Dynamics AX 7 Development

IDE (Part I)

Bohdan Biloushttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bbilous

Agenda• Source code, Solutions, Projects• Application Explorer overview • Element designer, Code editor • Questions

2

What changed from AX 2012

• AX7 is integrated in VS and cannot be installed separately. Its provided with AX7 development box.

• Microsoft Visual Studio replaces MorphX as the development environment• Visual Studio for AX7 supports all of the AX7 development tasks

Source code, Solutions, Projects

4

Source code• The model store is represented as a set of folders and XML artifacts. • Model elements represented by XML file containing metadata and source code.• X++ code uses temporary xpp file for editing and debugging, but stored in model

element’s XML file.

5

Metadata

System Structure

6

Main Folder(Package)

Package folder(ApplicationFoundation)

Descriptor folder(Descriptor)

Model folders(…)

XppMetadata folder(XppMetadata)

ElementType folder

XML file for every element

XML file for every model

XML file for every element

Package folder(ApplicationPlatform)

Package folder(ApplicationSuite) …

Model folders(…)

ElementType folder

Code

Solutions & Projects• Visual Studio solution can contain multiple AX7 projects.• Add your solution to Source Control to be able keep element history.

• The project can have folders that help you group the elements. • One project can contain elements from only one model.• Use multiple projects in your Visual Studio solution to work with elements

from different models.• Consist of model element XML files.

7

Project overviewTo create new, empty project, use following procedure:• On the FILE menu, point to New and then click

Project.• Select Dynamics ‘AX7’ category.• Select Dynamics ‘AX7’ Project template.• Supply Name and Location for new project.

8

Another 2 projects types:1. Best Practice Rules project – template to writing

best practice checks.2. Developer Tools Addin project – creating addins

for AX7, such ax Context Menu etc.

Application Explorer overview

9

Application Explorer (AOT)

Use Application Explorer only for viewing elements and code.10

Clas

sic v

iew

Mod

el v

iew

Application Explorer (AOT)

11

Not supported in AX7

12

• EP elements• Web*• Data Sets• Visual Studio Projects

• Parts• FormPart• InfoPart• PartCue• PartCueGroup

• Projects\Private(Shared)• Report Libraries and Reports• Perspectives• SecurityProcessCycle• Jobs

Filtering the Application Explorer

13

Filter parameters: By Type By Model By Name By Modified Date By Extension Point

Element designer, Code editor

14

Element designers

15

AX7

AX2012

• AX7 contains designers for each kind of element in the application.

• Use these designers when you create or modify elements.

Searching element nodes

You can enter a string to search for, and the node list will be filtered to include only the nodes that match the search string.

16

Navigating to related elements

Right-click on element node designer -> Go to <element>

17

Navigating to related elements

18

Cross References

19

Finds all of the X++ code and other elements that reference the selected element.Generated during build operations.

Code editorThe standard features that a developer expects from the code editor are supported.

20

Questions

21