Plugin check: Run node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/check-version.js" - if it outputs a message, show it to the user before proceeding.
📋 Shared instructions: shared-instructions.md — read first.
Add Dataverse
App root: before any project read or command, execute
app-working-directory.md.
Use its resolved absolute working_dir for every shell call and file tool,
including referenced commands and delegated skills; never inherit a prior cd.
Invocation scope: follow Data-source invocation scope
before the workflow below. Standalone calls use this skill's own data-delta
approval and verification; do not start a full-app plan or screen workflow.
An existing plan alone does not mean it includes or approves the new request;
never replay the old Data Model instead of resolving the requested delta.
Removal branch: after resolving invocation scope, --remove or an approved app-binding
removal executes
data-source-removal.md, then
returns without entering Steps 1-9. Removing a plan row is not implemented by
re-running table creation or by deleting Dataverse metadata. For a mixed edit,
the owner adds/refreshes first and invokes removal separately after consumer edits.
Refresh branch: after resolving invocation scope, --refresh or an approved service-only
refresh executes Refresh a retained source
and returns before Steps 1-9. Preserve the exact --data-source-name and approved
binding identity. Do not replay schema writes, publish, or run add-data-source.
Two paths:
- Existing tables only — resolve the current scope in Steps 1–2, then skip schema writes and use Step 6 to add only missing approved bindings or refresh approved retained sources.
- New / extended tables — full workflow with Web API mutations in dependency order
Workflow
- Verify project & auth → 2. Resolve plan/operation manifest → 3. Setup Dataverse Web API auth → 4. Validate manifest or reconcile live metadata → 5. Execute sequential metadata phases → 6. Add data sources → 6b. Publish fallback customizations → 6c. Verify tables → 6d. Write manifest → 7. Inspect generated files → 8. Type-check → 8.5. Offline profile reconciliation → 9. Summary
Step 1 — Verify project & auth
Confirm Power Apps mobile app:
For --plan-only or a planning-phase handoff, check the app files read-only and
use the shared proposal-only environment-context rule. Use the same non-persisting
lookup before approval in a normal invocation. Incomplete or conflicting context
returns NEEDS_CONTEXT after read-only recovery; never remove the safety flags
or redirect output into configuration to make planning succeed.
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
if [ ! -f power.config.json ] || [ ! -f app.config.js ]; then
echo "BLOCKED: working_dir is not an initialized app" >&2
exit 1
fi
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/resolve-environment.js" "<selected-environment-id>" --no-cache --require-tenant
Read <selected-environment-id> from this app's power.config.json. Capture the
environment URL (for example https://contoso.crm.dynamics.com),
environment ID, and tenant ID from the resolver for Step 3. Use the
owner's absolute working_dir for every command and artifact.
Step 2 — Resolve plan
Telemetry checkpoint: resolve_dataverse_schema_plan
Look for native-app-plan.md in the project root:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
test -f native-app-plan.md
Resolve the current request before consuming an existing plan. A direct
standalone invocation must compare its requested tables/columns/service
changes with the existing plan and read-only live evidence. Present and approve
that exact delta at Step 2.7 after shared planning validation, then save only
the accepted plan changes before implementation.
If the request adds nothing, verify the existing outcome and report a no-op;
do not apply other pending rows. If intent or scope is missing, ask or return
NEEDS_CONTEXT without mutation. An explicit request to apply the whole existing
plan still requires approval of the reconciled operation set.
For an approved child call, use only the supplied current approved_scope.
In either case, --plan-only returns the proposal and STOPs before plan saving,
approval-receipt creation, service generation, or Steps 3–9; a planning-phase
caller has the same proposal-only boundary.
Before reading plan content, inspect $ARGUMENTS for the five fast-path
artifact flags in Step 2a. When all are present, only confirm
native-app-plan.md exists for hash validation; do not parse its Data Model
section or build operations/service lists from Markdown.
For all non-fast-path Dataverse proposals from /setup-datamodel or a standalone
request, including an existing-plan delta, read and execute
dataverse-change-planning.md.
Use its scoped evidence/contract for the diagram, architect, or inline path.
An approved child with planning_snapshot, architect_evidence, and
schema_contract instead enters Step 2b to verify that supplied scope; it must
not rediscover or re-approve it. New-binding requests use this planning path;
service-only refreshes and retirements have already returned from their branches.
Older callers, including existing /edit-app, may not supply the new structured
handoff. Do not assume compact evidence or complete approval from the caller's
name. Without a complete approved handoff, resolve the current requested delta
and use this leaf's normal proposal and Step 2.7 approval path before execution.
Resolve required invocation context first; a missing or conflicting child root
still returns NEEDS_CONTEXT before project access. Never silently replay the
saved plan or treat --skip-planning as consent.
An approved legacy child without compact-planning artifacts keeps the supported
Markdown/live-reconciliation path below only when its current request, absolute
root, implementation phase, and exact approved delta are all established.
Never use this legacy path to bypass a partial or invalid compact-planning
handoff, or to skip setup/standalone proposal validation.
Legacy input only, if present and <operation_manifest_mode> = fallback
without a shared scoped contract: read the
## Data Model section. Extract:
- The target reconciliation table (
reuse / extend / create / adapt / defer decisions and evidence)
- The Mermaid ER diagram (informational)
- The "Creation Order" tier list
- Every table referenced by
## Screens, identity resolution, related-entity fields, forms, dashboards, or shared hooks, including standard reused tables such as systemuser, contact, and account
For legacy callers without scoped planning artifacts, build
SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES as the union of:
- every non-deferred row in Target Reconciliation (
reuse, extend, create, or adapt);
- every table in Creation Order;
- every table named by screen/hook data requirements.
Keep this full service inventory as retained context. Only the current approved
delta and its necessary dependencies enter live schema reconciliation. With a
complete approved legacy handoff, proceed to Step 3 after this initialization;
do not repeat proposal Steps 2.5–2.7 or require new compact artifacts from that
owner. A planning-phase caller still returns without implementation.
For the shared scoped path, use the normalized contract's non-deferred
serviceRequired declarations instead. Keep the broader existing-app service
inventory as retained context, not a registration or mutation work list.
Hard rule: reuse means "do not mutate schema"; it does not mean "skip generated service." If app code reads or writes a reused table, that table must be in SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES.
Carry forward any adapt (auto-renamed) and defer (out-of-scope this run) decisions with their recorded reasons, and apply the alias map to every name you use. A data-modelling conflict never halts this skill — it resolves to adapt or defer and is reported in Step 9.
This classification belongs to planning: after approval, a changed decision
returns to the owner for revision/approval before any write.
For a scoped handoff, restrict schema writes to the exact approved_scope delta;
unaffected plan rows are context, not permission to replay their mutations.
Apply the same restriction to the newly approved standalone request delta.
Retain the full required-service set for existing screens. If reconciliation
would change an approved name, storage target, or screen contract, return the
proposed adaptation to the owner (or standalone user) before writing. Report
dependent consumer changes for separate approval; do not silently rename
underneath the app or treat data approval as permission to edit screens.
If absent: check $ARGUMENTS for diagram hints (*.png, *.jpg, *.jpeg filename, erDiagram keyword, ||--o{ cardinality syntax).
-
Diagram hint present → Path A (Step 2.5).
-
No hint AND $ARGUMENTS describes what the app does (the typical case) → silently take Path B (Step 2.6 — spawn architect). No prompt.
-
No hint AND $ARGUMENTS is empty / non-descriptive → only then prompt with AskUserQuestion:
"How would you like to define the data model?
(a) I have an existing ER diagram to upload (PNG/JPG path, Mermaid syntax, or text description)
(b) Let the data-model-architect agent analyze and propose one (default)
(c) Cancel — I'll plan it elsewhere first"
Recommend (b), but wait for an explicit answer. Empty input is not approval;
cancellation stops the workflow without planning or mutation. A supplied
description may select the read-only architect path, not approve its result.
With an existing plan and a new request, take the same diagram or architect/
inline proposal path for only that delta, then Step 2.7. Do not skip validation
because a saved plan exists.
Step 2a — Approved operation-manifest fast path
When $ARGUMENTS supplies all five paths below, record
<operation_manifest_mode> = candidate:
--schema-contract <working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-schema-contract.json
--approval-receipt <working_dir>/.tmp/mobile-plan-status.json
--execution-reconciliation <working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-execution-reconciliation.json
--operation-manifest <working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-operation-manifest.json
--publish-checkpoint <working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-publish-pending.json
Do not reconstruct tables, columns, relationships, keys, payloads, tiers, or
service requirements from Markdown on this path. The gate-owned approval receipt binds
the exact structured contract content/hash, final plan hash, and final
screen/service dependency list; native-app-plan.md remains the human review
artifact.
An entirely absent fast-path handoff means
<operation_manifest_mode> = fallback and preserves the standalone workflow
below, beginning with Step 2 initialization. A partially supplied handoff, or
a supplied manifest/contract/reconciliation/checkpoint that is malformed, stale,
incomplete, or bound to different context/files, must fail closed: print the
exact validation errors and return control to the orchestrator. Never jump to
Step 4 without Step 2 initialization, partially trust a candidate, or mix its
operations with agent-derived operations.
For an approved implementation candidate, continue to Step 3 and the existing
Step 3c manifest validation; skip Steps 2b and 2.5–2.7. Supplied execution
artifacts never override --plan-only or a planning-phase caller: those calls
return the proposal without entering Step 3.
