PCF Helper Run 🎯

Unified CLI interface for all Power Platform Component Framework (PCF) operations.

This package provides a single, consolidated command-line interface that brings together all PCF Helper functionality under one roof. Perfect for developers who prefer a unified experience and simplified command structure.

📋 Table of Contents

• Installation
• Quick Start
• Command Structure
• Available Subcommands
• Usage Examples
• Workflow Examples
• Global Options
• Troubleshooting

📦 Installation

Global Installation (Recommended)

npm install -g @tywalk/pcf-helper-run

Local Installation

npm install @tywalk/pcf-helper-run

Verify Installation

pcf-helper-run --version
pcf-helper-run --help

🚀 Quick Start

Basic Usage Pattern

pcf-helper-run <subcommand> [options]

Your First PCF Control

# 1. Initialize a new PCF project
pcf-helper-run init -n "MyFirstControl" --publisher-name "My Company"

# 2. Navigate to the created project
cd MyFirstControl

# 3. Build the control
pcf-helper-run build -p .

# 4. Import to your solution
pcf-helper-run import -p .

🏗️ Command Structure

PCF Helper Run uses a subcommand structure for organized functionality:

pcf-helper-run <subcommand> [options]

Each subcommand corresponds to a specific PCF operation, with consistent option patterns across all commands.

🛠️ Available Subcommands

| Subcommand | Description | Equivalent Individual Command | |------------|-------------|-------------------------------| | init | Initialize new PCF project | pcf-helper-init | | build | Build and compile controls | pcf-helper-build | | import | Import controls to solution | pcf-helper-import | | deploy | Deploy to environment (upgrade + build + import) | pcf-helper-deploy | | upgrade | Upgrade project dependencies | pcf-helper-upgrade | | session | Manage development sessions | pcf-helper-session |

📖 Detailed Command Reference

🏗️ init - Initialize New Project

Create a new PCF project with proper scaffolding.

pcf-helper-run init -n <control-name> [options]

Required Parameters

• -n, --name <name> - Name of the PCF control

Optional Parameters

• --publisher-name <name> - Publisher name
• --publisher-prefix <prefix> - Publisher prefix
• -p, --path <path> - Creation path (default: current directory)
• --run-npm-install - Run npm install after creation (default: true)

Examples

# Simple initialization
pcf-helper-run init -n "CustomerLookup"

# Full configuration
pcf-helper-run init -n "CustomerLookup" \
  --publisher-name "Contoso Corporation" \
  --publisher-prefix "con" \
  -p ./my-controls \
  --verbose

# Skip npm install for faster scaffolding
pcf-helper-run init -n "QuickControl" --run-npm-install false

⚡ build - Build Controls

Compile and build your PCF controls for deployment.

pcf-helper-run build -p <solution-path> [options]

Required Parameters

• -p, --path <path> - Path to the solution folder

Optional Parameters

• -e, --environment <environment> - Target environment configuration
• --env <environment> - (Deprecated: use --environment) Target environment
• -t, --timeout <milliseconds> - Build timeout (default: 300000)

Examples

# Basic build
pcf-helper-run build -p ./MySolution

# Build with environment and extended timeout
pcf-helper-run build -p ./MySolution --environment Production --timeout 120000

# Verbose build for debugging
pcf-helper-run build -p ./MySolution --verbose

📦 import - Import to Solution

Import your built PCF controls into a Dataverse solution.

pcf-helper-run import -p <solution-path> [options]

Required Parameters

• -p, --path <path> - Path to the solution folder

Optional Parameters

• -e, --environment <environment> - Target environment
• --env <environment> - (Deprecated: use --environment) Target environment
• -t, --timeout <milliseconds> - Import timeout

Examples

# Import to default environment
pcf-helper-run import -p .

# Import to specific environment
pcf-helper-run import -p . --environment "Test Environment"

# Extended timeout for large solutions
pcf-helper-run import -p . --timeout 180000

🚀 deploy - Deploy to Environment

Deploy your PCF controls to the target Dataverse environment. This command runs upgrade, build, and import in sequence.

pcf-helper-run deploy -p <solution-path> [options]

