Sample: Search and retrieve articles

 

Applies To: Dynamics 365 (online), Dynamics 365 (on-premises), Dynamics CRM 2016, Dynamics CRM Online

This sample code is for Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online & on-premises). Download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK package. It can be found in the following location in the download package:

SampleCode\CS\BusinessDataModel\Service\SearchAndRetrieveArticles.cs

Requirements

For more information about the requirements for running the sample code provided in this SDK, see Use the sample and helper code.

Demonstrates

This sample shows how to search by body, keyword, and title, and retrieve articles by topic incident subject and topic incident product.

Example


using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.ServiceModel;

// These namespaces are found in the Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.dll assembly
// located in the SDK\bin folder of the SDK download.
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Query;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;

// This namespace is found in Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Proxy.dll assembly
// found in the SDK\bin folder.
using Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Messages;

namespace Microsoft.Crm.Sdk.Samples
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Demonstrates how to search by body, keyword and title, and retrieve articles by
    /// topic incident subject and topic incident product.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="serverConfig">Contains server connection information.</param>
    /// <param name="promptforDelete">When True, the user will be prompted to delete all
    /// created entities.</param>
    public class SearchAndRetrieveArticles
    {
        #region Class Level Members

        private OrganizationServiceProxy _serviceProxy;
        private ServiceContext _context;

        private KbArticle[] _articles = new KbArticle[3];
        private Guid _subjectId;        
        private Incident _incident;
        private Account _account;
        private Product _product;
        private UoM _uom;
        private UoMSchedule _uomSchedule;

        #endregion Class Level Members

        #region How To Sample Code
        /// <summary>
        /// This method first creates sample articles and publishes them, then searches
        /// for the articles by body, keyword and title. Finally, it retrieves the 
        /// articles by top incident subject and top incident product.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="serverConfig">Contains server connection information.</param>
        /// <param name="promptforDelete">When True, the user will be prompted to delete all
        /// created entities.</param>

        public void Run(ServerConnection.Configuration serverConfig, bool promptforDelete)
        {
            try
            {
                // Connect to the Organization service. 
                // The using statement assures that the service proxy will be properly disposed.
                using (_serviceProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(serverConfig.OrganizationUri, serverConfig.HomeRealmUri,serverConfig.Credentials, serverConfig.DeviceCredentials))
                // Using the ServiceContext class makes the queries easier
                using (_context = new ServiceContext(_serviceProxy))
                {
                    // This statement is required to enable early-bound type support.
                    _serviceProxy.EnableProxyTypes();

                    CreateRequiredRecords();

                    #region Search Knowledge base by Body

                    // Create the request
                    SearchByBodyKbArticleRequest searchByBodyRequest = 
                        new SearchByBodyKbArticleRequest()
                    {
                        SubjectId = _subjectId,
                        UseInflection = true, // allows for a different tense or 
                        // inflection to be substituted for the search text
                        SearchText = "contained", // will also match on 'contains'
                        QueryExpression = new QueryExpression()
                        {
                            ColumnSet = new ColumnSet("articlexml"),
                            EntityName = KbArticle.EntityLogicalName
                        }
                    };

                    // Execute the request
                    Console.WriteLine("  Searching for published article with 'contained' in the body");

                    SearchByBodyKbArticleResponse seachByBodyResponse =
                        (SearchByBodyKbArticleResponse)_context.Execute(searchByBodyRequest);

                    // Check success
                    var retrievedArticleBodies = seachByBodyResponse.EntityCollection.Entities
                        .Select((entity) => ((KbArticle)entity).ArticleXml);

                    if (retrievedArticleBodies.Count() == 0)
                        throw new Exception("No articles found");

                    Console.WriteLine("  Results of search (article bodies found):");
                    foreach (var body in retrievedArticleBodies)
                        Console.WriteLine(body);

                    #endregion

                    #region Search knowledge base by Keyword

                    // Create the request
                    SearchByKeywordsKbArticleRequest searchByKeywordRequest = 
                        new SearchByKeywordsKbArticleRequest()
                    {
                        SubjectId = _subjectId,
                        UseInflection = true,
                        SearchText = "Search",
                        QueryExpression = new QueryExpression()
                        {
                            ColumnSet = new ColumnSet("keywords"),
                            EntityName = KbArticle.EntityLogicalName
                        }
                    };

                    // Execute the request
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.WriteLine("  Searching for published article with 'search' as a keyword");
                    var searchByKeywordResponse =
                        (SearchByKeywordsKbArticleResponse)_context.Execute(searchByKeywordRequest);