Step 2b — Approved scoped planning context
Enter only for a shared compact-planning handoff, not an approved legacy child
or a creation fast-path candidate. The data owner passes the
absolute planning_snapshot, architect_evidence, and schema_contract paths
plus accepted operations, contract_sha256, and plan_sha256 in
approved_scope. Require all fields and real implementation approval;
partial, missing, changed, or mismatched context returns NEEDS_CONTEXT to
the owner, never a fallback to whole-plan replay or fresh approval inference.
Before Step 3, compare SHA-256 of the contract and final plan file bytes with
those frozen approval hashes, verify the selected target identity, and run the
shared compact-evidence and decision validators against the supplied artifacts.
Do not overwrite either hash to accept changed files. Read mutation intent
from the normalized scoped contract, not historical Markdown rows; retain
unaffected generated services. A proposal-only caller returns without mutation.
After success, keep <operation_manifest_mode> = fallback for the existing
standalone execution/reconciliation path, skip Steps 2.5–2.7, and proceed to
Step 3. Planning evidence is not fresh write evidence: Step 4 still reconciles
only this accepted delta and its required dependencies against the live target.
Do not fabricate a create-mobile-app receipt or partially supply Step 2a flags.
Step 2.5 — Path A: Parse user-provided diagram
Used when the user has an existing diagram from another tool (Visio, dbdiagram.io, screenshot, hand-drawn).
Accept three input formats:
| Format | How |
|---|
Image path (*.png / *.jpg / *.jpeg) | Use Read on the file path. The vision-capable model extracts entities, columns, relationships. |
| Mermaid syntax | User pastes a erDiagram block in chat. Parse the entities, columns, and ||--o{ cardinalities directly. |
| Text description | Parse the requested entities/relationships as intent, then use the shared snapshot-only architect handoff with the text and scoped compact evidence. |
Whichever format, normalize into the same structure used by the planner agent:
publisherPrefix: <from detected publisher prefix or user>
tables:
- logicalName: contoso_servicevisit
displayName: Service Visit
status: new # new | extend | reuse
columns: [...]
relationships: [...]
Then follow the shared planning workflow to generate _dm_section.md with
the Mermaid diagram and a normalized .tmp/dataverse-schema-contract.json
from compact evidence. Run its decision validation for the diagram just as for
an architect result, then continue to Step 2.7. Do not save the live plan here.
Step 2.6 — Path B: Spawn architect agent
If the user picked Path B, use the shared workflow's
mobile-app:data-model-architect handoff with Dataverse planning mode: required,
the absolute snapshot/compact-evidence paths, the scoped request, and planning/
proposal-only context. Require _dm_section.md and the normalized contract.
If the host cannot spawn agents, produce both inline from that same evidence.
Use the shared structured-signal recovery before generic retries. A diagram
parse failure requires resolving the intended entities, not silently inventing
a replacement model.
If they need new tables and refuse both paths, recommend /setup-datamodel for
data-only planning and stop. Do not start another workflow without a new request.
Step 2.7 — Validate and approve the standalone delta
For every new standalone proposal, require exit 0 from
validate-dataverse-planning-decisions.js for the current normalized contract
and snapshot before presenting the existing approval gate. This includes
diagrams, architect results, inline fallbacks, and edits to an existing plan.
If either --plan-only or a planning-phase caller applies, return the validated
proposal and STOP before saving the live plan or granting execution permission.
Otherwise show the exact delta and its concerns with EnterPlanMode. Approval
saves only that delta into native-app-plan.md, preserving unaffected sections.
Freeze the shared planning paths, accepted operations, and current
contract_sha256 / plan_sha256 as this invocation's approved context; verify
it using Step 2b before implementation. Revision repeats planning validation;
cancellation stops without saving or mutation. Already-approved scoped child
calls and valid creation fast-path calls do not repeat this gate.
Step 3 — Setup Dataverse Web API auth
Required only after implementation approval. For approved existing-table
bindings with no schema mutation, skip to Step 6, not the schema-write phases.
Step 3a — Environment consistency check
The Power Apps CLI ($PA) and az authenticate independently — they can point to different accounts. Verify power.config.json resolves and az can token for the target tenant before making any Dataverse API calls:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
ENVIRONMENT_ID=$(node -p "require('./power.config.json').environmentId") || exit 1
ENV_JSON=$(node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/resolve-environment.js" "$ENVIRONMENT_ID") || exit 1
echo "$ENV_JSON"
az account show --query "{user: user.name, tenant: tenantId}" -o json
Compare the resolved environment URL with <envUrl> captured in Step 1. If they differ, STOP and warn:
"⚠️ Environment mismatch detected:
- resolver reports:
<resolved_env_url>
- This project targets:
<envUrl>
The Dataverse API token comes from az, which must target the same tenant as the selected environment. Run:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
az login --tenant <tenant-id> # switch az to the right tenant
Then re-run /add-dataverse."
Do NOT proceed with table creation if environments don't match — you'll create tables in the wrong org.
Step 3b — Acquire token
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
az account show --query "user.name" -o tsv
If empty, instruct az login and stop.
Script invocation contract — read this once, all subsequent calls in this skill follow it:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> <METHOD> <apiPath> \
[--body '<json>'] [--include-headers] \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
- Three positional args, in order:
<envUrl>, <METHOD> (GET / POST / PATCH / DELETE), <apiPath> (everything after /api/data/v9.2/).
- Body is a flag, not positional.
--body '<json>' — required for POST/PATCH, never for GET/DELETE. Forgetting --body and passing the JSON as a 4th positional arg returns a usage error.
--include-headers adds response headers (needed for OData-EntityId after a record create).
- Output is JSON:
{ "status": <code>, "data": <body> }. Token refresh on 401 and back-off on 429 are automatic — never wrap with manual retry.
Pass the resolved tenant explicitly (HARD — saves discovery and survives fresh shells). resolve-environment.js already returned tenantId in Step 1. Substitute that literal value into every --tenant-id argument; do not rely on an exported or shell-local variable because separate tool executions may use fresh shells.
If the tenant is unknown, omit --tenant-id — discovery still works, it is just slower.
Acquire a Dataverse access token and verify connectivity:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET WhoAmI \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
The explicit tenant is also reused for token refresh after a 401 and takes
priority over shell environment variables and Azure account discovery.
WhoAmI is the Dataverse identity endpoint — capital W/A/I (case-sensitive). The response gives UserId, BusinessUnitId, OrganizationId but does NOT include the publisher prefix. To get the publisher prefix, query the solution's publisher (defaults to Default; pass a different solution name if the env uses a custom solution):
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/detect-publisher-prefix.js" <envUrl> [solutionName] \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
# solutionName defaults to "Default" if omitted
This runs the OData query:
/api/data/v9.2/solutions?$select=uniquename&$expand=publisherid($select=customizationprefix)&$filter=uniquename eq '<solutionName>'
Capture customizationprefix from the solution's publisher (typical value: cr123 → schema names like cr123_jobsite). Also capture the solution uniquename — needed for the --solution flag on every Step 5 / 5b POST so artifacts land in our solution rather than landing wherever Dataverse defaults. Write both to memory-bank.md Power Platform context block.
Requires the user to hold System Administrator or System Customizer in this environment.
When <operation_manifest_mode> = candidate, validate the manifest now against
the resolved environment, tenant (when available), publisher, solution, current
plan bytes, structured-schema bytes, and fresh reconciliation bytes:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/build-dataverse-operation-manifest.js" \
--validate '<operation-manifest-path>' \
--contract '<schema-contract-path>' \
--approval-receipt '<approval-receipt-path>' \
--reconciliation '<execution-reconciliation-path>' \
--plan '<working_dir>/native-app-plan.md' \
--environment-id "<environmentId>" \
--env-url "<envUrl>" \
--tenant-id "<tenantId>" \
--publisher-prefix "<customizationprefix>" \
--solution "<solution-uniquename>" \
--publish-checkpoint '<publish-checkpoint-path>' \
--require-executable
Validation deterministically rebuilds the expected manifest from the bound
structured schema, fresh reconciliation, plan, context, and pending-publish checkpoint, then
compares the complete decisions, services, aliases, phases, API paths, and
bodies. If validation fails, print every reported mismatch and fail closed to
the orchestrator. Do not execute or salvage individual operations and do not
switch a supplied candidate to the standalone fallback.
Validate with --require-executable. Step 8 already performed the one fresh
bounded reconciliation for every approved exact table and all of its
columns/relationships/keys, including the child/parent/M:N relationship
capability managed properties. Missing capability evidence fails closed. If
the manifest remains non-executable, report its
verification conflicts to the orchestrator. Do not add another read loop,
change an approved decision, or enter fallback mode. A non-executable
candidate authorizes no metadata write.
If validation with --require-executable succeeds, set
<operation_manifest_mode> = valid and continue directly to Step 5's manifest
execution branch. This is the fast-v2 path: it skips the repeated
agent-driven full reconciliation, not any safety check.
Step 4 — Reconcile every planned table and column against the target
Telemetry checkpoint: reconcile_dataverse_schema
If <operation_manifest_mode> = valid, print:
✓ Approved operation manifest validated — complete fresh reconciliation and derived metadata coverage are bound to this environment.
Use its decisions as the reconciliation matrix and skip the remainder of
Step 4/4a. Continue to Step 5. A valid manifest has no unverified items; its
explicit reuse, adapt, and defer rows remain visible in the final
summary.
