Embrace the extensions mindset with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations [EN]

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A couple of weeks ago, we launched the last platform update 10 (August 2017) for Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, Enterprise Edition and, as in almost every release, there were changes regarding the Application Extensibility Plans.

A lot of effort is being invested in the journey to a non-intrusive way to extend the application, and it needs to be understood as a critical change in the way we think about customizations. More information about future plans can be found in the Dynamics Roadmap (Filter – Application: Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations; Area: Extensibility).

But sometimes it’s hard to change our mindset just by looking at these out-of-context upgrade notes, so I want to show how we can leverage some of the latest improvements to the X++ platform by looking at some real-life examples.

Keep in mind the basic principle: we want to avoid intrusive changes.

 

Scenario 1: Create a number sequence in a standard module

This is a common scenario and the good news is that it has barely changed from Dynamics AX 2012. In our example, we will add a new number sequence to the Accounts Receivables module (Customers) to provide new values for the custom MSVRMInsuranceProviderId EDT. To accomplish that, we need to make some small changes (plenty of examples of AX 2012 code available out there):

 

Read the full article at “Dynamics AX in the Field”, the blog from the Premier Field Engineering team at Microsoft.

 

Trabajando con la máquina virtual de desarrollo local en Dynamics 365 for Operations

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No voy a escribir una entrada sobre cómo configurar una MV local de Dynamics 365 for Operations para desarrollo, porque ya se han publicado muchísimas desde el lanzamiento del producto hace unos meses. También está publicado en la documentación oficial de forma bastante clara, así que sería repetir lo que ya se ha explicado mil veces.

Lo más importante es configurar bien la conexión con el proyecto de Visual Studio Team Services y con la rama que estemos utilizando, mapeando de forma acorde las carpetas locales. Por ejemplo:

  • La carpeta Metadata debe apuntar a donde están almacenados los paquetes de Dynamics 365 en el disco. Dependiendo de la versión de la máquina virtual pueden estar en C:\AOSService\PackagesLocalDirectory o en C:\Packages (en las versiones antiguas).
  • La carpeta Projects normalmente se configura en la carpeta por defecto donde Visual Studio almacena los proyectos (en Mis Documentos), pero esto dependerá de la estructura que siga cada equipo para almacenar los proyectos que, recordemos, no forman parte de los metadatos de AX en esta versión, como sí hacían los proyectos del AOT de versiones anteriores.

También hay una serie de propiedades que se pueden modificar para que la máquina se comporte de una forma más natural para un desarrollador de AX e incluso para mejorar un poco el rendimiento.

Siguiendo con nuestra cadena respecto a la introducción al desarrollo para Dynamics 365 for Operations, voy a comentar algunos escenarios que suceden mucho y parecen ser problemáticos para programadores que empiezan a utilizar las nuevas herramientas. Pequeños detalles que conviene no olvidar. Es posible que actualice este post en el futuro para tenerlos todos localizados:

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Why you should be using Team Foundation Server for Dynamics AX lifecycle management? [EN]

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If you already use Team Foundation Server in your Dynamics AX projects, providing all benefits it can give to your teams, or if you are already convinced to use it soon, then this article is not for you.

You may not be convinced or, even worst, you may disagree about it to be beneficial to your methodologies and team behaviors. You can try to challenge my points with your project’s circumstances that make TFS unacceptable. That’s fine. I’m only asking you to read the full article first 🙂

Microsoft Application Lifecycle Management

Team Foundation Server (or Visual Studio Team Services*) is a tool, and as such, it will allow you to achieve the same tasks faster and with less effort. Furthermore, TFS will also give the ability to execute crucial tasks that are only available by using this kind of tools. Those tasks are mostly related to development work and source code management, what makes developer’s life easier, but some of them also help project managers and consultants, and support Quality Assurance guidance and validations, testing and all the rest of Application Lifecycle Management steps, whichever methodology is used to manage our projects: Microsoft SureStep, Agile, Scrum, …

Not to mention that using TFS is mandatory in the new Dynamics 365 for Operations, so including it in our lifecycle processes today will ease the transition and will put in place a set of Best Practices than will improve your team since day one.

Let’s have a look at the benefits of TFS in the three main categories of Application Lifecycle Management:

  1. Work
  2. Code
  3. Build & Release

 

Read the full article at “Dynamics AX in the Field”, the blog from the Premier Field Engineering team at Microsoft.