Custom Actions: set and get objects in input or output parameters

When creating custom actions it is possible to create input and/or output parameters of all the types displayed on the next picture.

Despite the available parameters types cover most of all the needs we face as developers, we may face some situations where it would be great if we could set a parameter as any other type. Well, in fact it is possible a work-around! Next is outlined an example how to achieve that.

Let us suppose in an action there is the need to access a reporting server. The next class models an object where the data to access the reporting server may be set and get:

public class ReportServer
{
   public String Url { get; set; }
   public String UserDomain { get; set; }
   public String UserName { get; set; }
   public String UserPassord { get; set; }
}

In the action, instead of creating an input parameter for each ReportServer class property:

• Create an input parameter named ReportServer string type to pass into the action the ReportServer object serialized as a JSON string;
• Retrieve the ReportServer object inside the action, de-serializing the JSON string in the input parameter ReportServer.

To serialize the object and de-serialize JSON string the next code may be used:

class JsonHelper
{
   internal static string JsonSerializer<T>(T t)
   {
      string jsonString = null;
      using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
      {
         DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(T));
         ser.WriteObject(ms, t);
         jsonString = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(ms.ToArray());
      }
      return jsonString;
   }

   internal static T JsonDeserialize<T>(string jsonString)
   {
      DataContractJsonSerializer ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(T));
      MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(jsonString));
      T obj = (T)ser.ReadObject(ms);
      return obj;
   }
}

When calling the action, set the input parameter with the ReportServer object as string:

// CALL ACTION
ReportServer reportServer = new ReportServer();
OrganizationRequest request = new OrganizationRequest("new_Teste");
request.Parameters.Add("ReportServer", JsonHelper.JsonSerializer<ReportServer>((reportServer)));
service.Execute(request);

Inside the action the ReportServer object is rebuilt de-serializing the JSON string.

// Access the Input Parameter String Type Inside the ACTION CodeActivity
ReportServer reportServer = JsonHelper.JsonDeserialize<ReportServer>(ReportServer.Get<String>(context));

This approach is obviously valid for any class and for any type of its properties.

In custom actions passing any type of object in input and/or output parameters can be achieved through a parameter string type which holds the object in a JSON string.