Print before starting:
"→ Reconciling every planned table and column against live target metadata before any write…"
Do not use the custom-table list as the source of truth, and do not issue one request per table. Fetch every plan entry (Reuse, Extend, or Create) — including standard and managed dependencies — in a single filtered query that also expands their columns:
On the scoped planning path, "every plan entry" means only the approved
normalized contract and its required dependencies, never all saved-plan rows.
Do not substitute the planning snapshot or inventory cache for this live read.
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET \
"EntityDefinitions?\$select=MetadataId,LogicalName,SchemaName,IsCustomEntity,IsManaged,IsCustomizable,CanCreateAttributes,PrimaryIdAttribute,PrimaryNameAttribute&\$filter=LogicalName eq '<table1>' or LogicalName eq '<table2>'&\$expand=Attributes(\$select=MetadataId,LogicalName,AttributeType,AttributeTypeName,RequiredLevel,IsManaged,IsCustomizable,IsPrimaryId,IsPrimaryName,SourceType,SourceTypeMask)" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Build the $filter by OR-ing every planned logical name. This is the documented way to query multiple table definitions at once, and it replaces 2N requests (one entity GET plus one attributes GET per table) with one. Keep the $expand $select list to base AttributeMetadata properties only — a single query cannot cast to a derived column type, so fetch OptionSet details separately for the rare column that needs them.
Read the results as follows:
- A planned name present in
value[] — the table exists. Cache its expanded Attributes as that table's attribute snapshot for Steps 5a and 5b.
- A planned name absent from
value[] — the table does not exist. This is the equivalent of a 404 in the matrix below.
- Interpret
IsCustomizable and CanCreateAttributes as managed properties and read their .Value fields.
If the batched query itself fails (non-2xx), retry it once; if it fails again, split it into per-table queries so one unreadable name cannot hide the rest. Any name still unreadable after that is unverified: STOP before writes for that reconciliation scope. Authentication, permission, timeout, and malformed-response failures are not evidence that a name is free. If the URL would exceed a practical length with very many tables, split it into a few filtered queries — still far fewer than one request per table.
Only if the plan contains alternate keys or M:N relationships, add the matching expands so Steps 5b and 5d never need their own per-item probes. EntityDefinitions also supports expanding Keys, ManyToManyRelationships, ManyToOneRelationships, and OneToManyRelationships:
&$expand=Attributes($select=...),Keys($select=SchemaName,KeyAttributes,EntityKeyIndexStatus),ManyToManyRelationships($select=SchemaName)
Do not add these expands when the plan has no keys or M:N relationships — they enlarge the response for no benefit, and standard tables carry many of both.
The base attribute snapshot is sufficient for ordinary columns, but it cannot
prove that a same-named lookup, choice, Boolean, or computed column has the same
semantics. Before classifying any such existing column as compatible:
-
Write the planned derived-column contract to
<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-expected.json. Each row contains:
table, logicalName, kind, type, sourceType, plus:
lookupTarget for lookups;
- exact integer/label
options for Choice, MultiSelect Choice, and Boolean;
- exact
sourceTypeMask and serialized formulaDefinition for an explicitly
approved, maker-created computed dependency.
-
Build one BATCH-METADATA GET operation list for the affected existing
tables only. Reuse one process/token and query:
ManyToOneRelationships once per child table containing planned lookups;
- the applicable derived attribute collections
(
PicklistAttributeMetadata, MultiSelectPicklistAttributeMetadata,
BooleanAttributeMetadata) once per table/type, expanding OptionSet;
- the applicable typed attribute collection once per table/type for any
explicitly reused computed column, selecting
LogicalName,SourceType,SourceTypeMask,FormulaDefinition.
Do not issue one process per column and do not scan every customizable table.
The exact planned names from Step 4 are the scope.
Write the operation array to
<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-operations.json, then run:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> \
BATCH-METADATA derived-reconciliation \
--operations "$(cat '<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-operations.json')" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Do not pass --continue-on-error; the first unreadable required metadata
collection must stop the barrier.
-
Any non-2xx response, missing result slot, malformed option metadata, absent
lookup target, or unavailable FormulaDefinition makes that scope
unverified. STOP before writes. Authentication, throttling, permission,
and parse failures are never compatibility evidence.
-
Normalize the live results into
<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-live.json. Each row uses:
table, logicalName, type, sourceType, sourceTypeMask,
lookupTargets, options: [{ value, label }], and formulaDefinition.
Lookup target arrays must contain exactly the approved target. Choice
mappings must be non-empty with unique integer values and non-empty labels;
Boolean mappings must contain exactly values 0 and 1. Then run:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/validate-derived-metadata.js" \
--expected '<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-expected.json' \
--actual '<working_dir>/.tmp/derived-metadata-live.json'
-
A lookup is compatible only when its complete target set matches. Planned choice
values must exist with the same labels; extra live values are allowed.
Ordinary planned columns require SourceType 0. A maker-created computed
dependency is reusable only when its source type, source-type mask, and exact
FormulaDefinition match the approved artifact; the Invalid mask bit
always blocks reuse.
This phase is read-only and uses the V2 long-lived executor. It must not add
per-column child-process/token overhead back into the fast path.
Build and print a reconciliation matrix before Step 5:
| Target result | Table decision | Column decisions | Action |
|---|
| Present; all planned base and derived metadata compatible | reuse | existing columns reuse | No schema write. |
| Present; custom columns missing; table customizable and can create attributes | extend | compatible reuse; absent custom create | Queue missing ordinary columns for sequential creation; relationships remain Pass 2. |
| Absent; plan says Create; logical name uses the verified publisher prefix | create | ordinary columns create inline; lookups deferred | Create once after the complete-payload self-check. |
| Absent; plan says Reuse/Extend or dependency is standard/managed/required-existing | defer | dependent columns defer | Never recreate a standard or managed table. Drop the dependent lookups/columns from this run, continue with everything else, and list them under Deferred in Step 9. |
Present; same-name column has incompatible AttributeType / AttributeTypeName.Value | extend | incompatible column adapt | Auto-rename the planned column via the probe sequence below, record it in the alias map, and create it alongside the existing one. Never modify or delete the existing column. |
Present; columns missing but IsCustomizable.Value=false or CanCreateAttributes.Value=false | reuse | missing columns defer | The target cannot be extended by this workflow. Reuse the columns that do exist, drop the rest from this run, and list them under Deferred in Step 9. |
| Batched query failed (non-2xx) after retry and per-table split | unverified | unknown | STOP before writes for the affected reconciliation scope and surface the concrete environment/auth/permission error. |
replace is not an automatic state in this workflow. Replacing a table or column requires an explicitly approved migration with dependency analysis and data movement, so a conflict resolves to adapt (rename beside it) or defer (leave it out) instead — both of which leave existing data untouched.
Decide-before-write barrier (HARD): finish reconciliation for every table and column before the first metadata write. Every item must come out of Step 4 as reuse, extend, create, adapt, or defer — never as an unresolved conflict. Deciding renames up front is what keeps relationships, screens, and sample data pointing at the same names.
No dead ends (HARD): a data-modelling conflict must never stop the run. Adapt it (rename beside the existing object) or defer it (drop it from this run), then keep going and report it in Step 9. Only environment faults stop this skill — failed auth, an environment mismatch, or a target the user has no privilege to write to. Those are not data-modelling problems and the user cannot resolve them by editing the plan.
Idempotency criterion (HARD): re-running this skill against an already-applied plan MUST perform zero metadata writes. Every table, column, relationship, key, and calc column resolves to reuse or an "already exists, skipped" outcome from the Step 4 snapshot. If a re-run issues any POST, the reconciliation missed something — report it rather than writing. Use this as the acceptance check after any change to Steps 4, 5, or 5a–5d.
Step 5 — Create / extend tables
Telemetry checkpoint: apply_dataverse_schema_changes
Valid operation-manifest execution branch
When <operation_manifest_mode> = valid, do not have an agent rebuild request
bodies. Read execution.phases in this fixed order:
tableCreates — dependency-tier table creates with all ordinary columns
inline;
extensions — missing ordinary columns on existing tables;
relationships — lookups/1:N and M:N after both endpoints exist;
alternateKeys — after target tables and columns exist;
publish — one PublishXml operation only when earlier phases contain
writes or a bound publish-pending checkpoint requires retry.
For each non-empty phase, write just that phase's operations array to
<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-operation-phase-<name>.json. Read
integritySha256 and binding.reconciliationSha256 from the validated
manifest, then execute every phase with the same project-local atomic journal:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
EXECUTION_JOURNAL='<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-metadata-execution-journal.json'
ALL_MANIFEST_OPERATIONS='<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-operation-all.json'
# Write the flattened operations from every manifest phase to ALL_MANIFEST_OPERATIONS once.
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> \
BATCH-METADATA "manifest-<phase-name>" \
--operations "$(cat '<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-operation-phase-<name>.json')" \
--solution "<solution-uniquename>" \
--tenant-id "<tenantId>" \
--journal "$EXECUTION_JOURNAL" \
--manifest-file "$OPERATION_MANIFEST" \
--manifest-hash "<manifest.integritySha256>" \
--reconciliation-hash "<manifest.binding.reconciliationSha256>" \
--manifest-operations "$(cat "$ALL_MANIFEST_OPERATIONS")"
Wait for the entire phase to finish before starting the next. This executor is
not OData $batch; it sends one request at a time, reuses one token, preserves
manifest order, and stops on the first non-2xx response. Never pass
--continue-on-error, never parallelize phases or operations, and never
execute service.requiredTables through BATCH-METADATA.
