Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and operations - Development Basic Notes

Introduction Microsoft Dynamics AX

What is Microsoft Dynamics AX?

Microsoft Dynamics AX is the Microsoft enterprise resource planning, or ERP, solution for businesses that empowers your people to anticipate and embrace change so that your business can thrive. This is a rich ERP capabilities also support human resources, financials, project management, and sales and marketing.

AX Industry Focus:
Microsoft Dynamics AX is a complete ERP Solution which contains following major category for industries to fulfill their business needs.

Manufacturing	Distribution	Retail	Public sector	Services industries
1. Production control 2. Master planning in the process manufacturing 3. Discrete manufacturing 4. Lean manufacturing environments	1. Warehouse management 2. Transportation management 3. Inventory management	1. Call center 2. e Commerce 3. Brick and Mortar	1. Fund accounting 2. Grants 3. Projects	1. Dispatching 2. Subscription

Development in Microsoft Dynamics AX

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and earlier version the development environment is known as MorphX IDE using X++ language but the development environment in d365 is done in Visual Studio using X++ OR C# language based on developer need.

System Requirement for Development

Terminology and Concepts

Before hands on in Visual studio, there are some key components to understand before starting development. Following four key components are there:

Model

1.      In Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O, the Application Object Tree (AOT) are called Models.

2.      If we open the Application Explorer in Visual Studio, we’ll see all the AOTs.

3.      Examples of AOTs are Tables, Forms, Reports, Jobs, and Workflows etc.

Element

1.      Elements in Dynamics AX are the objects that reside in the AOT and the Application Explorer in Visual Studio.

Project

1.      A particular model may contain multiple Visual Studio projects.  

2.      However, a project may only belong to one model.

Package

1.      A Dynamics AX package is a deployment unit that may contain one or more models.  

2.      In addition to elements, it includes model metadata, which is description data that defines the properties and behavior of the model.  

3.      A package can be exported to a file which can then be deployed into a staging or production environment. 

Creating Projects, Models and Packages

                          i.      We defined a model as a collection of elements that represent a distributable software solution.  Creating a model involves specifying metadata like the model's name and description.  

                        ii.      We can create a model using a wizard. And when we create a model, we have the option to choose whether we want to create that model in a separate package or in an existing package.

       Over-layering vs Extension Model

Over-layering (Customization)	Extension
If we create a model in an existing package, that means we'll be using the over-layering or customization development approach.	If we create a model in a separate package, that implies we will be using the extension development approach.
This way your new model has access to those elements.	Developing this way allows us to access the elements from any models that we selected as referenced models and the wizard.
Taking this approach allows you to customize metadata and source code at a higher layer.  For example, you can change the design of a form in the user layer.	By creating extension elements, all of the customizations and code are stored in a separate assembly.
However, downside of this method could potentially increase the cost of upgrading to new versions of AX in the future.	This approach is also ideal when it comes to upgrading so we can eliminate metadata conflicts in our code.

Creating a Model

1.      To create a new model, we'll going to the Dynamics AX menu, and under the model management group, we'll choose create model.  This opens the model wizard. 

2.      When we click next, wizard provides 2 options to choose for Over-layering or Extension.

3.      Once a model is created, we can upgrade the model.

a.      Go to the Dynamics AX menu.

b.      Under model management, we can choose update model parameters.  

c.       And this will bring us back to the wizard screen.

Using Elements

1.      Elements are located in the Application Explorer and the AOT.

2.      When editing elements, we use what's called the element designer to configure the properties and set different options for that element.  

3.      For example, we can add fields to a table using the element designer.

4.      Adding element in project

a.      There are several ways to add a new element to your project.  

b.      We can right click the project from the Solution Explorer.  

c.       And we can choose the add option, and then we can choose new item.  

Performing Builds

1.      When we create new models and projects that contain new elements or customized elements, we need to build them so that they can be used by the application. 

2.      Below is the list of build operations which can be performed when we perform a build:

3.      To build a project, simply choose Build from Build menu in Visual Studio.

4.      We can also build a model by choosing Build Model from Dynamics AX menu.

Application Stack

                    i.      The application stack and server architecture in AX is designed to align with three key pillars, which include the web-based client, cloud readiness and the Visual Studio development stack.  

                  ii.      The application stack has been divided into three distinct models.

