| name | tool-development |
| description | Entry point for building a PPTB tool — a web app that runs inside the Power Platform ToolBox host and talks to Dataverse/Power Platform through injected APIs. Use when asked to "build a PPTB tool", "develop a tool for Power Platform ToolBox", "create a ToolBox plugin", "help me build a tool that runs inside PPTB", or any tool-development request where it isn't yet clear which specific skill applies — this skill routes to the right one. Not for building the ToolBox host application itself (see `toolbox-development`). |
Tool Development
Power Platform ToolBox (PPTB) is a secure, extensible platform for creating custom tools as web applications. Tools run in sandboxed iframes with controlled API access rather than as arbitrary desktop code — the host brokers access to Dataverse, Power Platform services, and local resources on the tool's behalf. This skill is the starting point for anyone building a PPTB tool: it doesn't scaffold or wire anything itself, it identifies which of the more specific tool-development skills the request actually needs.
A PPTB tool is a web app (HTML/CSS/TypeScript) that declares itself through a package.json manifest and talks to the host exclusively through the toolboxAPI, dataverseAPI, and powerplatformAPI injected into its sandboxed iframe — it never gets arbitrary filesystem or OS access outside what those APIs broker.
Which skill do I need?
| The request is about... | Reach for | Covers |
|---|
| Starting a brand-new tool project | create-pptb-tool | yo pptb generator, package.json manifest, @pptb/types, starter index.html/app.ts |
Reading the active connection, notifications, clipboard, theme, terminal sessions, direct inter-tool launchTool() | add-toolbox-api | window.toolboxAPI — connections, utils, terminal, invocation, tool context |
| CRUD, FetchXML/OData queries, entity/attribute/relationship/option-set schema | add-dataverse-api | window.dataverseAPI |
| Environment management, governance, licensing, analytics, or any Power Platform REST surface beyond Dataverse | add-powerplatform-api | window.powerplatformAPI + Entra app registration setup |
| Reading/writing local files, native save/select dialogs | add-file-system-api | toolboxAPI.fileSystem |
| Reacting to connection/settings/terminal/tool-lifecycle changes without polling | add-events-api | toolboxAPI.events.on() |
| Persisting user preferences across sessions | add-settings-api | toolboxAPI.settings |
| Reaching an external domain (CDN, external API, webfont) | configure-csp | cspExceptions in the manifest |
| A tool crashing silently, or needing consistent error/retry handling | add-error-handling | try/catch, logging, notifications, retry logic |
| Launching another installed tool, or being launched by one | add-inter-tool-invocation | pptb.config.json invocation contract, launchTool()/getLaunchContext()/returnData() |
| Exposing a tool to AI assistants via MCP, headless execution | add-agent-integration | agents object in pptb.config.json, invokeHeadless() |
| Checking a manifest before publishing | validate-pptb-tool | pptb-validate |
| Shipping a finished tool | publish-pptb-tool | npm publish + ToolBox registry submission |
If the compact table above doesn't disambiguate a request, see references/skills-catalog.md for each skill's full description and trigger phrases verbatim. If the request names a capability that isn't in either, don't guess — check docs/pptb-tools/tool-development/api-reference/ for the underlying API surface before improvising.
Typical build order
A tool build usually starts with create-pptb-tool, then layers in whichever of add-toolbox-api, add-dataverse-api, add-powerplatform-api, add-file-system-api, add-events-api, and add-settings-api the tool's functionality actually requires. configure-csp runs whenever one of those integrations (or anything else) reaches an external domain. add-error-handling wraps the resulting API calls. add-inter-tool-invocation and add-agent-integration add cross-tool and AI-assistant behavior where the tool needs it. validate-pptb-tool and publish-pptb-tool close out the workflow before the tool reaches the registry.
Not every tool needs every skill — a simple utility tool might only need create-pptb-tool, one API skill, and add-error-handling.
Related
toolbox-development — the sibling entry point for contributors building the ToolBox host application itself, rather than a tool that runs inside itdocs/pptb-tools/tool-development/ — the architecture/workflow reference this skill is built on