Required Parameters

• -p, --path <path> - Path to the solution folder

Optional Parameters

• -e, --environment <environment> - Target environment for deployment
• --env <environment> - (Deprecated: use --environment) Target environment
• -t, --timeout <milliseconds> - Deployment timeout

Examples

# Deploy to default environment
pcf-helper-run deploy -p .

# Deploy to production with extended timeout
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Production" --timeout 300000

🔄 upgrade - Upgrade Project

Upgrade your PCF project dependencies and framework versions.

pcf-helper-run upgrade -p <solution-path> [options]

Required Parameters

• -p, --path <path> - Path to the solution folder

Examples

# Upgrade project dependencies
pcf-helper-run upgrade -p .

# Upgrade with verbose output
pcf-helper-run upgrade -p . --verbose

🎯 session - Manage Development Sessions

Manage development sessions with live reloading capabilities.

pcf-helper-run session [options]

Optional Parameters

• -u, --url <url> - Remote environment URL
• -s, --script <path> - Remote script to intercept
• -t, --stylesheet <path> - Remote stylesheet to intercept
• -b, --bundle <path> - Local bundle path
• -c, --css <path> - Local CSS path
• -f, --config <path> - Config file path (default: session.config.json)

Examples

# Start session with default config
pcf-helper-run session

# Session with custom configuration
pcf-helper-run session -u "https://contoso.crm.dynamics.com" -s ./bundle.js

⚙️ Global Options

These options are available for all subcommands:

| Option | Description | Default | |--------|-------------|---------| | -v, --verbose | Enable detailed logging | false | | --version | Display version information | - | | -h, --help | Show help for command | - | | -t, --timeout <ms> | Operation timeout in milliseconds | 300000 |

Global Usage Examples

# Enable verbose logging for any command
pcf-helper-run build -p . --verbose

# Set custom timeout
pcf-helper-run import -p . --timeout 120000

# Get help for specific subcommand
pcf-helper-run build --help

💼 Workflow Examples

Complete Development Workflow

#!/bin/bash
# Complete PCF development and deployment script

set -e  # Exit on any error

echo "🏗️  Initializing PCF project..."
pcf-helper-run init -n "SalesCalculator" \
  --publisher-name "Contoso Sales" \
  --publisher-prefix "cs" \
  -p ./sales-calculator

echo "📂 Navigating to project directory..."
cd ./sales-calculator

echo "⚡ Building the control..."
pcf-helper-run build -p . --verbose

echo "📦 Importing to solution..."
pcf-helper-run import -p . --timeout 120000

echo "🚀 Deploying to test environment..."
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Test"

echo "✅ Deployment complete!"

Development with Multiple Environments

# Build and test locally
pcf-helper-run build -p .

# Deploy to development environment
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Development"

# After testing, deploy to staging
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Staging"

# Finally, deploy to production
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Production"

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Command Not Found

# Verify installation
npm list -g @tywalk/pcf-helper-run

# Reinstall if necessary
npm uninstall -g @tywalk/pcf-helper-run
npm install -g @tywalk/pcf-helper-run

Build Failures

# Enable verbose mode for detailed error info
pcf-helper-run build -p . --verbose

# Clear node_modules and reinstall
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

# Verify prerequisites
pac --version
dotnet --version

Timeout Errors

# Increase timeout for large projects
pcf-helper-run build -p . --timeout 120000  # 2 minutes

Deprecated Flag Warnings

# Replace deprecated --env with --environment
pcf-helper-run deploy -p . --environment "Production"

Debug Information

# Show detailed version and environment information
pcf-helper-run --version --verbose

# Get help for specific command
pcf-helper-run deploy --help

📚 Additional Resources

Documentation Links

• Power Platform Component Framework Documentation
• Power Platform CLI Documentation
• PCF Community Gallery

🔗 Related Packages

• @tywalk/pcf-helper - Individual CLI commands and core library
• @tywalk/color-logger - Enhanced logging utilities

🏠 ← Back to Main Package

For questions, feature requests, or bug reports, please visit our GitHub Issues page.

Happy PCF development! 🎉