Peter and Robert's XLNT Adventure part TWO

The new X++ compiler and the Microsoft Dynamics AX development platform click to download
The new X++ compiler and the Microsoft Dynamics AX development platform click to listen

Strange things were afoot at the Tech Convention and the Earl of Villadsen and the Duke of Robear were giving us a heavy dose of "Check this out," during the developer sessions!

The X++ code base is not well-structured for larger data sets and VS projects and therefore the concept of loading everything into one project would be unbearable. Now there is an assembly for each package. These assemblies are composed of net modules and PDB files. each NM contains code for artifacts that are similar in nature. This makes for more efficient use.

AX has introduced IGNORE LIST of for code assemblies that push the boundaries of code generation and legacy code.

Peter and Robert's XLNT Adventure part ONE

The new X++ compiler and the Microsoft Dynamics AX development platform click to download
The new X++ compiler and the Microsoft Dynamics AX development platform click to listen

Dylan knew something about AX even in the 60's

The times they are a changin', and change they have... the compiler is completely rebuilt from 2012, not one line of code! - Peter V

This has been a four year endeavor to rewrite from scratch in C# by a small team, which expanded, and came up with a set of tools available to us end-using developers.

• The Visual Studio intellisense engine.
• The extensible Best Practice engine.
• The Code Migration tools.
• Other ad-hoc tools

As an example of the flexibility of the new XLNT, Peter crowed about someone that had used a web-based app to search all of the artifacts in AX7 using XLNT. This is certainly most non-heinous.

eX PLUS PLUS (X++ for those not into phonetics)

The X++ language click to download the slide deck.
The X++ language VIDEO click to watch Peter in his glory.


Mister Villadsen was at again highlighting the NEW X++ language changes during an informative and fun-filled session, yes fun-filled. Where else are you going to get an X++ genius using arcane terms such as "Cludgy" or "Syntatic Sugar?"

I must start with a digression... Did anyone else think that the dude from the stock image on the opening slide looked like a bizarro Kevin Costner? I could not get it out of my mind at each session.

Anyways, X++! If you build it better they will come! As it was with every other P-Vill sesh, this one was standing room only.

X++ does remain the the vehicle for development in the NEW AX with some changes to promote consistency with other langauges, integration with the CIL and some general house cleaning to sweep away quirks and cludgy elements. The goal is to keep X++ familiar enough as to not scare away legacy developers but evolve it in strategic ways to innovate and attract C# dev folk.

All artifacts are now classes. ALL of them. Every last one. Forms? Yep, Classes? Meta and Yep. Queries and tabular objects? Yep and yep. The designer experience is a little flat, flattened on purpose to be view-able on one page. Not sure that I am going to like this change

• Can now declare variables anywhere in code
• Can now use ‘var’ variables as a shortcut
• Will set data type on assignment
• Static constructors supported