Change Plugin Step Configs to not use the EventOperation enum but instead use a string to allow for custom messages.

RegisterStep supports both enum and string for ease of use.

Author: mkholt

XrmPluginCore.Abstractions/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+### v1.1.0 - 08 October 2025
+* Change Plugin Step Configs to not use the EventOperation enum but instead use a string to allow for custom messages.
+
 ### v1.0.0 - 01 October 2025
 * Modifications to CustomAPI definitions to align better with data
 * Remove Delegate branding after company rebrand to Context&

XrmPluginCore.Abstractions/Enums/EventOperation.cs

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 namespace XrmPluginCore.Enums
 {
-    // EventOperation based on CRM 2016
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Known system messages based on CRM 2016.<br/>
+    /// Use this as a basis for plugin step registration.
+    /// </summary>
     public enum EventOperation
     {
         AddItem,

XrmPluginCore.Abstractions/Interfaces/Plugin/IPluginStepConfig.cs

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public interface IPluginStepConfig
         /// <summary>
         /// Event operation that the SDK message processing step is registered for.
         /// </summary>
-        EventOperation EventOperation { get; }
+        string EventOperation { get; }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Stage in the execution pipeline that the SDK message processing step is in.

XrmPluginCore.Tests/Integration/PluginIntegrationTests.cs

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public void PluginRegistrations_ShouldContainCorrectConfiguration()
             registrations.Should().HaveCount(1);
             var registration = registrations.First();
             registration.EntityLogicalName.Should().Be("account");
-            registration.EventOperation.Should().Be(EventOperation.Update);
+            registration.EventOperation.Should().Be(nameof(EventOperation.Update));
             registration.ExecutionStage.Should().Be(ExecutionStage.PreOperation);
         }
     }

XrmPluginCore.Tests/PluginTests.cs

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.ServiceModel;
-using XrmPluginCore;
 using XrmPluginCore.Tests.TestPlugins.Bedrock;
 using Xunit;
 using XrmPluginCore.Extensions;
@@ -157,8 +156,8 @@ public void Execute_CustomMessage_ShouldExecuteAction()
             var mockProvider = new MockServiceProvider();
 
             // Setup context for custom message
-            mockProvider.SetupPrimaryEntityName("custom_message");
-            mockProvider.SetupMessageName("Execute");
+            mockProvider.SetupPrimaryEntityName("account");
+            mockProvider.SetupMessageName("custom_message");
             mockProvider.SetupStage(20);
 
             // Act
@@ -249,8 +248,8 @@ public void GetRegistrations_ShouldReturnCorrectRegistrations()
 
             // Assert
             registrations.Should().HaveCount(2);
-            registrations.Should().Contain(r => r.EventOperation == EventOperation.Create);
-            registrations.Should().Contain(r => r.EventOperation == EventOperation.Update);
+            registrations.Should().Contain(r => r.EventOperation.Equals(nameof(EventOperation.Create)));
+            registrations.Should().Contain(r => r.EventOperation.Equals(nameof(EventOperation.Update)));
         }
 
         [Fact]

XrmPluginCore.Tests/TestPlugins/TestPlugins.cs

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class TestCustomMessagePlugin : Plugin
 
         public TestCustomMessagePlugin()
         {
-            RegisterPluginStep("custom_message", EventOperation.Execute, ExecutionStage.PreOperation, Execute);
+            RegisterPluginStep<Entity>("custom_message", ExecutionStage.PreOperation, Execute);
         }
 
         private void Execute(LocalPluginContext context)

XrmPluginCore/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+### v1.1.0 - 8 October 2025
+* Breaking: Change Plugin Step Configs to not use the EventOperation enum but instead use a string to allow for custom messages. RegisterStep supports both enum and string for ease of use.
+* Fix: Remove the MessageEntity type since it isn't needed and muddies the waters
+
 ### v1.0.1 - 2 October 2025
 * Refactor: Merge CustomAPI into Plugin base class for simplicity
 

