----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc
This system attracts business owner by its low price, plus system is very easy to use. However if your business is growing you should reach the moment to implement more advanced CRM solution. Natural question is how do we convert the data from Act! to new CRM solution and the mapping of your objects for conversion. You would probably like to avoid operator data entry with potential numerous errors and mistypes. Assuming that you are IT specialist, well give you technical side of Act to MS CRM data migration:First you need to download Act! SDK from Best Software websiteInstall Act! SDK on the computer, where you plan to do programmingWell use asynchronous data export/import model, this means that well design the system, containing two parts: export into XML and this XML file import into the CRMLets code Act! data export application, well use C# to address Act Framework classes, well need these libraries:
To connect to Act! database:using Act.Framework;using Act.Framework.Activities;using Act.Framework.Companies;using Act.Framework.ComponentModel;using Act.Framework.Contacts;using Act.Framework.Database;using Act.Framework.Groups;using Act.Framework.Histories;using Act.Framework.Lookups;using Act.Framework.MutableEntities;using Act.Framework.Notes;using Act.Framework.Opportunities;using Act.Framework.Users;using Act.Shared.Collections;
Now we need Act field names to map them with the fields in the MS CRM:ActFramework framework = new ActFramework();framework.LogOn("Act Username", "password", "SERVER, "Database");
Lets get contact list and create the file for import instructions to MS CRM:private void ShowContactsFieldsDescriptions(ActFramework framework) { ContactFieldDescriptor[] cFields = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptors(); ContactFieldDescriptor cField; for(int x = 0; x < cFields.Length; x++) { cField = cFields[x]; Console.WriteLine("Table Name:tt{0}", cField.TableName); Console.WriteLine("Column Name:t{0}", cField.ColumnName); Console.WriteLine("Display Name:t{0}", cField.DisplayName);Console.WriteLine("ACT Field Type:t{0}", cField.ACTFieldType); Console.WriteLine(""); }}
Now we form export data:ContactList cList = framework.Contacts.GetContacts(null);FileInfo t = new FileInfo("Contacts.xml");StreamWriter stw = t.CreateText();
This is only portion of the data, that could be transferred into CRM, the whole list of fields is too long for small article, but your could design the whole list of desired fields. Please, pay special attention to replace <BR> HTML tag this is required for text data transfer into CRMNext is import application creation. We will not describe here connection to MS CRM details please read Microsoft CRM SDK if you need this examples. Well concentrate on the nature of the import. The XML export file should look like this:for (int i = 0; i < cList.Count; i++) { string strContactXml = "<contact>"; ContactFieldDescriptor cField; Object oValue; // First Name cField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.FIRSTNAME"); oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]); if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "<firstname><![CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]></firstname>"; // Last Name cField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.LASTNAME"); oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]); if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "<lastname><![CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]></lastname>"; elsestrContactXml += "<lastname>" + "N/A" + "</lastname>"; // Salutation cField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.SALUTATION"); oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]); if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "<salutation><![CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]></salutation>"; // Job Title cField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.JOBTITLE"); oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]); if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "<jobtitle><![CDATA[" + Regex.Replace(oValue.ToString(), "rn", "<BR>") + "]]></jobtitle>";
<contact><firstname><![CDATA[John]]></firstname><lastname><![CDATA[Smith]]></lastname><salutation><![CDATA[John]]></salutation><address1_line1><![CDATA[1234 W. Big River]]></address1_line1><address1_city><![CDATA[Chicago]]></address1_city><address1_stateorprovince><![CDATA[IL]]></address1_stateorprovince><address1_postalcode><![CDATA[123456]]></address1_postalcode><description><![CDATA[Toy Corporation]]></description><ownerid type="8">{4F1849C3-9184-48B5-BB09-078ED7AB2DAD}</ownerid></contact>Reading, parsing and MS CRM object creation look is relatively simple: Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser bizUser = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser(); ICredentials credentials = new NetworkCredential(crmUsername, crmPassword, crmDomain); bizUser.Url = crmDir + "BizUser.srf"; bizUser.Credentials = credentials; Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CUserAuth userAuth = bizUser.WhoAmI(); // CRMContact proxy object Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMContact contact = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMContact (); contact.Credentials = credentials; contact.Url = crmDir + "CRMContact.srf"; CorrectXML("Contacts.xml", userAuth.UserId); StreamReader reader = File.OpenText("Contacts.xml"); string input = null; while ((input = reader.ReadLine()) != null) { string strContactId = contact.Create(userAuth, input);Console.WriteLine("Contact {0} is created", strContactId); log.Debug("Contact " + strContactId + " is created");}Just consider in more details CorrectXML function it places OwnerId into XML contact tree: private void CorrectXML(string fileName, string userId) { File.Move(fileName, fileName + ".old"); StreamReader reader = File.OpenText(fileName + ".old");FileInfo t = new FileInfo(fileName);StreamWriter writer = t.CreateText();string input = null;while ((input = reader.ReadLine()) != null) { input = Regex.Replace(input, "{_REPLACE_ME_}", userId); writer.WriteLine(input);}reader.Close();writer.Close();File.Delete(fileName + ".old"); }Finally, we are launching export, import, opening MS CRM and looking at the contact list, transferred from Act!Separate task would be Sales data from Act!, Notes etc. we plan to describe them in the future articlesGood luck with integration! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! [email protected]