                    // Check success
                    var retrievedArticleKeywords = searchByKeywordResponse.EntityCollection.Entities
                        .Select((entity) => (KbArticle)entity);

                    if (retrievedArticleKeywords.Count() == 0)
                        throw new Exception("No articles found");

                    Console.WriteLine("  Results of search (keywords found):");
                    foreach (var article in retrievedArticleKeywords)
                        Console.WriteLine(article.KeyWords);

                    #endregion

                    #region Search knowledge base by Title

                    // create the request
                    SearchByTitleKbArticleRequest searchByTitleRequest = 
                        new SearchByTitleKbArticleRequest()
                    {
                        SubjectId = _subjectId,
                        UseInflection = false,
                        SearchText = "code",
                        QueryExpression = new QueryExpression()
                        {
                            ColumnSet = new ColumnSet("title"),
                            EntityName = KbArticle.EntityLogicalName
                        }
                    };

                    // execute the request
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.WriteLine("  Searching for published articles with 'code' in the title");
                    var searchByTitleResponse = (SearchByTitleKbArticleResponse)
                        _context.Execute(searchByTitleRequest);

                    // check success
                    var retrievedArticles = searchByTitleResponse.EntityCollection.Entities
                        .Select((entity) => (KbArticle)entity);
                    Console.WriteLine("  Results of search (titles found):");
                    foreach (var article in retrievedArticles)
                        Console.WriteLine(article.Title);

                    #endregion

                    #region Retrieve by top incident subject

                    // create the request
                    var retrieveByTopIncidentSubjectRequest = 
                        new RetrieveByTopIncidentSubjectKbArticleRequest()
                    {
                        SubjectId = _subjectId
                    };

                    // execute request
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.WriteLine("  Searching for the top articles in subject 'Default Subject'");
                    var retrieveByTopIncidentSubjectResponse = (RetrieveByTopIncidentSubjectKbArticleResponse)
                        _context.Execute(retrieveByTopIncidentSubjectRequest);

                    // check success
                    var articles = retrieveByTopIncidentSubjectResponse.EntityCollection.Entities.Select(
                        (entity) => (KbArticle)entity);
                    Console.WriteLine("  Top articles in subject 'Default Subject':");
                    foreach (var article in articles)
                        Console.WriteLine(article.Title);

                    #endregion

                    #region Retrieve by top incident product

                    // create the request
                    var retrieveByTopIncidentProductRequest = 
                        new RetrieveByTopIncidentProductKbArticleRequest()
                    {
                        ProductId = _product.Id
                    };

                    // execute request
                    Console.WriteLine();
                    Console.WriteLine("  Searching for the top articles for product 'Sample Product'");
                    var retrieveByTopIncidentProductResponse = (RetrieveByTopIncidentProductKbArticleResponse)
                        _context.Execute(retrieveByTopIncidentProductRequest);

                    // check success
                    articles = retrieveByTopIncidentProductResponse.EntityCollection.Entities.Select(
                        (entity) => (KbArticle)entity);
                    Console.WriteLine("  Top articles for product 'Sample Product':");
                    foreach (var article in articles)
                        Console.WriteLine(article.Title);

                    #endregion

                    DeleteRequiredRecords(promptforDelete);
                }
            }

            // Catch any service fault exceptions that Microsoft Dynamics CRM throws.
            catch (FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault>)
            {
                // You can handle an exception here or pass it back to the calling method.
                throw;
            }
        }

        #region Public methods

        /// <summary>
        /// Creates any entity records that this sample requires.
        /// </summary>
        public void CreateRequiredRecords()
        {
            #region create kb articles

            Console.WriteLine("  Creating KB Articles");

            _subjectId = (
                          from subject in _context.SubjectSet
                          where subject.Title == "Default Subject"
                          select subject.Id
                         ).First();

            var kbArticleTemplateId = (               
                                       from articleTemplate in _context.KbArticleTemplateSet
                                       where articleTemplate.Title == "Standard KB Article"
                                       select articleTemplate.Id
                                      ).FirstOrDefault();

            if (kbArticleTemplateId != Guid.Empty)
            {
                // create a KB article
                _articles[0] = new KbArticle()
                {
                    // set the article properties
                    Title = "Searching the knowledge base",
                    ArticleXml = @"
                <articledata>
                    <section id='0'>
                        <content><![CDATA[This is a sample article about searching the knowledge base.]]></content>
                    </section>
                    <section id='1'>
                        <content><![CDATA[Knowledge bases contain information useful for various people.]]></content>
                    </section>
                </articledata>",
                    // use the built-in "Standard KB Article" template
                    KbArticleTemplateId = new EntityReference(KbArticleTemplate.EntityLogicalName,
                        kbArticleTemplateId),
                    // use the default subject
                    SubjectId = new EntityReference(Subject.EntityLogicalName, _subjectId),
                    KeyWords = "Searching Knowledge base"
                };
                _context.AddObject(_articles[0]);

