using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Configuration;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.ServiceModel;
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Client;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Client.Services;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;

namespace Experiments
{
    class Program
    {
        private static OrganizationService _orgService;
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                CrmConnection connection = CrmConnection.Parse(
                    ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["CRMConnectionString"].ConnectionString);

                using (_orgService = new OrganizationService(connection))
                {
                    var exportToExcelRequest = new OrganizationRequest("ExportToExcel");
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters = new ParameterCollection();
                    //Has to be a savedquery aka "System View" or userquery aka "Saved View"
                    //The view has to exist, otherwise will error out
                    //Guid of the view has to be passed
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object> ("View",
                        new EntityReference("userquery", new Guid("{0B915102-24A7-E611-8101-1458D05B1178}"))));
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object>("FetchXml", @"
                    <fetch distinct='false' no-lock='false' mapping='logical' returntotalrecordcount='true'>
	                    <entity name='contact'>
		                    <attribute name='fullname' />
	                    </entity>
                    </fetch>"));
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object>("LayoutXml", @"
                    <grid name='resultset' object='2' jump='fullname' select='1' icon='1' preview='1'>
	                    <row name='result' id='contactid'>
		                    <cell name='fullname' width='300' />
	                    </row>
                    </grid>"));
                    //need these params to keep org service happy
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object>("QueryApi", ""));
                    exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object>("QueryParameters",
                        new InputArgumentCollection()));
                    var exportToExcelResponse = _orgService.Execute(exportToExcelRequest);
                    if (exportToExcelResponse.Results.Any())
                    {
                        File.WriteAllBytes("Active Contacts.xlsx", exportToExcelResponse.Results["ExcelFile"] as byte[]);
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (FaultException<OrganizationServiceFault> ex)
            {
                string message = ex.Message;
                throw;
            }
        }
    }
}

11 comments

1. […] that is not documented in Microsoft Dynamics 365 SDK, but works perfectly fine (like for example ExportToExcel message). I decided to prepare a list of all those messages, together with input and output […]

   Reply

2. Hi,

   I know this is kind of an old post, but I was wondering if you ever got this to work through the web api?
   I’m completely stuck ATM.
   As far as I can tell from the error messages and trace files, there is an issue with my requestbody, but seeing as this is an undocumented action, I can’t seem to find any other post regarding this.

   Any help would be greatly appreciated!

   Reply

   • Like you said, since it is not documented is most likely won’t even work with the WebAPI endpoint.

     Reply

     • But in your post you mentioned that it’s possible to execute this from javascript. What did you mean by that then if not through the webapi?

     • I did not save the script and I don’t have a copy of it. It was something to do with Xrm.Internal.messages.exportToExcel, which is unsupported.

3. Where the excel file will store

   Reply

4. It is just saved to the disk.

   Reply

5. Hi,

   I am using this message as you have used above in a workflow step to create an excel attachment to an email. I am working in a Multilingual environment, I wanted to know if a user language parameter can be passed to the request to create excel sheets in different languages.

   Any help would be appreciated.

   Reply

   • Since this an undocumented message it is unsupported. Try using an external library to generate the Excel file e.g https://github.com/rajyraman/mscrmexporttoexcel

     Reply

6. im trying the same code as a workflow but when i try to run the process im facing an issue i.e,The request ExportToExcel cannot be invoked from the Sandbox.

   here is my code snippet

   QueryExpression query = new QueryExpression(“savedquery”);
   query.ColumnSet = new ColumnSet(true);
   query.Criteria.AddCondition(“returnedtypecode”, ConditionOperator.Equal, entityName);
   query.Criteria.AddCondition(“querytype”, ConditionOperator.Equal, 0);
   query.Criteria.AddCondition(“name”, ConditionOperator.Equal, viewName);
   EntityCollection collection = service.RetrieveMultiple(query);

   if (collection != null && collection.Entities.Any())
   {

   OrganizationRequest exportToExcelRequest = new OrganizationRequest(“ExportToExcel”);
   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters = new ParameterCollection();
   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair(“View”, new EntityReference(“savedquery”, collection.Entities.FirstOrDefault().Id)));
   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair(“FetchXml”, HelperFunctions.GetAttributeValue(“fetchxml”, collection.Entities.FirstOrDefault())));
   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair(“LayoutXml”, HelperFunctions.GetAttributeValue(“layoutxml”, collection.Entities.FirstOrDefault())));

   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair(“QueryApi”, “”));
   exportToExcelRequest.Parameters.Add(new KeyValuePair(“QueryParameters”, new InputArgumentCollection()));

   OrganizationResponse exportToExcelResponse = service.Execute(exportToExcelRequest);

   if (exportToExcelResponse != null && exportToExcelResponse.Results.Any())
   {
   Entity attachment = new Entity(“activitymimeattachment”);
   attachment[“objectid”] = emailId;
   attachment[“objecttypecode”] = emailId.LogicalName;
   //attachment[“subject”] = “sub”;
   attachment[“body”] = Convert.ToBase64String(exportToExcelResponse.Results[“ExcelFile”] as byte[]);
   attachment[“filename”] = string.Format(“{0}.xlsx”, viewName);
   attachment[“mimetype”] = “application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet”;
   service.Create(attachment);

   Reply

   • Since this is a undocumented message it is unsupported and basically suitable only for demos/PoCs. You can try using EPPlus or a similar library to generate this.

     Reply