflow

Use feature branches and keep everything flowing through LeasepathCustomizations.

Environment-first (default)

Best for forms, views, flows, and early HTML/JS changes.

Branch:

git checkout main
git pull
git checkout -b feature/<short-description>

In Time Sandbox, inside LeasepathCustomizations:

Update forms/views.
Create or edit web resources.
Add or change flows or plugins.

When a chunk of work is ready:

pac solution export \
  --name LeasepathCustomizations \
  --path ./artifacts \
  --managed false \
  --overwrite

pac solution unpack \
  --zipFile ./artifacts/LeasepathCustomizations.zip \
  --folder ./solutions/LeasepathCustomizations \
  --allowDelete true

git status
git diff
git add solutions/LeasepathCustomizations
git commit -m "Describe the change briefly"
git push

Open a PR, review, merge to main.

Always refresh from main before starting a new branch:

git checkout main
git pull

Web resource development with Dataverse DevTools

Dataverse DevTools gives you a fast file <-> Sandbox loop for web resources, instead of doing full pac solution pack/import for every edit.

Think:

pac - moves whole solutions between Sandbox and Git.
DevTools Upload - moves a single .html / .js file between Git and Sandbox.

One-time setup (LeasepathCustomizations)

Export + unpack the solution at least once so the files exist locally under:

solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/WebResources/

Example:

solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/WebResources/onepc_/Pages/AttachedDocuments.html

In VS Code:

Install Dataverse DevTools.
Connect to Time Sandbox and make sure the connection is active.
Use Smart Match:
- Open Smart Match from the Dataverse DevTools WEB RESOURCES panel.
- Point Smart Match at solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/WebResources/.
- For each file you care about (for example AttachedDocuments.html), link it to the existing web resource onepc_/Pages/AttachedDocuments.html (Web Resource Id should appear, confidence 100).

Smart Match now knows that:

Local file solutions/.../AttachedDocuments.html <-> Sandbox web resource onepc_/Pages/AttachedDocuments.html

Daily loop for HTML/JS

Edit the local file in VS Code, e.g.:

solutions/LeasepathCustomizations/WebResources/onepc_/Pages/AttachedDocuments.html

In Smart Match, Upload (or Upload All Linked).
DevTools uploads that file to the linked web resource in Sandbox and publishes it.
Refresh the app and test.
Repeat 1-4 as often as needed. No solution pack/import required for this inner loop.

When you are ready to land changes in Git:

pac solution export --name LeasepathCustomizations --path ./artifacts --managed false --overwrite
pac solution unpack --zipFile ./artifacts/LeasepathCustomizations.zip --folder ./solutions/LeasepathCustomizations --allowDelete true
git add solutions/LeasepathCustomizations
git commit -m "Describe the change briefly"

Notes:

You edit the .html file; the .html.data.xml metadata file is maintained by pac/DevTools.
Do not use the browser HTML editor once DevTools mapping is in place; local files plus DevTools keep diffs clean.

Release and deployment

Pack from main so the ZIP matches the repo state.

Create deployment ZIPs from Git

From repo root:

git checkout main
git pull

Ensure the solution version is correct in Sandbox or via pac solution version.
Pack an unmanaged ZIP from the unpacked source:

pac solution pack \
  --folder ./solutions/LeasepathCustomizations \
  --zipFile ./artifacts/LeasepathCustomizations_<version>_unmanaged.zip \
  --packageType Unmanaged

(Optional) import that unmanaged ZIP into Sandbox to confirm it reproduces the current state.

Produce a managed ZIP for Prod

If your pac version supports it:

pac solution pack \
  --folder ./solutions/LeasepathCustomizations \
  --zipFile ./artifacts/LeasepathCustomizations_<version>_managed.zip \
  --packageType Managed

Otherwise, import the unmanaged ZIP into a build or staging environment and export a managed version from there.

Import to Production

In Prod: make.powerapps.com -> Prod -> Solutions -> Import.
Select the managed ZIP (for example LeasepathCustomizations_1_0_0_1_managed.zip).
Publish all customizations.
In the app, set any cloned forms (such as the Account/Opportunity form using your custom AttachedDocuments web resource) as default for the correct roles.

SharePoint Folder Structure (Sandbox settings)

For the “Sharepoint Folder Structure” story, we update environment data in Sandbox (not repo files).

Location: PowerApps > Time Sandbox > Tables > Leasepath Configuration

Columns updated for testing:

Opportunity SharePoint Library
Enable SharePoint Attached Documents
Client App Registration ID

When Sandbox testing is finished, revert these values to the baseline/production-aligned values.

Repository

Overview

Solution strategy

Repo layout

Getting started

Prerequisites

Authenticate pac against Time Sandbox

Solutions and web resources

Sync a solution with Sandbox (export -> unpack -> commit)

Team workflow

Environment-first (default)

Web resource development with Dataverse DevTools

One-time setup (LeasepathCustomizations)

Daily loop for HTML/JS

Release and deployment

Create deployment ZIPs from Git

Produce a managed ZIP for Prod

Import to Production

SharePoint Folder Structure (Sandbox settings)

Authenticate `pac` against Time Sandbox