1.      Application Platform

2.      Application Foundation

3.      Application Suite

Server Architecture

                    i.      Below is the server architecture of Dynamics AX

Labels, Resources and Base Enums

Label in Dynamics AX

a.      Label files are small data structures that keep all related and new labels in a central storage.

b.      We can use labels to specify the user interface text for forms and reports. 

c.       When we update the label, the change is propagated to everywhere in the system where employee is currently used.

d.      Labels are created in the label editor and then used in text-based properties in the AOT or in X++ code.

Create and Use Label

a.      Label file is just like a resource file in VB 6.0.

b.      To add, just add a new item in project.

c.       Click Labels and Resources in left pane, and choose label file from middle pane.

d.      Hit OK to add the label file in project.

e.      The extension of label file would be .txt.

Resources

a.      Resources are the way to manage the pictures, icons, and other visual representations that will be used within the user interface.  

b.      This can be accessed through the resource library, adding additional resources or using resources that are at a URL location.

c.       The URL location would be used in the case of an IIS server instance with an established product photo library.

Create and Use Resources

a.      This is same as we added label, we just need to select Resource from middle pane.

Base Enumeration

a.      Base enumeration, or referred to as an enum, is a list of literals with an assigned value.

b.      You will need to create base enumerations before you can begin using them in your code. 

Creating Base Enumeration

a.      To add, just add a new item in project.

b.      Click Data Type in left pane, and choose Base Enum middle pane.

Extended Data Types in AX

Data Types

a.      X++ data types are divided into primitive data types and composite data types.  

b.      You can create extended data types and base enums that build on the primitive data types.  

c.       These can be created only by adding these types of elements to your projects. 

d.      They cannot be created in code as a language construct. 

Primitive Data Types

a.      The basic set of primitive data types in AX map to underlying data types that exist in DB.  

b.      These primitive data types can be expanded to create extended data types which are reusable data types that have a specific definition and specific properties set.

Creating an Extended Data Types

1.      An EDT is a primitive data type or container with a supplementary name and some additional properties set.  

2.      For example, we can create an EDT called name based on the primitive data type of string. 

3.      To add, just add a new item in project.

4.      Click Data Type in left pane, and choose EDT type middle pane.

Tables in AX

a.      Table:

                          i.      Tables are created based on enumerations and extended data types that we created earlier.

                        ii.      Table components: table components look like as follows:

b.      Creating Table in AX

                          i.      Creating table process is same as we create other elements in the AX project

                        ii.      To add, just add a new item in project.

                      iii.      Click Data Model in left pane, and choose Table middle pane.

c.       Adding Fields to Tables

                          i.      We can add data types to the table so that we can store information.

                        ii.      Data types include fields, base enums, and extended data types.

                      iii.      We will use some of the previously created extended data types along with some new fields to build our tables. 

                       iv.      Drag and Drop fields from Data Types folders into Table to add fields in table.

d.      Table Inheritance

                          i.      A table can be extended from or derived from another table.  

                        ii.      Each table has a support inheritance property and extends property, which together, control table inheritance.  

                      iii.      We can set the support inheritance to yes and then use of extends property to choose which base table in the system we want to extend with the current table. 

                       iv.      Example:

e.      Temporary Table

                          i.      There are two main types of temporary tables.  

1.      InMemory temporary table

2.      TempDB temporary table

                        ii.      These are controlled using the table Type property on the properties node of a table.

                      iii.      Common uses for temporary tables include reporting.

                       iv.      A TempDB table is created in the database only when it is in use or instantiated by a particular process.

                         v.       InMemory tables are held inMemory until the size reaches 128 kilobytes.

f.        Queries

                          i.      A query element can be designed as a modular business object.  

                        ii.      Queries can contain one or more tables as a data source.  

                      iii.      These tables may be nested within each other if they are related like in the screen shot.  

g.      Adding Queries in AX Project

                          i.      Creating query process is same as we create other elements in the AX project

                        ii.      To add, just add a new item in project.

                      iii.      Click Data Model in left pane, and choose Query middle pane.

                       iv.      Drag the table and drop into Data Source node to bind the table with query.

                         v.      We can then add Fields in the query which we want to return from query.

                       vi.      To create a relationship with another table, we need to drag and drop the other table in Data Source node and create relationship using the key id fields.

