How to create a table using the similar structure of the existing table within the environment?

[dave8]

Hello,

Could you please share the automated approach to create a new table using the existing table structure within the same environment in Microsoft Dataverse?

Thanks,

[ChrisPiasecki · Accepted solution]

Hi @dave8,

There's no out of box automated way, but there is an XrmToolbox plugin called the Clone Field Definitions Plugin that can copy all your columns (fields) from one Table to another. The Attributes Factory is a similar one where you can export out the columns of an existing entity, then create them for another table. You'd just need to create the new table first.

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[EricRegnier · Accepted solution]

HI @dave8,

To supplement on the previous post, there are other out-of-the-box tricks with solutions:

1. If you need to create the same table in the same tenant but different Dataverse environment, then simply export and import a solution.
2. If you need same table in same Dataverse environment, then export a solution with your table (include all components). Unzip the solution file, edit the table physical name, change guids on forms, views. Re-zip and re-import

More complicated, but can use the SDK with .NET or Web API: https://docs.microsoft.com/powerapps/developer/data-platform/metadata-services#programmatically-work... 

Hope this helps...

[billjin]

hi @EricRegnier ,

Really appreciate for your sharing!

Would you please give more details about this process? Is the file customizations.xml to modify content in the unzipped exported zip file? I can only find physical name of fields but can't see a physical name of table/entity. Where to "change guids on forms", still in the customizations.xml? After re-zip, what "data source type" shall I choose to import the zip file? I tried "dataverse", it will connect to a dataverse without option to load from a zip file.

2. If you need same table in same Dataverse environment, then export a solution with your table (include all components). Unzip the solution file, edit the table physical name, change guids on forms, views. Re-zip and re-import

[EricRegnier]

Hi @billjin,

Yes that's right, the customizations.xml is one of the files in the unzipped solution. When you add a table to the solution, make sure you include all components, not just sub-components.

What do you mean by "data source type" and what type of components are in the solution? A screenshot of the error(s) would help.

Cheers

[RamyEdrees]

Hi @EricRegnier ,

Could you please explain how to do your proposed solution #2 above? How can I edit the table physical name, change guids on forms, views? I need to do that as I can not use XRMtoolbox in Dataverse for Teams.

[EricRegnier]

Hey @RamyEdrees, here are the steps:

1. Create a new temporary solution with just that table inside, include all objects
2. Export the solution as unmanaged
3. Unzip the solution and open the customizations.xml and solution.xml files. Update the table and all its references
   1. A tip! I open customizations.xml and solution.xml in VSCode and do I find / replace on both these files so all the references are updated including the EntityRelationship
4. Set new guids for all formid and savedqueryid

Hope this helps!

[Diederik_H]

Hi @EricRegnier 

What do you mean by 'Set new guids for all formid and savedqueryid' ?

Also, are the solution.xml and customizations.xml case-sensitive? I see that in the exported file, it uses sometimes my table-name in first-lettered Caps, and sometimes in all lower-case letters. I changed the last letter/number of all formid and savedqueryid, but it still gave an error upon importing. Any suggestions?

kind regards,

[EricRegnier]

Hi @Diederik_H, apologies for late reply. All objects in Dataverse are represented with unique IDs (ie Guids). If you copy the table, you'll also copy the Guids which are already existing in the database so you'll have an issue importing. Generate new Guids, here's a useful website: https://guidgenerator.com/ and use the new Guids. I would use the same casing/format as it us currently set.

Hope this clarifies...

[westerdaled]

I have almost the exact requirement.. Now that I've added around 30 columns to an existing table; I need to delete and recreate the same table with offline access support in the same environment. 

Attribute Factory works like a charm - thanks for recommending that.  I now have the excel file that lists all my table columns which are mostly bound the same option set. 

As stated, there isn't really any support for creating with the table with this file. So do  we recreat the current table do open Visual Studio and create a project to read the excel file and create each column using the the metadata in the file https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/developer/data-platform/webapi/samples/webapiservice-m... I am happy to have new guids for all columns as this table has not seen action yet.

Is this the best approach?