Shared Libraries In Dynamics 365 Ce: Why You Should Centralize Your Code

If you’ve worked on more than one Dynamics 365 CE project, chances are you've copy-pasted the same code snippets across multiple forms, plugins, or workflows.

Whether it's formatting dates, validating fields, or standardizing business logic — it makes far more sense to centralize this logic into reusable libraries.

In our team, we've seen major benefits by organizing and referencing common code from shared libraries in both JavaScript and C#. Here’s why you might want to do the same.

Why Shared Libraries Matter

1. Code Reusability

Instead of repeating logic across multiple plugin classes or form scripts, you can:

• Write once, reuse many times.
• Keep your logic DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself).

Example:

Validation logic for ABNs, date ranges, email formats, or lookup comparisons.

2. Consistency Across Frontend & Backend

By aligning logic between JS (forms/ribbon) and C# (plugins/workflows), you ensure:

• The same validation rules apply at both layers.
• Less ambiguity when bugs are reported.

Bonus: Document once, apply everywhere.

3. Faster Onboarding & Dev Velocity

New developers don’t need to rewrite logic — they can use utility functions straight away.

• Easy to discover and apply reusable methods.
• Cleaner, more modular architecture.

4. Reduced Bugs

When all logic lives in one place:

• Fixes only need to happen once.
• No risk of patching one file but forgetting others.

5. DevOps & CI/CD Friendly

You can:

• Package C# helper assemblies with plugins.
• Bundle JS libraries with your web resources.
• Apply version control and automated testing easily.

Real-World Examples

JavaScript Shared Library

• formHelper.js: Contains methods like setRequiredFields, validateEmailFormat, lockFieldsOnStatusChange.
• Loaded across forms via one Web Resource.

C# Shared Utility Class

• BusinessLogic.Helpers.cs: Centralizes logic for custom plugin steps.
• Deployed as a strong-named assembly, shared across plugin projects.

Tips for Implementation

• Use namespaces and clear naming: e.g., Contoso.CRM.Helpers.
• Version your libraries: Helps track changes over time.
• Automate packaging: Add shared lib to your DevOps pipeline.

Final Thoughts

Shared libraries aren’t just about being cleaner — they’re about building smarter, more maintainable, and more scalable CRM solutions.

Once you implement this structure, you'll wonder how you ever built without it.