Tables Indexes in AX

a.      Index Types

a.      Primary Index

                                                              i.      Provides a unique key to each record in a table.  

                                                            ii.      This is the index that's used for record caching in Dynamics AX.  

                                                          iii.      In order to be a unique index, the allowed duplicates property on the index must be set to no.  

                                                           iv.      This prevents the insertion of duplicate key values in a table. 

b.      Clustered Index

                                                              i.      A clustered index organizes the data in the table in the order of the index.  

                                                            ii.      A clustered index can also be unique in the case that the primary index and the clustered index are the same. 

c.       Non-Clustered Index

                                                              i.      A non-clustered index provides a way to quickly reference data found in the clustered index using a specific set of columns.  

                                                            ii.      An example of a non-clustered index is the index at the back of a textbook.

b.      Creating an Index

a.      Index can be created on a Table element.

b.      Beneath the table node we have a node for Indexes.

c.       To create a new index, we can right-click the indexes node and choose new index. 

d.      Expand the Fields node and just drag the field right down on top of that index node and it'll automatically create the index on that field for you.

e.      Set the properties of index such as Duplicate, Alternate Key etc.

f.        To create a Clustered Index, for instance on multiple field, drag multiple fields and drop on Index.

g.      Go to table and set the Clusted Index property of table to newly created clustered index.

Tables Relations in AX

A relationship is created between tables with related data. It defines how they're related and is set on the relations node on a table element. 

a.      Relationships Types

a.      Normal Relation

                                                              i.      A normal relation is used to specify a relation without any conditions.  

                                                            ii.      In the field property, we select the field in the primary table that relates to a field in the present table.  

                                                          iii.      In the related field property, we would then select a field in the related table. 

b.      Foreign key relation

                                                              i.      This is used to specify a correspondence between a foreign key fields in the present table to the primary key field in another parent table.  

                                                            ii.      Foreign key relations are usually set on a child table. 

Creating a Relation

a.      To create a relationship, we go to the table we want here in our designer and under the table node, we have an option for relations.  

b.      We can right click this and specify new and we can choose relation or foreign key relation. 

c.       Now we can right click this relation and choose new and we have the option to choose a normal foreign key relation or a related fixed field foreign key relation.

d.      Set properties to tell the fields for this relation.

Form Patterns in AX

Form patterns are applied to forms and determine the specific layout as well as the controls and containers that are required for that particular pattern. Sub-patterns are applied to certain controls or tabs on the form. Dynamics AX has nearly 40 form patterns that you can apply to your custom forms.

a.      Details Master Form Pattern

a.      This is a primary method for entering data into Dynamics AX.  

b.      These form patterns allow the user to view, edit, and act upon data.  

c.       All content in these form types is structured into FastTabs which can then be expanded or collapsed, allowing for multiple FastTabs to be open at the same time.  

b.      Form Part FactBoxes Form Pattern  

a.      In general, these are used to provide related information for a record.  

b.      They make sure the user does not have to open additional forms to get important information that they need such as totals, balances, or overdue orders.

c.       Simple List Form Pattern

a.      The simple list pattern displays details for a simple entity as a grid.  

b.      This typically will have six fields or less per record with no child parent relationship.

c.       A list page is another type of form pattern which still displays data in a grid format.

d.      Table of Contents or Setup Page Form Pattern.  

a.      This type of pattern is used on a form to display setup information.  

b.      It's commonly used as a setup or parameter page that are frequently accessed through the navigation menu as well as through workspaces.  

c.       This pattern should be used when two or more logically related forms are needed for configuring setup.

e.      Operational Workspaces Form Pattern

a.      Workspaces are a new concept that takes over as a primary way to navigate to tasks and specific pages.

b.      A workspace must be created for every significant activity supported in the product. Such an activity is less granular than a task but more granular than a legacy area page.

c.       The workspace must provide a one-page overview of an activity to help users understand the current status, the workload ahead, and the performance or of the process for the user.

d.      There are two types of workspace form patterns: the traditional workspace and the operational workspace.

e.      It's always encouraged to use the operational workspace as it has superior performance characteristics due to the set of components it contains.

a.      Sub Pattern

1.      Sub patterns are applied on controls.

2.      This is similar concept as we have user-controls in ASP.NET.

3.      The process for applying sub-patterns is similar to applying a pattern to a form.  

4.      We acquire the target control.  

5.      We determine which sub-pattern we want to apply.  Then we apply the sub-pattern.

6.      Types of Sub Pattern

a.      Custom/Quick Filter

                                                                                                  i.      These are used where filters are modeled on the form.