The runner verifies the manifest file's integrity hash, requires the supplied
operation array to equal one complete manifest phase byte-for-byte, and rejects
that phase until every operation in preceding phases is journal-complete.
The runner atomically writes inFlight before each request and records each
successful operation before moving to the next. Completed fingerprints are
based on stable request identity, not the positional index; the complete
manifest's unique zero-based order is validated separately. Completed
fingerprints are skipped on an exact resume. If a process may have exited after Dataverse
accepted a request but before the journal completion write, the runner fails
with UNCERTAIN_METADATA_OPERATION; do not replay the old operation array.
Transport loss during a metadata mutation is immediately uncertain and is
never retried in-process; reads may retain transport retry behavior.
Perform a new bounded exact reconciliation, rebuild and revalidate the full
manifest, then resume with both new hashes. The runner mechanically treats an
uncertain operation omitted by the new manifest as already applied/superseded,
or retries it only when the fresh reconciliation proves it is still required.
If summary.metadataOperationCount is zero, issue zero metadata POSTs and
print ↻ Dataverse schema already fully applied — zero metadata writes. This
is the required idempotent rerun behavior after successful publish. A manifest
with zero schema operations but one checkpoint-driven PublishXml operation
must run that publish retry; it is not a zero-write completion.
The manifest builder writes
<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-publish-pending.json before any schema POST when
publish will be required. Leave this checkpoint in place after any schema or
publish failure. Delete it only after the validated publish phase returns
success. The next build validates its environment/solution/plan/contract
binding and integrity, merges its table list into the publish phase, and
therefore retries PublishXml even when every schema create is now
idempotently skipped.
On a hidden POST-time name collision, stop at the failed operation and discard
all not-yet-run phase arrays. The execution script must not choose Adapt or a
rename. Return to the existing planning revision path so the structured schema
artifact carries the approved Adapt names. Then perform a fresh bounded
reconciliation and regenerate the complete aliases, downstream relationship
and key bodies, service-required names, phases, manifest hashes, and phase
files. Revalidate before resuming through the journal. Never continue an old
array after a rename. Any non-collision failure stops the metadata path with
its exact result.
Before overwriting the old manifest, preserve its path. After the revised plan
and structured schema are approved through the existing flow, the top-level
planner/orchestrator must refresh the structured service dependencies and
mobile-plan-status.json receipt. This skill cannot create or restamp it.
Bind the contract through that pre-existing receipt, then roll the existing
publish checkpoint forward:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/build-dataverse-operation-manifest.js" \
--roll-forward-checkpoint "$PUBLISH_CHECKPOINT" \
--previous-manifest "$OPERATION_MANIFEST" \
--journal "$EXECUTION_JOURNAL" \
--contract "$SCHEMA_CONTRACT" \
--approval-receipt "$APPROVAL_RECEIPT" \
--plan '<working_dir>/native-app-plan.md' \
--output "$PUBLISH_CHECKPOINT" \
--environment-id "<environmentId>" \
--env-url "<envUrl>" \
--tenant-id "<tenantId>" \
--publisher-prefix "<customizationprefix>" \
--solution "<solution-uniquename>"
This retains prior checkpoint bindings/tables as integrity-protected history,
keeps earlier successful tables publication-pending, and maps only the
journal-proven failed collision table to its revised in-contract alias. It
fails closed if a completed write would disappear from the revised contract or
change definition: completed tables/inline columns, extension columns, image
configuration PUTs, relationships (including cascade behavior), and alternate keys must each map
to an equivalent revised structured component. Completed image PUTs retain their
full hash-bound definitions only when the revised image requirements remain
compatible; they stay publication-pending without replaying the update. It also
rejects any unrelated out-of-contract publish target. Only after this succeeds
may Step 8 overwrite the operation manifest.
The manifest builder never emits calculated/rollup/formula creation. Reused
computed dependencies have already crossed the exact derived-metadata barrier;
unsupported projections are explicit defer rows. After the publish phase succeeds, delete the publish checkpoint and invalidate the planning-only inventory cache:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node -e "const checkpoint = process.argv[1]; if (checkpoint) require('node:fs').rmSync(checkpoint, { force: true });" \
"${PUBLISH_CHECKPOINT:-}"
if ! node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-inventory-cache.js" \
--file '<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-inventory-cache.json' --invalidate; then
printf 'NEEDS_RECOVERY: dataverse-inventory-cache\n' >&2
exit 2
fi
Cache-invalidation recovery (both publish paths): a nonzero exit returns
control to the foreground agent for local recovery, not success. Diagnose the
cache path or filesystem permission error and allow at most two targeted retries
of the invalidation command. Preserve the successful publish result and execution
journal; do not replay metadata writes or publish to repair a local cache failure.
Do not reuse the failed cache or continue to service generation, verification,
sample data, or offline setup until invalidation exits 0. If local recovery
cannot complete, report the remaining blocker and resume this cleanup after it is
resolved; never mark the phase complete just because publication succeeded.
Only after successful invalidation continue to Step 6. When there were zero writes and no checkpoint,
continue without deleting anything. Skip the
fallback mutation instructions in Steps 5a–5d and skip Step 6b because publish
was already part of the validated phase order.
Print before starting:
"→ Creating/extending tables in tier order (sequential — Dataverse serializes metadata writes). For each: pre-flight check, then 'Creating
…' before the POST and '✓ ' on 2xx response."
⚠️ Concurrency rule — do not violate. All Dataverse metadata operations in Steps 5, 6, and 6b are strictly sequential: issue one HTTP request, wait for a 2xx response, then issue the next. Do NOT parallelize or use OData $batch. Dataverse serializes metadata writes via an exclusive lock; parallel calls return 429 TooManyRequests, MetadataLockHeldException, or 404 EntityNotFound for lookups whose parent hasn't committed yet.
Specifically:
- Within a tier: create tables one at a time.
- Across tiers: Tier 0 fully done (all tables + all columns committed) before any Tier 1 POST.
- Lookups: POST to
/RelationshipDefinitions only after both endpoint tables exist and have returned 2xx.
- Extensions: column POSTs to an existing table are also serial — same lock applies.
For multiple already-reconciled operations, prefer the local BATCH-METADATA
executor. It is not OData $batch: one Node process reuses one token and
issues requests strictly one at a time in array order, stopping on the first
non-2xx response by default.
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> \
BATCH-METADATA schema-writes \
--operations '<ordered-json-array>' \
--solution '<solution-uniquename-from-memory-bank>' \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Each operation is { "index", "method", "apiPath", "body" }; an operation may
override the command-level solution. Build the array only after the full
metadata snapshot and desired/live diff. Preserve dependency order: new tables
with ordinary columns inline, extension columns, relationships, projections,
then alternate keys. Never pass --continue-on-error for schema creation. The
result includes per-operation status and durationMs; after a failure,
reconcile that component and resume with only the remaining operations.
Step 5a — Pre-flight collision check (from the Step 4 snapshot)
Before each create, confirm the target name is actually free: name-prefix collisions from stale solutions, reserved system names, and soft-deleted tombstones all fail the POST, and Dataverse takes ~1 minute to return the conflict error. A failure here can leave Tier 0 partially created and make a Tier 1 lookup fail on a phantom parent. Step 4 already collected this evidence for every planned name, so this step reads it rather than re-querying.
For every Create entry, resolve its target state from the Step 4 batch — do not re-query per table. Step 4 already fetched every planned logical name, so reuse that result:
| Step 4 result for this name | Meaning | Action |
|---|
Absent from value[] | Name is free | Proceed with POST. |
Present + IsCustomEntity: true + MetadataId matches memory-bank | We created this earlier — idempotent re-run | Skip the POST, mark as created, continue. |
Present + IsCustomEntity: true + MetadataId not in memory-bank | Foreign collision | Reconcile live columns and customization properties below; never auto-extend an uncustomizable target. |
Present + IsCustomEntity: false | Reserved system table name | Auto-recover via rename (see below). |
Only re-probe a single name when Step 4's batch did not cover it (for example a rename candidate generated later in this step):
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET \
"EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<prefix>_<table>')?\$select=MetadataId,LogicalName,IsCustomEntity,IsManaged,IsCustomizable,CanCreateAttributes" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Tombstones and hidden collisions are not reliably visible to either form — Dataverse can report a name as free and still reject the POST minutes later. Those are caught by the POST-time collision rescue below, which is the real safety net:
| POST response | Meaning | Action |
|---|
5xx with 0x80060890 or message "object with same name exists in solution" | Tombstone (soft-deleted, ~30 min purge TTL) | Auto-recover via rename (see below). |
400 with 0x80044363, "schema name ... is not unique", or "same name already exists" | Hidden Dataverse collision / recent-delete tombstone | Auto-recover via rename (see below), then retry the POST once. |
Important: treat a POST-time collision as a recoverable name conflict, not a data-model failure — the schema name can stay reserved internally after a delete even when metadata reports it as free.
Auto-recovery — reuse/extend first, rename as last resort
Priority order when Step 5a hits a name collision:
- Adopt as Extend (preferred) — only if the existing table is the same concept, every same-name column is type-compatible, planned missing columns are custom additions, and live
IsCustomizable.Value plus CanCreateAttributes.Value both permit extension. Add only the missing columns via Step 5b and log → Extending existing <original> with <N> missing columns.
- Adopt as Reuse — if the existing table's schema already covers all planned columns: skip Step 5b for this entry, keep it in Step 6 for service generation. No prompt. Log
→ Reusing existing <original> (all required columns present).
