To Open Visual Studio with a Specific AX Configuration from a Shortcut

1. From the Start menu, right-click Visual Studio short cut, and select Properties.
2. Update the Target field and add the /AxConfig switch parameter with either the name of the client configuration (which is configured in Client configuration utility) or the name of the client configuration file as shown in the following examples from the local/server path:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /AxConfig AX_DEV[initial]-USR.axc

OR

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /AxConfig \\test01\axconfig$\AX_DEV[initial]-USR.axc

3. Save the parameters. And start VS, when you click the Visual Studio short cut, it opens and Application Explorer points to the specified client configuration. The name of the configuration appears at the top in the root node of Application Explorer.



For detail information find https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg889291.aspx.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Update Width of column in SysListPanel

Hi,

To update the width of the left and right panel in SysListPanel control in AX2012, use below code.
sysListPanel.parmViewLeft().Width(500);
sysListPanel.parmViewRight().Width(500);

Also you can use FormListControl to override the properties.
You can find the helpful material from here.

/Ashlesh

Different ways to Import customization in AX 2012 application

Hi,


Below are the different ways to import the customization in your AX 2012 application.

Option 1 xpo:

XPO is an export and import from the AOT. This does not take the ids with it. It is generated on import. You generally can get away with compiling the object you imported etc.

This is not a proper release procedure. It is a quick fix for a particular problem and generally done between dev and test environments. Not recommended for production.

Option 2 model:

This is an export and import using the commands. This moves the specific model. This can be used to release into production. Full compile, sycn, CIL compile is required - this can take time. Ids are generated when model is imported. If the object already exists, id is not regenerated.

Option 3 model store:

Model store export and import using the commands. This moves the whole application over. Since you are moving everything, no compile is required.You have to be careful as this takes the ids from the exported environment. You could have data loss.

Thanks,

/Ashlesh

AXUtil & Power Sheel Commands

Hi,

The multiple commands for AxUtil.exe (command line utility for AX 2012) resides in "ManagementUtilities" folder in AX installations can be found from here.

Hope it helps.

/Ashlesh

AX 2012 Hands On Labs Material

Hi,

There are hands on lab session on AX2012 available here. They are really helpful materials.
Hope is helps.


Thanks.

How models improve the installation and maintenance of side-by-side customizations

Hi,


I found the below helpful information to work on the customization going on side-by-side in AX2012. 


In earlier versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX, multiple partner solutions could not exist side by side in the same layer. However, models now enable side-by-side customizations. Additionally, the following improvements help you work with side-by-side customizations:

• The development environment for Microsoft Dynamics AX lets you create a project for each model that is installed. Therefore, you can quickly see all the installed customizations in a layer for a given model.
• When you import a model, elements in the model that you are importing may conflict with another model in the same layer. You can now create a conflict model in the patch layer that is associated with the layer that you are working in. You can then resolve the conflicts in the conflict model. In earlier versions, no warnings about conflicts were displayed. Instead, elements were just replaced.
• You can now leave the rest of the layer intact when you uninstall a model. In earlier versions, if you wanted to uninstall customizations, you had to either remove the customizations manually from the AOT or remove the layer.

Note: Element IDs are now specific to each installation. In other words, the same method or class has a different element ID in different installations. To maintain installation-specific element IDs when you import and export models and model stores, you must strictly follow specific procedures. If you do not follow the correct procedure when you import or update models, IDs can become randomized, and data integrity can be affected. For more information, see Maintaining Installation-Specific Element IDs and Element Handles.


Installing Metadata

	XPO files	Model files	Model store files
Installation tool	MorphX	AXUtil.exe or Windows PowerShell cmdlets	AXUtil.exe or Windows PowerShell cmdlets
The files can be uninstalled.	No	Yes	No
The files can be signed.	No	Yes	No
Microsoft Dynamics AX element IDs are preserved.	Yes, because there are no IDs in XPO files	Yes, if IDs have already been assigned	Yes
Compilation is required after installation.	Yes	Yes	No
CIL generation is required after installation.	Yes	Yes	No

The following table describes the scenarios in which is recommend you use each installation method.

Scenario	Recommended installation method
Distributing a solution to customers	Model files
Deploying a solution in a development or test environment	Model files or XPO files
Deploying a solution to a production environment	Model store files

Thanks,

/Ashlesh

Understanding: Models and Model Store [AX2012]

Hi,


The very first question in my mind is the difference between Model and Model Store in AX 2012 while i have started to exploring AX 2012.


I found the no. of posting related to this from different materials but below is clearly understood explanations.


Basic Info:
Models were introduced in Microsoft Dynamics AX to help partners and customers more easily install and maintain multiple solutions side by side in the same layer. This topic introduces the concept of models, and describes how models relate to layers and label files. This topic also describes the model store, which is the part of the Microsoft Dynamics AX database in which models are stored.


Models:
A model is a set of elements in a given layer. Each layer consists of one or more models. Each layer contains one system-generated model that is specific to that layer. Every element in a layer belongs to only one model. In other words, no element can belong to two models in the same layer, and every element must belong to a model.

A model is permanently associated with the layer that is created in. If you need to move one of your models from one layer to another, you must create a project from the model in the AOT, export the project as an xpo file, create a target model in the desired layer, delete the original model to avoid having to resolve layer conflicts, and import the xpo file to the target model. If you are moving elements between models in the same layer, you can use the Move to model command in the AOT.

ModelStore:

Models are stored in the model store. The model store is the part of the Microsoft Dynamics AX database in which all application elements for Microsoft Dynamics AX are stored. Customizations are also stored in the model store. The model store replaces the Application Object Data (AOD) files that were used in earlier versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX. Models that have been installed in the model store are used at run time.

Note: Models can be exported to files that have the .axmodel extension. These files are called model files. Model files are deployment artifacts. Model files can be signed with strong name signing and Microsoft Authenticode signing.

How to manage Label files with Model:

In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, label files, or ALD files, are part of models. A label file must be added to a model before the model can be installed. After a model has been installed, ALD files are pulled from the model store to the local of Application Object Server (AOS) instance when the AOS is started. When the AOS is shut down, the ALD files are pushed back to the model store.

ALD files from earlier versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX are not part of a model file. However, you can import these files into the model store from the Label Files section of the Application Object Tree (AOT). Use the Create from file shortcut command.

Note: The ALD file from an earlier version of Microsoft Dynamics AX must not be located in the application folder of AOS. Otherwise, you cannot import the file.

Working with label files across solutions

It is recommend that you use one label file per solution to simplify installation.

If you find that you require multiple label files, it is recommend that you create a single shared, cross-solution label file and package it as a model file. Then, when you install solutions, you must install two models: the solution itself and the label model.

If you want to ship additional languages, you can add the languages to the solution model, increment the model's version number, and then reimport the model.

Thanks,

/Ashlesh