·       
First you need to download Act! SDK
from Best Software website

·        Install Act!
SDK on the computer, where you plan to do programming

·        We’ll use
asynchronous data export/import model, this means that we’ll design the system,
containing two parts: export into XML and this XML file import into the CRM

·        Lets code
Act! data export application, we’ll use C# to address Act Framework classes,
we’ll need these libraries:

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;

·       
To connect to Act! database:

                        ActFramework framework = new ActFramework();

                        framework.LogOn("Act Username", "password", "SERVER”,
"Database");

·       
Now we need Act field names to map them
with the fields in the 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("");

                        }

       
}

·       
Let’s get contact list and create the
file for import instructions to MS CRM:

                        ContactList cList = framework.Contacts.GetContacts(null);

                        FileInfo t = new FileInfo("Contacts.xml");

                        StreamWriter stw = t.CreateText();

·       
Now we form export data:

       
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>";

                        else

                                        strContactXml += "<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>";

·       
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 CRM

·        Next is
import application creation.  We will not describe here connection to MS CRM
details – please read Microsoft CRM SDK if you need this examples.  We’ll
concentrate on the nature of the import.

 The XML export file should look like
this:

<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 articles

Good luck with
integration!  If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or
1-866-528-0577!

help@albaspectrum.com

Boris is Lead Software
Developer in

Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM
customization company, serving clients in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Denver, UK, Australia, Canada,
Europe and having locations in multiple states and internationally (

http://www.albaspectrum.com )