- Rename and Create (last resort) — only when the existing table is a fundamentally different entity (e.g., planned table is an inspection log but existing
<original> is a payroll record — incompatible concept, incompatible columns). Prompt the user before proceeding.
When to auto-decide vs. prompt:
| Situation | Action |
|---|
| Foreign collision + compatible concept/schema + extension allowed | Auto-Extend (no prompt) |
| Foreign collision + all planned columns present | Auto-Reuse (no prompt) |
| Foreign collision + incompatible column or extension forbidden | Auto-rename the conflicting column beside it, or defer it (no prompt) |
| Foreign collision + incompatible concept | Prompt (see below) |
| Reserved system name | Auto-rename (no prompt) |
| Tombstone (0x80060890 / same-name-exists) | Auto-rename (no prompt) |
For the incompatible-concept case only — prompt via AskUserQuestion:
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Rename and Create (default) | Use a free custom logical name for the genuinely different entity. Existing table stays untouched. |
| Reuse existing as-is | Point the generated services at the existing table and skip the planned columns it lacks. |
Never offer Extend for an incompatible concept or column shape. This prompt is a preference, not a gate: an empty, skipped, or unanswered response defaults to Rename and Create so the run always proceeds.
Maintain a run-level logical-name alias map for every auto-rename. Example:
{ "cr3e9_aircraft": "cr3e9_aircraftv2" }
Before building any later table, column, lookup relationship, sample-data payload, service-reference text, or screen data spec, resolve logical names through this map. A rename that only changes the table POST but leaves relationships/screens/sample data pointing at the old name is a bug.
Auto-rename probe sequence (cap at 4 probes — only used for reserved/tombstone cases):
<original>v2 → <original>v3 → <original>2 → <original>copy
For each candidate in order, GET EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<candidate>')?$select=MetadataId,IsCustomEntity:
- 404 → free, take it, stop probing.
- 200 or 5xx (collision) → next candidate.
If all 4 collide, keep probing <original>3, <original>4, … through <original>20. This sequence is designed never to dead-end: if even those collide, use <original><4-char run token>, which is unique to this run. Never abandon a table for want of a free name.
On a successful auto-rename, do these in order BEFORE the POST:
- Update
native-app-plan.md — Edit with replace_all: true to swap the old logical name for the new one across the entire ## Data Model section (Mermaid ER, Reuse/Extend/Create table, Creation Order, Notes). This catches downstream relationship POSTs in this same Step 5 too.
- Update
## Screens per-screen specs — same replace_all sweep for any service / data-source references using the old name.
- Append to
memory-bank.md Collision history — <original> → <new> with reason (foreign / reserved / tombstone) and timestamp.
- Update the run-level alias map — every later metadata payload and plan edit resolves
<original> to <new> before use.
- Inform the user — single line, no prompt:
→ Collision on <original> (<foreign|reserved|tombstone>). Renamed to <new> and updated plan + memory-bank. Continuing.
Then proceed with the POST using <new>.
Post-create collision rescue — hidden tombstone / recent delete
If the Step 5b table POST fails after a 404 preflight with any Dataverse name-collision signature, do not fail the run:
- HTTP
400 with code 0x80044363
- message contains
schema name and not unique
- message contains
same name already exists
- message contains
object with same name exists in solution
First attempt auto-Extend: compare the plan against that table's attribute snapshot from Step 4 (re-fetch only if it is absent). If ≥50% overlap, switch to Extend path (add missing columns). Otherwise, run the auto-rename probe sequence, update native-app-plan.md, ## Screens, memory-bank.md, and the run-level alias map, then retry the table POST exactly once with the resolved name. Print:
→ Dataverse still has <original> reserved from a recent delete/hidden collision. Using <new> and continuing.
If the retry also returns a collision signature, continue probing the remaining candidates, then the numeric tail, then the run-token form described above.
On successful POST, immediately re-GET to capture the server-assigned MetadataId and write it to memory-bank (Step 6d updates .datamodel-manifest.json; you also append to memory-bank.md under "Created tables" with the GUID and solution name). This lets future /add-dataverse runs distinguish "we own this" from "name collision."
Step 5b — Create / extend
Run this step in two explicit passes:
- Pass 1 — tables + ordinary columns: create every new table with all planned non-lookup columns inline, then extend existing tables with any missing non-lookup columns. Computed formula definitions are never synthesized by this workflow.
- Pass 2 — lookups + relationships: only after Pass 1 has succeeded for every tier, create the planned
RelationshipDefinitions. A lookup is created by its relationship and must not appear in a table's initial Attributes array.
Both passes remain strictly sequential. Do not use $batch for metadata writes.
For each Create decision, in tier order (Tier 0 → Tier 1 → Tier 2 → …), POST a new EntityDefinition. Skip if Step 5a returned a known-self match (idempotent).
⚠️ Inline ALL planned columns into the Create POST body — do NOT POST columns individually.
Dataverse accepts all non-lookup columns in the initial table's Attributes: [...] array. Inline form: 1 round trip, ~3-8s. Per-column form: N+1 round trips, each ~3-8s. For a 5-column table that's roughly 24s saved on the lock-serialized metadata path. Do not describe this metadata create as transactionally atomic: if the request fails after Dataverse starts processing it, the table or some attributes may remain, which is why the recovery path below exists.
Wrong (N round trips):
{ "SchemaName": "...", "Attributes": [{ /* primary only */ }] }
// then 4× POST /Attributes for the rest
Right (1 round trip):
{
"SchemaName": "...",
"Attributes": [
{ /* primary name */ },
{ /* column 2 */ },
{ /* column 3 */ },
{ /* column 4 */ },
{ /* column 5 */ }
]
}
The per-column POST path remains valid for two cases only: (1) Extend on an existing table, (2) retry-after-partial-failure when Step 5a's pre-flight shows the table exists but some columns don't.
Solution targeting (HARD): every Step 5 / 5b POST MUST pass --solution <uniquename> so Dataverse routes the new artifact into our solution rather than the unmanaged default. Read the solution name from memory-bank.md Power Platform context (captured in Step 3b). Without this flag, multi-project environments end up with cross-solution leakage and the foreign-collision class of bug returns. The script translates --solution to the MSCRM.SolutionUniqueName HTTP header.
Scratch files: When writing request body JSON to disk (e.g. table definitions, column metadata, relationship payloads), always write to <working_dir>/.tmp/, never to /tmp/. Keeping request bodies project-local prevents cross-project writes and makes cleanup deterministic. After the per-call root guard, create the folder if it doesn't exist: mkdir -p .tmp.
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> POST EntityDefinitions \
--body '<json-body-with-all-columns-inline>' \
--solution '<solution-uniquename-from-memory-bank>' \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Complete-payload self-check (HARD — do this before the POST, no extra tooling): re-read the body you just built against the plan and confirm all five statements. If any fails, fix the body and re-check; never POST a partial table and repair it with per-column POSTs.
- Every planned ordinary column is present — String, Memo, Integer, BigInt, Decimal, Money, DateTime, Boolean, Choice, MultiSelect Choice, Image, and File. Count
Attributes[] and compare with the plan's column count for this table.
- No lookup metadata is inline — no
LookupAttributeMetadata, CustomerAttributeMetadata, or OwnerAttributeMetadata. Those are created by their relationship in Pass 2.
- No deferred or server-owned column is inline — no primary-id column and no calculated/rollup column (Step 5c owns those).
- Exactly one
IsPrimaryName: true attribute exists, and PrimaryNameAttribute matches its SchemaName (lowercased logical form).
- No duplicate
SchemaName in Attributes[] (compare case-insensitively).
Microsoft documents both halves of this contract: ordinary columns may be included when the table is created, while a lookup is created with its one-to-many relationship. dataverse-request.js stays the only script in this path — it already owns auth, retry, --solution routing, and 401/429 handling.
Body skeleton — all planned columns inline in Attributes: [...] (this example shows primary + 3 additional; expand the array to fit every column from the plan):
⚠️ IsAvailableOffline + ChangeTrackingEnabled MUST be set to true at create time for any table the app intends to make available offline. Without these two flags the table cannot be added to a mobileofflineprofile, and /setup-offline-profile will have to fix them via a separate metadata PUT (the /enable-tables-offline skill handles that, but it doubles the metadata-lock-serialized round trips). Empirically verified 2026-05-18 in the chanel-rm demo: 7 custom tables created without these flags caused 7 prereq-revert drift entries; fixed by post-hoc enablement. Default these to true for all UserOwned tables created by /add-dataverse unless the user has explicitly opted out of offline support. The flags are no-ops at runtime for apps that don't use offline profiles.
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.EntityMetadata",
"SchemaName": "cr123_jobsite",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Job Site", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"DisplayCollectionName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Job Sites", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"OwnershipType": "UserOwned",
"HasActivities": false,
"HasNotes": false,
"IsAvailableOffline": true,
"ChangeTrackingEnabled": true,
"PrimaryNameAttribute": "cr123_sitename",
"Attributes": [
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.StringAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "cr123_sitename",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Site Name", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"MaxLength": 200,
"FormatName": { "Value": "Text" },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "ApplicationRequired" },
"IsPrimaryName": true
},
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.StringAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "cr123_address",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Address", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"MaxLength": 500,
"FormatName": { "Value": "Text" },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "None" }
},
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.IntegerAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "cr123_squarefeet",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Square Feet", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "None" },
"MinValue": 0,
"MaxValue": 2147483647,
"Format": "None"
},
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.BooleanAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "cr123_active",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Active", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "None" },
"DefaultValue": true,
"OptionSet": {
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.BooleanOptionSetMetadata",
"TrueOption": { "Value": 1, "Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "Yes", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] } },
"FalseOption": { "Value": 0, "Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "No", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] } }
}
}
]
}
For each Extend decision, POST a new column to the existing table.