                _articles[1] = new KbArticle()
                {
                    Title = "What's in a knowledge base",
                    ArticleXml = @"
                            <articledata>
                                <section id='0'>
                                    <content><![CDATA[This is a sample article about what would be in a knowledge base.]]></content>
                                </section>
                                <section id='1'>
                                    <content><![CDATA[This section contains more information.]]></content>
                                </section>
                            </articledata>",
                    KbArticleTemplateId = new EntityReference(KbArticleTemplate.EntityLogicalName,
                       kbArticleTemplateId),
                    SubjectId = new EntityReference(Subject.EntityLogicalName, _subjectId),
                    KeyWords = "Knowledge base"
                };
                _context.AddObject(_articles[1]);

                _articles[2] = new KbArticle()
                {
                    Title = "Searching the knowledge base from code",
                    ArticleXml = @"
                            <articledata>
                                <section id='0'>
                                    <content><![CDATA[This article covers searching the knowledge base from code.]]></content>
                                </section>
                                <section id='1'>
                                    <content><![CDATA[This section contains more information.]]></content>
                                </section>
                            </articledata>",
                    KbArticleTemplateId = new EntityReference(KbArticleTemplate.EntityLogicalName,
                       kbArticleTemplateId),
                    SubjectId = new EntityReference(Subject.EntityLogicalName, _subjectId),
                    KeyWords = "Knowledge base code"
                };
                _context.AddObject(_articles[2]);
                _context.SaveChanges();
            }
            else
            {
                throw new ArgumentException("Standard Article Templates are missing");
            }
            #endregion

            #region Submit the articles

            Console.WriteLine("  Submitting the articles");

            foreach (var article in _articles)
            {
                _context.Execute(new SetStateRequest
                {
                    EntityMoniker = article.ToEntityReference(),
                    State = new OptionSetValue((int)KbArticleState.Unapproved),
                    Status = new OptionSetValue((int)kbarticle_statuscode.Unapproved)
                });
            }

            #endregion

            #region Approve and Publish the article

            Console.WriteLine("  Publishing articles");

            foreach (var article in _articles)
            {
                _context.Execute(new SetStateRequest
                {
                    EntityMoniker = article.ToEntityReference(),
                    State = new OptionSetValue((int)KbArticleState.Published),
                    Status = new OptionSetValue((int)kbarticle_statuscode.Published)
                });
            }

            #endregion

            #region Waiting for publishing to finish

            // Wait 20 seconds to ensure that data will be available
            // Full-text indexing
            Console.WriteLine("  Waiting 20 seconds to ensure indexing has completed on the new records.");
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(20000);
            Console.WriteLine();

            #endregion

            #region Add cases to KbArticles

            // Create UoM
            _uomSchedule = new UoMSchedule()
            {
                Name = "Sample unit group",
                BaseUoMName = "Sample base unit"
            };
            _context.AddObject(_uomSchedule);
            _context.SaveChanges();

            _uom = (from uom in _context.UoMSet
                    where uom.Name == _uomSchedule.BaseUoMName
                    select uom).First();

            Console.WriteLine("  Creating an account and incidents for the KB articles");
            var whoami = (WhoAmIResponse)_context.Execute(new WhoAmIRequest());

            _account = new Account()
            {
                Name = "Coho Winery",
            };
            _context.AddObject(_account);
            _context.SaveChanges();

            _product = new Product()
            {
                Name = "Sample Product",
                ProductNumber = "0",
                ProductStructure = new OptionSetValue(1),
                DefaultUoMScheduleId = _uomSchedule.ToEntityReference(),
                DefaultUoMId = _uom.ToEntityReference()
            };

            _context.AddObject(_product);
            _context.SaveChanges();

            // Publish Product
            SetStateRequest publishRequest = new SetStateRequest
            {
                EntityMoniker = new EntityReference(Product.EntityLogicalName, _product.Id),
                State = new OptionSetValue((int)ProductState.Active),
                Status = new OptionSetValue(1)
            };
            _context.Execute(publishRequest);

