Dynamics AX Development Projects in X++

Jun 6
06:09

2011

Andrew Karasev

Andrew Karasev

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This upper mid-market Corporate ERP platform from Microsoft Business Solutions is open to programming and modifications with various tools. Traditionally customization for Axapta was done in Integrated Development Environment MorphX with its semi-proprietary coding language X++.

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In this small publication we do not pretend to describe X++ for programmer.  We are rather sharing its important features and recommend channels to locate experienced X++ software developers.  Let’s take a look at some details:

1. X++ and its relatives.  First of all this programming language supports classical Object Oriented Programming OOP in abbreviation (polymorphism,Dynamics AX Development Projects in X++ Articles encapsulation, inheritance).  Likely initial Axapta architects decided to attract large pool of C and C++ programmers.  This is why its syntax resembles C++.  And as you might be familiar with software development history back in 1980th and 1990th – similar approach was introduced by Sun Microsystems and its Java programming language as well as by Microsoft in C#.  However C++ was introduced reasonably long time ago and in Java we see new constructions, such as exception handling, encapsulated applets, servlets. 

2. Three Tiers Architecture.  Let’s now take a look at AX three tiers architecture: Database, Application Server and End User Windows Workstation layers.  You as software developer should have access to all three and give instructions in your code to have it executed in the specific layer.  Plus, MorphX is coupled with Axapta platform, where you have to deal with forms, source code, tables and other objects

3. If we have C++ programmers in our IT department, maybe we will do modification in-house?  Technically it is possible, as the code should be familiar to C generic programmer.  However it is very linked and interconnected with AX architecture.  And you may not expect your generic in-house programmers to familiarize themselves with this pretty advanced and complex architecture.  This is why we do not recommend you to program X++ internally, especially when your custom programming project scope is relatively moderate or small (when you expect ongoing software development, you may consider to certify your programmers in AX custom development, where learning curve might be feasible in mid and long term perspective)

4. Alternatives to MorphX and X++.  In version 2009 and especially in new coming 2012 Axapta Metadata was exposed to such popular tools as Microsoft Visual Studio.  This fact opens the door to C#, VB and other .Net compliant languages as candidates for customizations and reporting.  We also saw demonstration on Convergence 2011 in Atlanta how custom table, query and form could be created directly in MorphX and then exposed to MS Visual Studio and wrapped into Web Service (SOAP) and called from Microsoft Excel.  By the way – it seems to be a reality in version 2012 that web service is simple to be created and this fact opens the door to AX connection from non-Microsoft OS and DB platforms, such as Linux with PHP and MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, IBM DB2.  For example popular B2B and B2C ecommerce shopping cart Magento is available on Linux/PHP and if you are programming ecommerce web site for your organization where Axapta is deployed as Corporate ERP and MRP – think about the opportunities

5. International Aspects of AX custom programming.  The good news about Axapta is the fact that it is supporting Unicode (typically required in the languages where hieroglyphs are in use: Chinese, Japanese, Korean).  In fact Microsoft Business Solutions decided to restrict its other Corporate ERP platforms, such as NAV (former Navision), SL (former Solomon) and GP (formerly known as Great Plains) to regional markets.  For example GP is only available in English, Spanish (Latin America only, not Spain) and Arabic countries.  Dynamics AX is available virtually Worldwide and the number of localizations and languages support is growing.  If you are multinational corporation with facilities in such countries as China, Russia, Brazil, Europe, and you are undertaking custom programming project – be sure that your custom field names are realized as Labels.  If you follow this recommendation Label file transaction could be done in text editor and you could hire local language freelance translator, who doesn’t have to be familiar with Corporate ERP technology

6. International Facility ERP Implementation Scale.  AX is not recommended for small business and its implementation project magnitude is comparable to upper mid-market ERP data conversion, user training and final going into production.  If you have manufacturing mill somewhere in Brazil or Coal, or precious metal mine in Siberia in Russian Federation, AX could be feasible for that sort of operations.  However if you are just ‘fishing’ for potential market opportunities somewhere in Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Ukraine, Latvia – Axapta might be too expensive and not proportional to be implemented.  If you feel that you would like something more modest in its implementation scope and budget, we recommend you SAP Business One.  In Brazil we recommend you to see executive presentation of Microsiga (this Corporate ERP platform was developed in Brazil by local software development company).  In Russian Federation we recommend you to review 1S Bukhgalteria, as Russian tax code is in constant transformation and you might be on the safe side implementing locally developed and supported Accounting package

7. Second Opinion on the Custom Software Development Project which is near to fail.  First of all – it is probably unreasonable to expect advanced programming quality from every Microsoft Dynamics VAR or Reseller.  It is often the case, when their revenue is coming from Software Licenses initial Sale and generic implementation (where they hire former CPA people trained in specific Corporate ERP application and coming through the certification exams).  In our case – we are specializing in secondary Corporate ERP project management market with custom programming in X++, SSRS, Crystal Reports, Microsoft Visual Studio, SAP Business One Software Development Kit C# and VB coding

8. Please call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904 (for international customers, where our representative pick up the phone in St. Joseph, MI call center).  help@efaru.com  We have local presence in Chicagoland, Southern California, South West Michigan, Houston and Dallas areas of Texas. We serve customers USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil nationwide and internationally via web sessions and phone conferences (Skype is welcomed). Our consultants speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese.  Our core expertise is in International Business