⚠️ Table-level pre-flight (HARD — required for idempotent re-runs). Reuse the complete attribute snapshot fetched for this table in Step 4. If the table was discovered only during collision recovery, or no current snapshot exists, fetch all attributes exactly once:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET \
"EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<table>')/Attributes?\$select=MetadataId,LogicalName,SchemaName,AttributeType,AttributeTypeName,RequiredLevel,IsManaged,IsCustomizable,IsPrimaryId,IsPrimaryName" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Build a local { lowerCaseLogicalName → { AttributeType, AttributeTypeName, IsManaged, IsCustomizable } } map and classify every planned non-lookup column before issuing any POST. Prefer AttributeTypeName.Value when AttributeType is Virtual, so File and Image columns are not incorrectly treated as compatible generic virtual attributes:
| Snapshot result | Action |
|---|
Name exists and AttributeType matches | Skip it and log ↻ <column> (already exists, skipped). |
Name exists and AttributeType differs | Dataverse does not allow column-type changes via API, so auto-rename the planned column using the same probe sequence (<column>v2 → <column>v3 → <column>2 → …), add it to the alias map, and create it beside the existing one. Log → <column> exists as <existingType>; created <newName> as <plannedType> instead. Never modify or delete the existing column. |
| Name is absent | Add it to the ordered missing-column queue. |
This single snapshot catches partial creates, corrected re-runs, and network-drop recovery without paying one GET round trip per column.
After the complete comparison passes, POST the missing-column queue one column at a time, sequentially (no $batch; always pass --solution):
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> POST \
"EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<table>')/Attributes" \
--body '<column-json>' \
--solution '<solution-uniquename-from-memory-bank>' \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Recovery after a partial Create: do not re-POST the whole EntityDefinitions body because the table now exists and Dataverse returns 0x80060888. Fetch that table's complete attribute snapshot once, run the same local comparison, and sequentially POST only the missing non-lookup columns. This is the only time a table originally classified as Create should use the per-column path.
Column shapes that have non-obvious gotchas (handle carefully):
-
Pass-2 barrier (HARD) — do not create any lookup or relationship while Pass 1 is still creating or extending tables. Accumulate relationship definitions, wait until every table and ordinary column has returned 2xx, then process the relationships sequentially in dependency order.
-
Lookup — POST to /RelationshipDefinitions, not /Attributes.
⚠️ Do NOT improvise the body. Copy the skeleton below verbatim and replace only the placeholders in <> brackets.
Fields that cause silent failure if added:
- Do NOT include
ReferencingAttribute. Dataverse auto-creates the foreign-key column from Lookup.SchemaName. Including it causes 404: Could not find an attribute with specified name because the column doesn't exist yet at POST time.
- Do NOT include
Lookup.LogicalName. It's read-only metadata; including it returns 400 Bad Request.
- Do NOT include
ReferencedAttribute. Dataverse resolves the primary key of the referenced entity automatically. The reference is optional and omitting it is the correct default.
Required fields: SchemaName, ReferencedEntity, ReferencingEntity, Lookup.{@odata.type, SchemaName, DisplayName, RequiredLevel}, AssociatedMenuConfiguration, CascadeConfiguration (including RollupView). Anything else is invented — drop it.
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.OneToManyRelationshipMetadata",
"SchemaName": "<prefix>_<Parent>_<Child>",
"ReferencedEntity": "<parent_table_logical_name>",
"ReferencingEntity": "<child_table_logical_name>",
"Lookup": {
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LookupAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "<Prefix>_<Parent>Id",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "<Parent Display Name>", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "None" }
},
"AssociatedMenuConfiguration": { "Behavior": "UseCollectionName", "Group": "Details", "Order": 10000 },
"CascadeConfiguration": {
"Assign": "NoCascade",
"Delete": "RemoveLink",
"Merge": "NoCascade",
"Reparent": "NoCascade",
"Share": "NoCascade",
"Unshare": "NoCascade",
"RollupView": "NoCascade"
}
}
Invocation (apiPath is RelationshipDefinitions, body via --body, always pass --solution):
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> POST \
RelationshipDefinitions \
--body '<json-body-from-skeleton-above>' \
--solution '<solution-uniquename-from-memory-bank>' \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Pre-flight the lookup (HARD — required for idempotent re-runs). A lookup can only pre-exist if the referencing (child) table already existed at Step 4, so when the child was created in this run, skip the probe and POST. Otherwise look for the lookup's foreign-key column — the lowercased Lookup.SchemaName, e.g. <prefix>_<parent>id — in that child table's Step 4 attribute snapshot:
| Snapshot result | Action |
|---|
Present with AttributeType: Lookup | Skip the POST and log ↻ <SchemaName> (relationship already exists, skipped). |
Present with any other AttributeType | A non-lookup column already owns that name. Auto-rename the lookup's Lookup.SchemaName via the probe sequence, record it in the alias map, and POST the relationship with the new name. Never overwrite the existing column. |
| Absent | POST the relationship. |
This costs no extra round trip: the referencing attribute is an ordinary attribute on the child table, so it is already in the snapshot Step 4 fetched. Without this check a re-run POSTs a duplicate relationship and fails the run mid-Pass-2.
-
Many-to-Many (M:N) — also POST to /RelationshipDefinitions, but with ManyToManyRelationshipMetadata. Dataverse creates an auto-named intersect table.
⚠️ Do NOT improvise the body. Required fields: SchemaName, Entity1LogicalName, Entity2LogicalName, IntersectEntityName, and the two AssociatedMenuConfiguration blocks. Do not include lookup or cascade fields — those are 1:N concepts.
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.ManyToManyRelationshipMetadata",
"SchemaName": "<prefix>_<table1>_<table2>",
"Entity1LogicalName": "<table1_logical_name>",
"Entity2LogicalName": "<table2_logical_name>",
"IntersectEntityName": "<prefix>_<table1>_<table2>",
"Entity1AssociatedMenuConfiguration": {
"Behavior": "UseLabel",
"Group": "Details",
"Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "<Table2 Plural>", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"Order": 10000
},
"Entity2AssociatedMenuConfiguration": {
"Behavior": "UseLabel",
"Group": "Details",
"Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "<Table1 Plural>", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"Order": 10000
}
}
Pre-flight M:N: a relationship can only pre-exist on a table that already existed at Step 4. If either endpoint was just created in this run, skip the probe — nothing can be there. Otherwise read ManyToManyRelationships from that table's Step 4 snapshot: present → skip (already exists); absent → proceed. Query RelationshipDefinitions(SchemaName='<prefix>_<table1>_<table2>')?$select=SchemaName only when the snapshot did not cover it.
In the generated service: M:N relationships are queried via the intersect entity name (e.g., cr123_tag_inspection) — the SDK does not expose a direct M:N navigation helper; the screen-builder must query the intersect table directly. Flag this in the Step 7 summary if any M:N relationships are created.
-
Column @odata.type and required fields — reference table (verified against Dataverse OData API):
| Dataverse type | @odata.type | Required extra fields |
|---|
| Single-line text | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.StringAttributeMetadata | MaxLength (200), FormatName: { "Value": "Text" } — values: Text, Email, Url, Phone, TextArea |
| Multi-line text | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.MemoAttributeMetadata | MaxLength (10000), Format: "TextArea" |
| Whole number | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.IntegerAttributeMetadata | MinValue, MaxValue, Format: "None" |
| Decimal | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.DecimalAttributeMetadata | MinValue, MaxValue, Precision (2) |
| Currency (Money) | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.MoneyAttributeMetadata | MinValue, MaxValue, Precision (2), PrecisionSource (2) |
| Date/Time | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.DateTimeAttributeMetadata | Format: "DateAndTime" or "DateOnly", DateTimeBehavior: { "Value": "UserLocal" } |
| Boolean | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.BooleanAttributeMetadata | DefaultValue, OptionSet with TrueOption/FalseOption |
| Choice (picklist) | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.PicklistAttributeMetadata | OptionSet with IsGlobal: false, OptionSetType: "Picklist", Options[] — option integer values start at 100000000 and increment by 1 |
| Lookup | via RelationshipDefinitions — see 1:N skeleton above | — |
| Image | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.ImageAttributeMetadata | MaxSizeInKB (default 10240), CanStoreFullImage |
| File | Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.FileAttributeMetadata | MaxSizeInKB |
Common mistake: omitting FormatName on String columns and DateTimeBehavior on DateTime columns. Both are required — Dataverse rejects the POST without them.
-
Choice (option set) — set OptionSet.IsGlobal: false for local picklists. Full body (option values start at 100000000 and increment by 1):
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.PicklistAttributeMetadata",
"SchemaName": "<Prefix>_<ColumnName>",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "<Display Name>", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"RequiredLevel": { "Value": "None" },
"OptionSet": {
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.OptionSetMetadata",
"IsGlobal": false,
"OptionSetType": "Picklist",
"Options": [
{ "Value": 100000000, "Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "Option 1", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] } },
{ "Value": 100000001, "Label": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.LocalizedLabel", "Label": "Option 2", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] } }
]
}
}
-
Image — @odata.type: Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.ImageAttributeMetadata,
MaxSizeInKB and CanStoreFullImage. Dataverse always reports
MaxHeight: 144 and MaxWidth: 144 for the generated thumbnail; those values
cannot be changed and must not be used as full-image dimensions. Set
CanStoreFullImage: true when users must inspect or download the retained
full-size image. Updating this setting requires retrieving the complete
current ImageAttributeMetadata, changing the writable property, sending a
full-definition PUT, and publishing customizations.
