1. Dynamics AX 7 Development
IDE (Part I)
Bohdan Bilous
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbilous

2. Agenda
• Source code, Solutions, Projects
• Application Explorer overview
• Element designer, Code editor
• Questions
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3. 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

4. Source code, Solutions, Projects
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5. 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.
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6. Metadata
System Structure
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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

7. 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.
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8. Project overview
To 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.
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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.

9. Application Explorer overview
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10. Application Explorer (AOT)
Use Application Explorer only for viewing elements and code.
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Classicview
Modelview

11. Application Explorer (AOT)
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12. Not supported in AX7
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• EP elements
• Web*
• Data Sets
• Visual Studio Projects
• Parts
• FormPart
• InfoPart
• PartCue
• PartCueGroup
• ProjectsPrivate(Shared)
• Report Libraries and Reports
• Perspectives
• SecurityProcessCycle
• Jobs

13. Filtering the Application Explorer
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Filter parameters:
 By Type
 By Model
 By Name
 By Modified Date
 By Extension Point

14. Element designer, Code editor
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15. Element designers
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AX7
AX2012
• AX7 contains designers for each kind
of element in the application.
• Use these designers when you create
or modify elements.

16. 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.
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17. Navigating to related elements
Right-click on element node designer -> Go to <element>
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18. Navigating to related elements
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19. Cross References
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Finds all of the X++ code and other elements
that reference the selected element.
Generated during build operations.

20. Code editor
The standard features that a developer expects from the code editor are supported.
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21. Questions
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