                                                                                                ii.      Custom quick filters is very similar to a custom filter.  

                                                                                              iii.      The only difference is that the form pattern requires the quick filter sub-control.

b.      Image Preview

                                                                                                  i.      This can be used for most images within a form container, especially in a Fast Tab.  

                                                                                                ii.      This could be used in conjunction with the fields and field group sub-pattern for combining images and any associated fields

c.       Fields and Fields Groups

                                                                                                  i.      The fields and fields groups sub-pattern provides a responsive layout for containers that contain only fields.  

                                                                                                ii.      For example, a tab page containing a Fast Tab.  

d.      Selection Tiles

                                                                                                  i.      Selection tiles show a set of tiles or charts in a workspace section.  

                                                                                                ii.      This should be modeled on a tab page in a workspace form.

b.      Form Properties

                          i.      There are variety of form properties available to set the layout of a form

Form Creation in AX

Create a Form

a.      Right clicking our project, choosing add, and choosing new item.  

b.      The forms live here in the user interface group.

c.       We can set the properties of the form.

d.      On the right pane, we can set the form pattern by right clicking in it.

a.     Adding Controls and Elements to a Form

                          i.      Once we have created a form, we need to add a data source and form controls so that we can define the layout and display information.

                        ii.      Certain form patterns require certain controls to be added in a particular order.

                      iii.      Adding Elements

1.      The first item we need to add is a data source.  

2.      We will specify which table or query we want to add to feed data into the form.

3.      Add Data Source

a.      To add data source, select the Query element and we can simply click it and drag it out to the data sources node on the form.

4.      Apply Form Pattern

a.      To apply our pattern, we'll go over here in the right pane to our design node.  

b.      We can right click.  And we'll choose apply pattern.  And for this form, we're going to use one called task single.  

c.       And we'll notice here the pattern tab automatically populates with these different controls that are required to create this form with the task single form pattern. And these are the order that they're required in.

5.      Adding Control

a.      To begin adding controls, we simply right click on the design node and we'll choose new.  

b.      And from here, we have all these different types of controls that can be added to the form.

c.       Once we add all required control by form pattern, it would look like as follows:

6.      Adding Fields in the Grid

a.      First we need to set the Data Source property of the grid from this available list of data sources of the form.

b.      We can drag the fields from fields list and drop into grid.

c.       We can also move up/down the fields if we want to change the sequence of fields into the grid.

7.      Preview the Form

a.      We can preview the form by clicking on the Preview button.

b.      Menus in AX

a.      Types of Menu Items

                          i.      There are 3 main types of menu items that are used in AX.

                        ii.      Display Menu

1.      This must be used for runnable application objects that primarily present forms or dialogs to the user.  

2.      We would attach the menu item type of display to a form for example.  

                      iii.      Output Menu

1.      This must be used for runnable application objects whose primary function is to print a result.  

2.      A good example for using an output menu item type would be an SSRS report.  

                       iv.      Action Menu

1.      This must be used for runnable application objects whose primary function is to do some kind of job such as creating or updating transactions in the database, and this would be linked to a class.

b.      Create Menu Items

                          i.      Right click our project, we choose add and new item, and to display a form, we need the display menu item.  

                        ii.      And that is located in the user interface group.

                      iii.      After adding menu, you can set the properties to associate the menu with a form.

                       iv.      Hookup Menu Item with Navigational Panel

1.      So now, we need to place these menu items on a navigational page on a certain menu so that we can click them in the UI.

2.      Let’s add it onto the organization administration navigational menu page.  

3.      And to do that, we’re going to go to the Application Explorer and we'll right click on the AOT node and choose model view.

4.      Go to the Application Suite model.

5.      Expand the user interface node.

6.      And finally, expand the menus node. Now, here we can see all the different navigational menus in the system.

7.      Scroll down to the Organization Administration menu and we'll right click it and we'll choose this option called Create Extension.