-
File — @odata.type: Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.FileAttributeMetadata, MaxSizeInKB required
If the column type is not a simple string/int/boolean, surface a one-line confirmation to the user before posting.
After all mutations, re-run the existing-tables query (Step 4) to confirm everything landed.
Step 5c — Enforce the supported computed-column boundary
Dataverse metadata exposes FormulaDefinition, but Microsoft explicitly does
not support defining calculated, rollup, or formula expressions through code.
Legacy workflow XAML and generated formula serialization must not be synthesized.
- Do not invoke
create-calculated-column.js; it is a fail-closed guard for
legacy callers.
- Cross-entity fields must use a supported formatted lookup annotation or
bounded chained fetch as documented in
data-performance.md.
- For a hot list field that cannot use either path, mark it
external-projection-required and omit it from this mutation run. The user
may create a formula column in Power Apps or supply another server-owned
projection outside this PR, then rerun Step 4a to validate and reuse it.
- Never create an ordinary copied field without an explicit refresh owner.
Reference:
https://learn.microsoft.com/power-apps/developer/data-platform/specialized-columns
Step 5d — Create alternate keys for unique business identifiers
Print before starting:
"→ Creating alternate keys for columns marked unique in the data model (one HTTP call per key). Skip if no unique columns are planned."
Run condition: the ## Data Model section marks a non-primary column as unique / alternate key / natural key. Common examples: QR Code Value, SKU, external ID, employee number, asset tag. Skip primary IDs and skip columns whose type Dataverse cannot index as an alternate key (file/image, memo/long text, multi-select choice, calculated/rollup, customer/owner lookups).
Ordering: run after the target table and target columns exist, and before Step 6b publish. Alternate-key index activation is asynchronous; creation may return success while the key status is Pending.
Do NOT use the CreateEntityKey action route. In practice it can return 404 depending on route shape / environment. The reliable metadata route is POSTing to the table's Keys navigation collection:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> POST \
"EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<table>')/Keys" \
--body '<entity-key-json>' \
--solution '<solution-uniquename-from-memory-bank>' \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Body skeleton:
{
"@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.EntityKeyMetadata",
"SchemaName": "<prefix>_<table>_<column>_key",
"DisplayName": { "@odata.type": "Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.Label", "LocalizedLabels": [{ "Label": "<Column display> Key", "LanguageCode": 1033 }] },
"KeyAttributes": ["<column_logical_name>"]
}
Pre-flight each key before POST so re-runs are idempotent. A key can only pre-exist on a table that already existed at Step 4, so for a table created in this run, skip straight to the POST. Otherwise read Keys from that table's Step 4 snapshot. Query it directly only when the snapshot did not cover that table:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET \
"EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<table>')?\$select=LogicalName&\$expand=Keys(\$select=SchemaName,KeyAttributes,EntityKeyIndexStatus)" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
| Existing key state | Action |
|---|
Same SchemaName or same KeyAttributes exists with Active / Pending | Skip POST; record the key in .datamodel-manifest.json. |
Same SchemaName exists with Failed | Surface the failure and stop; Dataverse requires deleting/recreating the key manually or changing the planned key name. |
| No matching key | POST to EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<table>')/Keys. |
After POST: a 204 response is success. Re-query the Keys expand above and capture EntityKeyIndexStatus. If it is Pending, continue the scaffold but add a memory-bank follow-up: alternate key <schema> pending index activation. Do not rely on duplicate enforcement in manual tests until the status reaches Active.
Add alternate keys to .datamodel-manifest.json for the table:
"alternateKeys": [
{ "schemaName": "cr123_item_code_key", "keyAttributes": ["cr123_code"], "indexStatus": "Pending" }
]
Step 6 — Add data sources
Telemetry checkpoint: generate_dataverse_data_sources
Print before starting:
"→ Generating TypeScript services for tables via pa app add data-source (sequential). Print '✓
Service.ts' after each."
When <operation_manifest_mode> = valid, set SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES from
service.requiredTables[].logicalName. Keep the manifest's resolved adapted
names and exclude only explicit deferred rows. Service generation remains
sequential outside BATCH-METADATA.
For each table in SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES (regardless of reuse/extend/create),
verify its registered service before deciding whether generation is needed.
Preserve verified unchanged services outside the approved delta. For an approved
refresh or a service affected by this run's approved schema changes, use
Refresh a retained source
with the exact existing registration. Only an approved missing binding takes
the add command below. A required unregistered service outside approved scope
returns NEEDS_CONTEXT, not permission to register unrelated tables.
Do not derive the service list from Creation Order alone because reused tables
are intentionally absent from creation tiers. The CLI reads the environment ID
from power.config.json; pass the environment URL resolved earlier in the skill:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
$PA app add data-source --connector dataverse --org-url <envUrl> --table <table-logical-name>
Run one at a time — sequentially, not in parallel. The Power Apps CLI writes src/generated/connectorSchemas.ts and other generated files non-atomically; concurrent invocations corrupt them.
After generation, verify the output created by
pa app add data-source rather than guessing a JSON path or service
filename. The command writes Dataverse configuration under the literal
databaseReferences["default.cds"].dataSources key and derives service
filenames from each entry's entitySetName, which may differ from the table
logical name. The verifier also accepts the legacy nested
databaseReferences.default.cds shape:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/verify-dataverse-services.js" \
--project-root '<working_dir>' \
--manifest "$OPERATION_MANIFEST"
For the standalone fallback path without a manifest, pass the resolved service
list as --tables "<comma-separated-logical-names>". If any reused or custom
table is missing from config, lacks entitySetName, or has no matching generated
service, STOP before screen generation:
BLOCKED: required Dataverse service missing for <logical-name>. Schema action=<reuse|extend|create>; app usage=<screens/hooks that require it>.
Step 6b — Publish customizations
Telemetry checkpoint: publish_dataverse_customizations
When <operation_manifest_mode> = valid, skip this step: the validated
manifest's final publish phase already ran and its pending checkpoint was
deleted, or the manifest proved there were zero metadata writes and no pending
publish retry.
Print before starting:
"→ Publishing customizations (PublishXml) so new tables/columns become queryable. ~5–20 seconds."
Only after every Step 5 metadata POST and every Step 6 pa app add data-source has returned successfully, publish so the new tables and columns are available to the runtime. PublishXml takes the same exclusive metadata lock as the create/extend calls — do not run it concurrently with anything from Steps 5 or 6.
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> POST \
"PublishXml" \
--body "{\"ParameterXml\":\"<importexportxml><entities><entity>cr123_table1</entity><entity>cr123_table2</entity></entities></importexportxml>\"}" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
Build the entity list from all tables that were created or extended in Steps 4–5. Skip reused-as-is tables — they don't need republishing.
If the publish call returns a non-2xx status, report the error and stop — do not proceed. The user must resolve before the tables are usable.
After a 2xx publish, invalidate the planning-only inventory cache before
verification so a later planning run cannot reuse pre-publication inventory:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
if ! node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-inventory-cache.js" \
--file '<working_dir>/.tmp/dataverse-inventory-cache.json' --invalidate; then
printf 'NEEDS_RECOVERY: dataverse-inventory-cache\n' >&2
exit 2
fi
Apply the same cache-invalidation recovery rule from the validated publish path
above. Continue to Step 6c only after invalidation exits 0.
Step 6c — Verify tables exist
Telemetry checkpoint: verify_dataverse_schema
Confirm every table in SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES, including reused-as-is tables,
plus any created or extended table, is queryable after publication when needed.
Use the resolved effective names from the approved operation manifest or the
standalone path's verified service list, not Creation Order alone. Use one
filtered query for the bounded set, not one request per table:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" <envUrl> GET \
"EntityDefinitions?\$select=LogicalName,DisplayName&\$filter=LogicalName eq '<table1>' or LogicalName eq '<table2>'" \
--tenant-id '<tenantId-from-resolve-environment>'
- Every expected name present in
value[] → confirmed.
- Any expected name missing → schema/service verification is incomplete.
Return to the owning reconciliation step; do not mark that table materialized
or invent a new table to replace a missing reuse target.
Step 6d — Write .datamodel-manifest.json
After schema verification in Step 6c and generated-service verification in
Step 6 both pass, write the manifest to the project root using the Write
tool. This is the application's verified table inventory, not a schema-write
log; a reuse-only app must still have a populated manifest:
{
"environmentUrl": "<envUrl>",
"generatedAt": "<ISO timestamp>",
"tables": [
{
"logicalName": "cr123_jobsite",
"displayName": "Job Site",
"status": "new",
"metadataId": "<server-assigned GUID from Step 5a re-GET>",
"solution": "<solution unique name, e.g. PowerAppsDefault>",
"columns": [
{ "logicalName": "cr123_sitename", "type": "String" },
{ "logicalName": "cr123_address", "type": "String" }
]
}
]
}
metadataId and solution are required for status: "new" or "extended" entries — they're how Step 5a distinguishes "we own this on a re-run" from "name collision." Reused tables can omit both.
