Celebrating XrmToolBox Birthday: Year in Review

by HubSite 365 about Tanguy TOUZARD

Chef de projet / Lead technique PowerPlatform / Dynamics 365 chez Talent Business Solutions

Citizen DeveloperDynamics CRM

Celebrating a decade of XrmToolBox, the indispensable tool for Microsoft Power Apps and Dynamics 365 consultants, administrators, and developers.

A Decade of XrmToolBox: A Tool of Choice for Microsoft Power Apps and Dynamics 365 Enthusiasts

The XrmToolBox is currently celebrating its seminal decade of existence. This blog focuses on this utility application that has become an indispensable part of Microsoft Power Apps and Dynamics 365 consultants, administrators, developers - everyday routines.

The tool was designed to streamline productivity by making repetitive tasks more accessible, permitting actions that are not available in the UI, and effectively filling in the productivity gaps where the Microsoft systems could not cater.

For instance, a tool like the View Layout Replicator can copy the same columns from a source view to multiple views for the same table, thereby saving considerable time. The Ribbon Workbench lets users manipulate XML files - a task that would typically require coding or command line scripting.

The Polymorphic Lookup Manager is a more recent addition to the XrmToolBox, designed to create a multi-table lookup - a feature previously not available in the Power Apps maker portal. These tools, along with numerous others, continue to be groundbreakers, increasing productivity.

The Journey of XrmToolBox: From Modest Beginnings to Steady Growth

The journey of the XrmToolBox began in the early 2010s, where individual applications were shared with the Microsoft community. Though these apps were excellent, they were challenging to discover.

Then came the unique tool with plugins solution where each individual tool was a plugin (this sounds a lot like how the XrmToolBox works today!). The subsequent years marked the rapid expansion of these plugins, with community contributors increasing by the day.

Two stand-out features facilitated the rise of XrmToolBox: extensibility and tool library. Extensibility gave freedom to developers to create their own tools and share them with the user community. The tool library, akin to an app store, allowed users to discover and install the tools they needed. Over time, XrmToolBox became a prerequisite for anyone working on a Power Apps or Dynamics 365 project.

XrmToolBox: By The Numbers

The blog post shows some key figures on the current state of XrmToolBox. The application has been downloaded over 650,000 times and boasts an impressive suite of 282 validated tools in the Tool Library. These tools have been developed by 139 developers worldwide, with the app being used approximately 300,000 times per month.

The community around XrmToolBox is extensive and diverse, encompassing developers and users from all over the globe. Users can become a part of the community in numerous ways like developing their own tools, reporting bugs, and requesting features.

To close, recognition and gratitude are passed on to three significant contributors: Jonas Rapp, for continuously providing new ideas and features; Daryl Labar, for helping with the extensibility of the tool; and Microsoft, for supporting the hosting of the XrmToolBox portal.

More Than Just a Toolbox

Despite its utilitarian title, XrmToolBox is undeniably more than just a toolbox. It has proven to be a phenomenal advance in the development community well-liked by the Microsoft Power Apps and Dynamics 365 consultants, administrators, and developers alike. Its main advantage is that it empowers its users by giving them an efficient way to perform tasks, thereby drastically improving their productivity and making their work lives simpler.

Read the full article Happy Birthday XrmToolBox!

Dynamics CRM - Celebrating XrmToolBox Birthday: Year in Review

Learn about Happy Birthday XrmToolBox!

The XrmToolBox is a well-known tool used worldwide by Microsoft Power Apps and Dynamics 365 consultants, administrators, and developers. This comprehensive toolbox, which has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, offers invaluable support to its users with its wide range of features and tools designed to improve productivity, fill the gaps in the user interface, and provide a dynamic platform for creativity and advancement.

The XrmToolBox is invaluable in aiding tedious, repetitive tasks, simplifying them using tools like the View Layout Replicator. This permits identical application of columns from a source view to numerous views for an identical table, saving time and eliminating the need for tedious, individual view adjustments. In addition to simplifying tasks, the toolbox lets you carry out functions that are not possible from the user interface. This is exemplified by the Ribbon Workbench tool from Scott Durow that opens door for users to manipulate XML files, which is otherwise very intimidating.

Moreover, the Polymorphic Lookup Manager enables a multi-table lookup, a function unavailable in the Power Apps maker platform. The toolbox also addresses some of the shortcomings in the standard Microsoft feature set. There are many other tools that the XrmToolBox offers to help provide small, but essential features, hence filling the gaps.

Initially, the dynamic customer relationship software's community was growing, but it was challenging to discover new applications. The introduction of the XrmToolBox marked a major turning point by providing a single platform with numerous individual plugin tools. Two features that set the XrmToolBox apart are its extensibility and tool library. The extensibility feature allows users to create their tools privately or share them with the toolbox community. Many features are already available in the XrmToolBox, which tools take advantage of like: utilization of connections, logs, settings, and communications with other tools.

On the other hand, the toolbox's library, similar to an app store, enables users to discover and install the tools they require. This toolbox has been identified as a skill requirement by recruiters, as well as mentioned in Microsoft documentation therefore it has become essential on a project suite or a customer relationship management project.

With over 650,000 downloads of the XrmToolBox (all versions).
There are 282 validated tools in the Tool Library, developed by 139 developers.
The XrmToolBox is utilized approximately 300,000 times per month.

The large number of users reflects the extensive reach and importance of this toolbox across the globe. The XrmToolBox community is active and users can become a key part of it through various roles such as tool development, bug reporting, feature requesting, tool rating, and financial support to developers. Contributions are always welcome to show recognition to the developers and to support continuous improvement of this toolbox.

In conclusion, the XrmToolBox's success would not have been possible without its dedicated supporters from Microsoft and numerous users and developers who have contributed by providing invaluable feedback and pushing for innovative ideas and features.

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