XrmPluginCore/Plugin.cs

@@ -125,9 +125,32 @@ public ICustomApiConfig GetRegistration()
         /// <param name="executionStage">The execution stage of the plugin registration</param>
         /// <param name="action">The action to execute</param>
         /// <returns>The <see cref="PluginStepConfigBuilder{T}"/> to register filters and images</returns>
+        [Obsolete("Use RegisterStep instead")]
         protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<T> RegisterPluginStep<T>(
             EventOperation eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<LocalPluginContext> action)
             where T : Entity
+        {
+            return RegisterStep<T>(eventOperation.ToString(), executionStage, sp => action(new LocalPluginContext(sp)));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Register a plugin step for the given entity type, event operation, and execution stage with the given action.<br/>
+        /// The action will get passed a <see cref="LocalPluginContext"/>.<br/>
+        /// <br/>
+        /// <b>
+        /// NOTE: It is strongly adviced to use the <see cref="RegisterPluginStep{T}(EventOperation, ExecutionStage, Action{LocalPluginContext})"/> method instead if possible.<br/>
+        /// Only use this method if you are registering for a non-standard message.
+        /// </b>
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T">The entity type to register the plugin for</typeparam>
+        /// <param name="eventOperation">The event operation to register the plugin for</param>
+        /// <param name="executionStage">The execution stage of the plugin registration</param>
+        /// <param name="action">The action to execute</param>
+        /// <returns>The <see cref="PluginStepConfigBuilder{T}"/> to register filters and images</returns>
+        [Obsolete("Use RegisterStep instead")]
+        protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<T> RegisterPluginStep<T>(
+            string eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<LocalPluginContext> action)
+            where T : Entity
         {
             return RegisterStep<T>(eventOperation, executionStage, sp => action(new LocalPluginContext(sp)));
         }
@@ -145,6 +168,28 @@ protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<T> RegisterPluginStep<T>(
         protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<TEntity> RegisterStep<TEntity, TService>(
             EventOperation eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<TService> action)
             where TEntity : Entity
+        {
+            return RegisterStep<TEntity>(eventOperation.ToString(), executionStage, sp => action(sp.GetRequiredService<TService>()));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Register a plugin step for the given entity type, event operation, and execution stage with the given action.<br/>
+        /// The action will get passed an instance of <typeparamref name="TService"/>.
+        /// <br/>
+        /// <b>
+        /// NOTE: It is strongly adviced to use the <see cref="RegisterStep{TEntity, TService}(EventOperation, ExecutionStage, Action{TService})"/> method instead if possible.<br/>
+        /// Only use this method if you are registering for a non-standard message.
+        /// </b>
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="TEntity">The entity type to register the plugin for</typeparam>
+        /// <typeparam name="TService">The service type to pass to the action</typeparam>
+        /// <param name="eventOperation">The event operation to register the plugin for</param>
+        /// <param name="executionStage">The execution stage of the plugin registration</param>
+        /// <param name="action">The action to execute</param>
+        /// <returns>The <see cref="PluginStepConfigBuilder{T}"/> to register filters and images</returns>
+        protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<TEntity> RegisterStep<TEntity, TService>(
+            string eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<TService> action)
+            where TEntity : Entity
         {
             return RegisterStep<TEntity>(eventOperation, executionStage, sp => action(sp.GetRequiredService<TService>()));
         }
@@ -161,6 +206,27 @@ protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<TEntity> RegisterStep<TEntity, TService>(
         protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<T> RegisterStep<T>(
             EventOperation eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<IExtendedServiceProvider> action)
             where T : Entity
+        {
+            return RegisterStep<T>(eventOperation.ToString(), executionStage, action);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Register a plugin step for the given entity type, event operation, and execution stage with the given action.<br/>
+        /// The action will get passed a <see cref="IServiceProvider"/>.
+        /// <br/>
+        /// <b>
+        /// NOTE: It is strongly adviced to use the <see cref="RegisterStep{T}(EventOperation, ExecutionStage, Action{IExtendedServiceProvider})"/> method instead if possible.<br/>
+        /// Only use this method if you are registering for a non-standard message.
+        /// </b>
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T">The entity type to register the plugin for</typeparam>
+        /// <param name="eventOperation">The event operation to register the plugin for</param>
+        /// <param name="executionStage">The execution stage of the plugin registration</param>
+        /// <param name="action">The action to execute</param>
+        /// <returns>The <see cref="PluginStepConfigBuilder{T}"/> to register filters and images</returns>
+        protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<T> RegisterStep<T>(
+            string eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<IExtendedServiceProvider> action)
+            where T : Entity
         {
             var builder = new PluginStepConfigBuilder<T>(eventOperation, executionStage);
             RegisteredPluginSteps.Add(new PluginStepRegistration(builder, action));
@@ -211,21 +277,6 @@ protected CustomApiConfigBuilder RegisterAPI(string name, Action<IExtendedServic
             return configBuilder;
         }
 
-        // TODO: THESE TWO ARE WRONG - IT'S NOT THE ENTITY THAT'S CUSTOM, IT'S THE EVENTOPERATION
-        protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<MessageEntity> RegisterPluginStep(
-            string pluginMessage, EventOperation eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<LocalPluginContext> action)
-        {
-            return RegisterStep(pluginMessage, eventOperation, executionStage, sp => action(new LocalPluginContext(sp)));
-        }
-
-        protected PluginStepConfigBuilder<MessageEntity> RegisterStep(
-            string pluginMessage, EventOperation eventOperation, ExecutionStage executionStage, Action<IExtendedServiceProvider> action)
-        {
-            var builder = new PluginStepConfigBuilder<MessageEntity>(pluginMessage, eventOperation, executionStage);
-            RegisteredPluginSteps.Add(new PluginStepRegistration(builder, action));
-            return builder;
-        }
-
         private Action<IExtendedServiceProvider> GetAction(IPluginExecutionContext context)
         {
             // Iterate over all of the expected registered events to ensure that the plugin

XrmPluginCore/Plugins/MessageEntity.cs

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class PluginStepConfig : IPluginStepConfig
 
         public string Name { get; internal set; }
 
-        public EventOperation EventOperation { get; internal set; }
+        public string EventOperation { get; internal set; }
 
         public ExecutionStage ExecutionStage { get; internal set; }