Include every service-required table confirmed in Step 6c, including tables
reused with no schema changes, plus verified new/extended tables. Use
status: "reused" for unchanged existing tables; retain "new" and
"extended" only for their actual outcomes. Preserve effective adapted names,
entity-set names, and verified column/relationship/key facts from reconciliation
and any post-write metadata reads. Exclude deferred or unverified tables.
Before returning, check that every SERVICE_REQUIRED_TABLES name occurs in the
manifest and has verified generated service output. A partial or empty manifest
from an earlier run is repaired by repeating Step 6's read-only service verifier
and Steps 6c–6d, not by replaying successful schema writes. Recording a reused
table does not authorize a metadata POST or republish; the existing sample-data
record-count checks and standard-system-table exclusions still apply.
During an edit with pending removals, preserve retiring entries until the
removal branch verifies that their app bindings/services are gone. The owner
then reconciles the final inventory; a shortened plan alone is not cleanup.
Return the actual created/extended/reused table sets for this invocation to the
user or current owner; historical manifest status is not evidence of creation
in this invocation. Seeding must use an
explicit approved allowlist excluding retirements, never this transitional
inventory as its insertion scope.
Step 7 — Inspect generated files
Glob: <working_dir>/src/generated/services/*Service.ts
Glob: <working_dir>/src/generated/models/*Model.ts
For each table, check the generated service exposes the expected methods:
Grep pattern="async (create|getAll|getById|update|delete|upload|downloadFile|downloadImage)" path="<working_dir>/src/generated/services/<Table>Service.ts"
If the table has file or image columns, confirm the service includes upload, downloadFile, downloadImage, deleteFileOrImage — and the model exposes <Table>FileColumnName / <Table>ImageColumnName union types.
File/image column UI controls: When a generated table has File or Image columns, note this in the summary so screen-builders apply the host controls from @microsoft/power-apps-native-host:
- File columns →
<FilePicker>; upload bytes separately via the generated service's upload method after the main create/update.
- Image columns →
<ImagePicker>; capture PickedImageInfo via onImageChange and persist through generated upload(...) after the main create/update.
- Read/view flows → use generated
downloadFile(...) / downloadImage(...) helpers for existing attachments/previews.
Full usage pattern and the native-wrapper boundary live in /add-native; screen-builder keeps only the concise JSX enforcement rule.
PDF/signature artifact schema guidance: If the approved plan mentions generated PDFs, PDF evidence packets, approvals, signatures, sign-off, ink, or drawings, preserve the storage decision in the Dataverse model instead of defaulting to text fields.
| User need | Dataverse shape | Write pattern |
|---|
| Generated PDF report that must be retained | File column on the parent record, or child Evidence/Attachment table with a File column | Create/update parent row first, then call generated Service.upload(parentId, '<fileColumn>', file) |
| Generated PDF report that is only transient | No Dataverse column required | Generate locally with expo-print only when present; share with expo-sharing only when present; do not route local URI to native PDF viewer |
| Captured signature/sign-off image | Image column when the latest signature belongs on the parent row | Strip data:image/png;base64, if the generated service expects raw base64, then include image payload in the update body |
| Multiple signatures, sketches, evidence images, or audit attachments | Child Evidence/Attachment table with Image/File columns and lookup to parent | Create child row first, then include Image payload or upload File bytes through generated service helpers |
Signature image normalization example:
const signatureBase64 = signatureDataUri.replace(/^data:image\/png;base64,/, '');
const result = await Cr123_approvalService.update(approvalId, {
cr123_signatureimage: signatureBase64,
cr123_signedat: new Date().toISOString(),
});
if (!result.success) {
throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? 'Signature image was not saved.');
}
File upload after parent row exists example:
const save = await Cr123_inspectionService.update(inspectionId, {
cr123_reportgeneratedat: new Date().toISOString(),
});
if (!save.success) {
throw new Error(save.error?.message ?? 'Inspection was not saved.');
}
const upload = await Cr123_inspectionService.upload(inspectionId, 'cr123_reportfile', reportFile);
if (!upload.success) {
throw new Error(upload.error?.message ?? 'Inspection report was not uploaded.');
}
Step 8 — Type-check
Telemetry checkpoint: validate_dataverse_integration
Print before starting:
"→ Regenerating connector schemas + running tsc to verify generated services compile (~15–30 seconds)."
pa app add data-source (Step 5) wrote new files into .power/schemas/<connector>/. The connectorSchemas.ts consumed by app/_layout.tsx is now stale — regenerate it before type-checking, otherwise the new tables won't be wired into the runtime schema map and tsc will pass against an out-of-date snapshot:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
npm run generate-schemas
npx --no-install tsc --noEmit
Fix any errors. Common: missing peer dependencies — npx --no-install expo install <package>.
Step 8.5 — Offline profile reconciliation
A schema change here (new table or new column) can leave an existing Mobile Offline Profile behind — new tables never sync to devices and new columns come down blank. Reconcile the profile with what you just created.
Skip this step only for a valid scoped orchestrator handoff with
--skip-planning whose owner explicitly takes responsibility for offline
reconciliation, as /create-mobile-app and /setup-datamodel do in their existing
flows. Return the verified delta to that owner without double-prompting.
The flag alone must not suppress standalone reconciliation.
Otherwise (manual /add-dataverse), run the local, no-network delta check:
cd -- '<working_dir>' || { echo "BLOCKED: cannot enter working_dir" >&2; exit 1; }
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/offline-profile-delta.js"
Branch on the JSON status per offline-profile-reconciliation.md:
status | Action |
|---|
no-manifest / no-profile / in-sync | Continue to Step 9 silently. For no-profile (no offline profile exists) do not nag — the app may not use offline. |
error | offline-profile.json is unreadable — the script prints status: error and exits non-zero. Do NOT treat this as an /add-dataverse failure (the tables are already created): surface the error string, skip reconciliation (never drive the update workflows against a corrupt file), and finish with DONE_WITH_CONCERNS telling the user to fix offline-profile.json. |
delta | Prompt the user (one AskUserQuestion, default = update now) to add the missing tables / new columns. Use the reconciliation reference's Scoped helper handoffs with orchestrator: add-dataverse, the absolute working_dir, phase: implementation, and the approved environment/profile/table delta. For missingTables[], read and execute ${PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/add-table-to-offline-profile/SKILL.md with --working-dir '<working_dir>' --table <t>; for tablesWithNewColumns[], read and execute ${PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/edit-offline-profile/SKILL.md with those arguments plus --columns add:<newColumns>. Re-run the delta check using the reference's failure dispatch; it should read in-sync. |
Step 9 — Summary
✅ Dataverse added
─────────────────────────────────────────────
Environment : <envUrl>
Tables reused : <list>
Tables extended: <list (columns added)>
Tables created : <list (in tier order)>
Adapted : <renamed table/column → new name, and why. Omit the line if none.>
Deferred : <items left out of this run and why, e.g. "cr123_note (target not customizable)". Omit the line if none.>
Operation manifest: <validated path, operation count, or "standalone fallback">
Generated services:
src/generated/services/<Table>Service.ts × N
Generated models:
src/generated/models/<Table>Model.ts × N
Type-check: PASS
Sample usage:
import { Cr123_jobsiteService } from '../../src/generated/services/Cr123_jobsiteService';
const result = await Cr123_jobsiteService.getAll({
select: ['cr123_sitename', 'cr123_address'],
filter: 'statecode eq 0',
orderBy: ['cr123_sitename asc'],
top: 50,
});
const sites = result.data ?? [];
⚠️ First call triggers Dataverse OAuth consent via the native player's
`<scheme>://oauth-callback` deep link.
Next:
/add-sample-data # Seed each new table with 5-10 realistic rows so the
# app's home screen shows real-looking data on first launch.
─────────────────────────────────────────────
After printing the summary, offer one-click sample-data seeding — but only when invoked manually (not from /create-mobile-app, which handles this in its own Step 8.5).
-
For a valid scoped orchestrator handoff with --skip-planning: skip the
prompt. The orchestrator invokes /add-sample-data separately.
-
Otherwise (manual invocation), propose exact verified, non-retiring seed
targets from this operation and a count policy; do not select every table
just because it appears in the manifest. Ask:
"Seed these tables with sample records using the proposed counts? (yes / no)"
Only an explicit yes approves seeding. On no/cancel/dismissal, stop without
inserts; empty input is not consent. On yes, invoke /add-sample-data with the
same absolute --working-dir, --tables "<approved-logical-names>", and
--exclude-tables "<retiring-logical-names-or-empty>". Carry the specific
approval forward; do not broaden it if lookups need additional parents.
Key Rules
- Always use generated services (e.g.,
Cr123_jobsiteService.getAll()) — never fetch / axios directly.
- Result data lives at
result.data, not result itself.
- Don't edit files under
src/generated/ — they are regenerated on every pa app add data-source.
- Picklist (Choice) fields, virtual fields, lookups, and file/image columns each have non-obvious gotchas. Keep
references/dataverse-reference.md aligned with this skill.
- A valid operation manifest removes repeated agent reconciliation; it does not
change Dataverse's serialized metadata-lock latency. Real matched A/B runs
remain required before claiming an end-to-end timing range.
- When a Dataverse Web API behavior is uncertain (lookup write syntax,
$expand nav property names, choice column shape, batch semantics, error format), query the microsoft-learn MCP server before guessing. See shared/shared-instructions.md → Microsoft Learn MCP. Guessed Dataverse syntax silently 400s.
Reference