Dynamics CRM custom workflow before entity deletion

Question

I'm trying to make a custom workflow on Dynamics CRM. I need to delete some entities when another entity is deleted.

I created my class library and I retrieved the Guid of the deleted entity with this code:

    protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext executionContext)
    {
        ITracingService tracingService = executionContext.GetExtension<ITracingService>();

        IWorkflowContext context = executionContext.GetExtension<IWorkflowContext>();
        IOrganizationServiceFactory serviceFactory =
            executionContext.GetExtension<IOrganizationServiceFactory>();
        IOrganizationService service =
            serviceFactory.CreateOrganizationService(context.UserId);

        mService = service;
        mExecutionContext = executionContext;

        Guid myTipologyTypeDeleted = context.PrimaryEntityId;
        bool isReading = context.PrimaryEntityName.Equals(new_tipologialettura_richiesta.EntityLogicalName);
        bool isMaintenance = context.PrimaryEntityName.Equals(new_tipologiamanutenzionerichiesta.EntityLogicalName);

        bool myResult = AddOnIntervention(isReading, isMaintenance, myTipologyTypeDeleted);


        // Retrieve the summands and perform addition
        result.Set(executionContext, myResult);
    }

And here all works, I get the Guid and I get the type (reading or maintenance).

My problem is when I try to retrieve the entity with this code (the same code is working perfectly in another workflow started on record creation, but on record delete gives me error).

            Entity myReadingEntity = mService.Retrieve(new_tipologialettura_richiesta.EntityLogicalName, myTipologyTypeDeleted, new ColumnSet(true));

Here I get an exception saying that no record of type MyType with id myId has been found.

I checked the record and it still exist in the DB so it has not been deleted. What I'm doing wrong?

Thanks

Answer 1

I think the best thing to write your custom logic here will be a Plugin , You Should write a plugin that runs on the

Message: Delete
Stage:    POST

After registering the plugin on Post Delete Operation , you should add an pre-image that will be available on Post Delete with all the attributes .Instead of issuing a retrieve, the best practice is to push the required data in an image instead.

Taken from MSDN: Registering for pre or post images to access entity attribute values results in improved plug-in performance as compared to obtaining entity attributes in plug-in code through RetrieveRequest or RetrieveMultipleRequest requests.

In your plugin change the lines of code:

Entity myReadingEntity = mService.Retrieve(new_tipologialettura_richiesta.EntityLogicalName, myTipologyTypeDeleted, new ColumnSet(true));

to

if (context.PreEntityImages.Contains("YourImageName"))
{
  Entity myReadingEntity = context.PreEntityImages["YourImageName"]
}