8.      Open the resources sub menu.

9.      Now, drag and drop the newly created menu item here in resources sub menu.

Build the application and if you run the application, you’ll see the newly added menu.

a.      X++ Overview

a.      X++ is an object-oriented programming language which consists of three main components.  

b.      Those components are classes, methods, and objects.

c.       X++ Code Editor

                          i.      X++ code for a Dynamics AX application is written in the code editor for Visual Studio.

                        ii.      So it would have all coding features that a developer get in Visual Studio for any other programming language, such as IntelliSense etc.

                      iii.      The X++ language is fully integrated into the Visual Studio environment.  

                       iv.      You can navigate to methods and classes in the code editor window using the navigational drop-down menus located at the top of the code editor window.

d.      Create a Runnable Class

                          i.      Adding a runnable class is same as we add a new item in project.

                        ii.      Right click project, select add new item and select Code à Runnable Class from following dialog box:

                      iii.      This will add a new class to the project which will have a main() method same as we have in Console application in C#.

                       iv.      Write the following code in main() method:

Info(“Hello AX World!”);

                         v.      Build the application.

                       vi.      Set the newly created class as startup object in solution explorer.

                     vii.      Hit F5 to run the application.

                   viii.      This will open the browser and display output in it.

e.      Data Types in X++

                          i.      There are two types of Data Types in X++.

                        ii.      A) Composite data types and B) Extended data types

                      iii.      Composite Data Types

1.      Composite data types are those that contain other data type constructs.

                      iv.      Extended Data Types

1.      Extended data types are commonly abbreviated as EDTs.  

2.      An EDT is a primitive data type or container with a supplementary name and some additional properties set.

3.      We already discussed EDTs in detail in this course.

4.      The example of EDT is tables.

5.      The Class can also be used as data type.

f.        Variable Declaration in X++

                          i.      Below are some facts about declaring a variable:

                        ii.      Var keyword can be used to declare a variable.

                      iii.      Code example of variable declaration:

g.      Key Operators in X++

                          i.      Below are some arithmetic operators:

                        ii.      Below are some assignment operators:

                      iii.      Below are some relational operators:

                      iv.      Order of Operators Precedence

1.      Below is the order of operators in X++

h.      Basic Syntax in X++

                          i.      Basic syntax guidelines:

                        ii.      Basic output syntax:

                      iii.      Conditional Statement

1.      X++ provides following statements as conditional statements:

2.      a) IF ELSE and b) SWITCH

3.      Below is the syntax of both of these condition statements

                      iv.      Loop Statement

1.      X++ provides following loop statements:

a.      FOR Loop

b.      WHILE Loop

c.       DO WHILE Loop

2.      The working of all these looping statements is same as it is in C#.

3.      The syntax of these looping statements is also same as C#.

4.      Example:

i.        Debugger in X++

                          i.      To debug X++ code in AX, you will use the debugger in Visual Studio.

                        ii.      The debugging process is similar to debugging any other application created with Visual Studio.

                      iii.      For example, the standard tools for examining the application are available when your code is stopped at a breakpoint.

                      iv.      Info Logs

1.      Another tool specific to debugging is called the Infolog.

2.      Frequently, info statements are added to code to log status messages as the application is running.

3.      You can view these Infolog messages directly within Visual Studio as well.  

4.      We can go to the view menu and choose Infolog to bring up Infolog box.

b.      Classes in X++

a.      Class Structure

                          i.      The class structure is same as we have classes in C#.

                        ii.      A class is a software construct that defines the data and methods or behavior of the specific concrete objects that are subsequently constructed from that class.

b.      Base Class

                          i.      The base class structure is same as we have classes in C#.

                        ii.      The base class which can then be inherited by another class.

                      iii.      The base class is different from Runnable class, therefore, we choose Class in following dialog box instead of Runnable class to create a base class:

c.       Methods in Class

                          i.      The methods in a class is same as we have we create methods in C# class.

                        ii.      Below is the types of method which are supported in AX:

                      iii.      Example: Watch the video of Methods module to see how it implement the data entry in Vehicle table.

d.      Inheritance

                          i.      The inheritance concept is same as we have in general OOPs.