            _incident = new Incident()
            {
                Title = "A sample incident",
                OwnerId = new EntityReference(SystemUser.EntityLogicalName, whoami.UserId),
                KbArticleId = _articles[0].ToEntityReference(),
                CustomerId = _account.ToEntityReference(),
                SubjectId = new EntityReference(Subject.EntityLogicalName, _subjectId),
                ProductId = _product.ToEntityReference()
            };
            _context.AddObject(_incident);
            _context.SaveChanges();

            #endregion
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Deletes any entity records that were created for this sample.
        /// <param name="prompt">Indicates whether to prompt the user 
        /// to delete the records created in this sample.</param>
        /// </summary>
        public void DeleteRequiredRecords(bool prompt)
        {
            bool toBeDeleted = true;

            if (prompt)
            {
                // Ask the user if the created entities should be deleted.
                Console.Write("\nDo you want these entity records deleted? (y/n) [y]: ");
                String answer = Console.ReadLine();
                if (answer.StartsWith("y") ||
                    answer.StartsWith("Y") ||
                    answer == String.Empty)
                {
                    toBeDeleted = true;
                }
                else
                {
                    toBeDeleted = false;
                }
            }

            if (toBeDeleted)
            {
                #region Delete incidents, accounts and units of measure

                _serviceProxy.Delete(Incident.EntityLogicalName, _incident.Id);

                _serviceProxy.Delete(Product.EntityLogicalName, _product.Id);

                _serviceProxy.Delete(Account.EntityLogicalName, _account.Id);

                _serviceProxy.Delete(UoMSchedule.EntityLogicalName, _uomSchedule.Id);

                #endregion

                #region Unpublish articles

                foreach (var article in _articles)
                {
                    _serviceProxy.Execute(new SetStateRequest
                    {
                        EntityMoniker = article.ToEntityReference(),
                        Status = new OptionSetValue((int)kbarticle_statuscode.Unapproved),
                        State = new OptionSetValue((int)KbArticleState.Unapproved)
                    });
                }

                #endregion

                #region Delete articles

                foreach (var article in _articles)
                    _serviceProxy.Delete(KbArticle.EntityLogicalName, article.Id);

                #endregion

                Console.WriteLine("Entity records have been deleted.");
            }
        }
        #endregion Public Methods

        #endregion How To Sample Code

        #region Main method

        /// <summary>
        /// Standard Main() method used by most SDK samples.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="args"></param>
        static public void Main(string[] args)
        {
            try
            {
                // Obtain the target organization's Web address and client logon 
                // credentials from the user.
                ServerConnection serverConnect = new ServerConnection();
                ServerConnection.Configuration config = serverConnect.GetServerConfiguration();

                SearchAndRetrieveArticles app = new SearchAndRetrieveArticles();
                app.Run(config, true);
            }
            catch (FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault> ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", ex.Detail.Timestamp);
                Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", ex.Detail.ErrorCode);
                Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Detail.Message);
                Console.WriteLine("Plugin Trace: {0}", ex.Detail.TraceText);
                Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                    null == ex.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
            }
            catch (System.TimeoutException ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", ex.Message);
                Console.WriteLine("Stack Trace: {0}", ex.StackTrace);
                Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                    null == ex.InnerException.Message ? "No Inner Fault" : ex.InnerException.Message);
            }
            catch (System.Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("The application terminated with an error.");
                Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);

                // Display the details of the inner exception.
                if (ex.InnerException != null)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(ex.InnerException.Message);

                    FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault> fe = ex.InnerException
                        as FaultException<Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.OrganizationServiceFault>;
                    if (fe != null)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine("Timestamp: {0}", fe.Detail.Timestamp);
                        Console.WriteLine("Code: {0}", fe.Detail.ErrorCode);
                        Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", fe.Detail.Message);
                        Console.WriteLine("Plugin Trace: {0}", fe.Detail.TraceText);
                        Console.WriteLine("Inner Fault: {0}",
                            null == fe.Detail.InnerFault ? "No Inner Fault" : "Has Inner Fault");
                    }
                }
            }
            // Additional exceptions to catch: SecurityTokenValidationException, ExpiredSecurityTokenException,
            // SecurityAccessDeniedException, MessageSecurityException, and SecurityNegotiationException.

            finally
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Press <Enter> to exit.");
                Console.ReadLine();
            }
        }

        #endregion Main method
    }
}

See Also

SearchByBodyKbArticleRequest
SearchByKeywordsKbArticleRequest
SearchByTitleKbArticleRequest
RetrieveByTopIncidentSubjectKbArticleRequest
RetrieveByTopIncidentProductKbArticleRequest
Service entities (contract, incident, knowledge article, queue, calendar, entitlement, slakpiinstance)
Knowledge management entities

Microsoft Dynamics 365

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