                        ii.      Inheritance is a concept where one class can inherit all of the methods and variables from another class.  A child class inherits the methods of the parent class.  Additional methods can be applied to the child class and inherited methods can be overridden.

                      iii.      Example:

1.      We have Vehicle Entry class which is used to entry data in Vehicle table.

2.      Now we want to extend the functionality of VehicleEntry class into a new class called TruckVehicleEntry class.

3.      In X++ we use extends keyword to inherit a base class.

4.      To call parent class method, we use super() keyword as its been called in the setupDialog() method below:

c.       Database Manipulation

a.      Data manipulation in Dynamics AX empowers the developer with the tools to view, insert, update and delete data from the database.

b.      Data Retrieval

                          i.      SELECT Statement

1.      The SELECT statement fetches or manipulates data from the database, or both fetches and manipulates data from the database.  

2.      All SELECT statements use a table variable to fetch records. This variable must be declared before a select statement can be executed.

3.      The SELECT statement only fetches one record or field at a time.  To fetch additional records, you can use the next statement.

4.      If you need to traverse a number of records, it's more appropriate to use WHILE SELECT statement.

5.      The results of a SELECT statement are returned in a table buffer variable.

6.      If you use a field list in the SELECT statement, only those fields are available in the table variable.

7.      Syntax of SELECT Statement

                        ii.      WHILE SELECT Statement

1.      WHILE SELECT statements are used to handle data, they're the most widely used form of the SELECT statement in X++.  

2.      WHILE SELECT loops over many records that meet a certain criteria, if we were to specify in a WhereClause, and they can execute a statement on each record that they loop over.  

3.      In a WHILE SELECT, the select statement itself is executed only one time, immediately before the first iteration of the statements in the loop.

4.      Example: If we put following code in runnable class and execute it, we can see the output in browser.

c.       Reading Data using Class

                          i.      We can use a SELECT statement, a query to go specify which data we want and how we want to view it.  

                        ii.      We have this BulkVehicle class which is doing a bit of the same thing as our VehicleEntry class at the beginning here.  

                      iii.      We're declaring two tables to use.  That's our vehicle table and our vehicle maint table, which is the vehicle maintenance table.

                       iv.      The WHILE SELECT statement will read the data from database and will populate the variables.

                        v.      Code Snippet

d.      Transaction Integrity Checking

                          i.      The transaction integrity checking process is performed by the Transaction Tracking System which is commonly abbreviated as TTS.

                        ii.      Following 3 commands are used to Begin, Commit and Rollback transactions in X++.

1.      ttsbegin à  begin transaction

2.      ttscommit à commit transaction

3.      ttsabort à rollback transaction

e.      INSERT Data

                          i.      When performing data INSERT, only the specified columns of those rows selected by the query are inserted into the named table.

                        ii.      That means you want to make sure your query is selecting the fields that you're going to end up inserting into your table.

                      iii.      Secondly, the columns of the table being copied from and those of the table being copied to must be of type compatible.

                       iv.      We use the insert() method to insert data in table.

                        v.      Code Snippet

1.      Here we are initializing the table variable first.

2.      Then we begin the transaction using ttsBegin.

3.      Then we assign the values to table columns.

4.      Then we call the insert() method to insert data.

5.      Finally call the ttsCommit command to commit the data.

f.        UPDATE Data

                          i.      The UPDATE command modifies existing data in a table with the contents of a table buffer.  

                        ii.      The record is first retrieved from the database using a select statement.

                      iii.      The data is then modified by assigning the new values to the fields in the table buffer.

                       iv.      The new values are then committed to the database using the update() method.

                        v.      Code Snippet

1.      Here we are selecting the data first using SELECT FORUPDATE statement

2.      And then modify the values that we want to update in table.

3.      Then we call the update() method to modify the data in database.

4.      Finally we call the ttsCommit() command to commit the changes.

g.      DELETE Data

                          i.      The delete method in a table can quickly delete one record, dozens, or millions of records.

                        ii.      Using the delete() method on a table will delete the current record from the database.

                      iii.      However, if we use a WhereClause, we can specify multiple rows to be deleted.  

                      iv.      Code Snippet

1.      Here we are selecting the data first using SELECT FORUPDATE statement.

2.      Then we call the delete() method to delete the data in database.

3.      Finally we call the ttsCommit() command to commit the changes.

d.      Exception Handling in X++

a.      There are many different exception types, and the type differs depending on what caused error.

b.      A majority of exception types are determined by the kernel and are not normally thrown by application code. All exception types, however, can be caught, and it is the developer's responsibility to decide which exceptions need to be handled.

c.       Exception Types

                          i.      Below is the list of exception types available in AX

1.      Info

2.      Warning

3.      Deadlock

4.      Error

5.      Internal

6.      Break

7.      Dderror

8.      Numeric

9.      CLRError

10.  CodeAccessSecurity

11.  UpdateConflict

12.  UpdateConflictNotRecovered

                        ii.      Below is the list of exception types available in AX

d.      Key Commands for Exception Handling

                          i.      The semantics of exception handling are identical to its use in C#.

                        ii.      Below is the list of key commands for exception handling:

                      iii.      Try

1.      The Try command signifies the start of a block of code that you want to control with the X++ exception handling system.

                       iv.      Catch

1.      The Catch statements come after the block of code and define what code is executed when each exception is thrown.

                         v.      Retry

1.      The Retry command tells the system to go back to the Try statement and attempt to execute the code again.

                      vi.      Finally

1.      The statements provided in the Finally clause are executed irrespective of whether the try block threw any exceptions or not.

                    vii.      Code Snippet

a.      Security Implementation in X++

a.      Security Architecture

                          i.      The high level architecture is 3 step authentication.

1.      Step-1: The user signs in to AAD, which is Azure Active Directory.

2.      Step-2: Azure Active Directory redirects to the Dynamics AX client or the web application.

3.      Step-3: Finally, the Dynamics AX start page is displayed.

b.      Authentication Services

                          i.      OData services, JSON-based custom service, and the REST metadata service support standard OAuth 2.0 authentication.

                        ii.      AAD Authentication Types

1.      Microsoft Azure Active Directory uses two types of authentication.  

2.      Native Client: The first is the Native Client application.  This is the flow that uses a user name and password for authentication.  

3.      Confidential Client: Next, is what's known as the Confidential Client or the web application, and this is an application that can keep a client password confidential to the world.

                      iii.      AAD Authentication Flow

1.      Below are the steps take place for the AX user authentication:

2.      Step-1: First step is outlining a user authenticating and consenting for access.

3.      Step-2: The client would then receive an authorization token. This is in step two.  

4.      Step-3: In step three, the client requests access to a resource with an authorization code.

5.      Step-4: In step four, the client would then receive an access token.

6.      Step-5: In step five, the client requested data with this access token.

7.      Step-6: And finally, in step six, the client would then receive the data that it requested.

c.       Security Structure in AX

                          i.      The security model is hierarchical, and each element in the hierarchy represents a different level of detail.  

                        ii.      Security Structure

1.      The diagram below represents the Security structure in AX

2.      Permissions represent access to individual securable objects like menu items and tables.  

3.      Privileges are composed of permissions. And they represent access to tasks such as cancelling payments and processing deposits.

4.      Duties are composed of privileges and represent part of a business process such as maintaining bank transactions.  

5.      Role: Both duties and privileges can be assigned to roles to grant access to in AX. AX security is role-based. This means many security roles and duties are provided to help base security definitions.

6.      Using role-based security, users are assigned to roles based on their responsibilities in the organization.  

7.      Instead of identifying and granting access to application elements, the administrator assigns duties which users in the role perform.

d.      Create a Role

                          i.      Roles can be created by a developer in Visual Studio

                        ii.      Or role can be created by a system administrator in the AX client.

                      iii.      Create New Role in Visual Studio

1.      Add new item in project and select Security Role from Security in following dialog.

2.      Once a Role is added, we can open the role in element designer and then create Duties and Privileges and Permissions under this role.

e.      Create a Duty

                          i.      Duty can be created by a developer in Visual Studio

                        ii.      Or duty can be created by a system administrator in the AX client.

                      iii.      Create New Duty in Visual Studio

1.      Add new item in project and select Security Role from Security in following dialog.

2.      Once a Duty is added, we can open the role in element designer and then create Privileges and Permissions under this role.

3.      After creating the Duty, we ca associate it with a Role we created above by drag and drop the Duty in Role.