Blog Post 5: The Road Ahead – Preparing Your X++ Code for an AI World
Introduction
We have journeyed through the immediate benefits of Copilot in D365 Finance & Operations—from generative help to automated collections. But for those of us who live in Visual Studio and write X++, a bigger question looms: How does this change our job?
In this final post of our series, we look at the future of development in D365 and how you can start writing code today that is ready for the AI of tomorrow.
Caption: The path forward for Dynamics developers.
The Shift: From Logic to Context
Historically, X++ developers focused on writing complex business logic. While that is still important, the new paradigm requires us to focus on Context and Metadata.
Why? Because AI (like Copilot) doesn't read your raw X++ code classes; it reads the metadata that describes your data.
Data Entities are King: If you want Copilot to query your custom tables, you must expose them via Public Data Entities.
Labels Matter: "Field1" and "Field2" won't cut it anymore. Meaningful labels and help text are now the "prompts" that tell the AI what your data means.
Clean Core Strategy: The more you customize the standard application, the harder it is for standard AI models to function correctly. Extending via events and avoiding intrusive customization is more critical than ever.
The Developer’s New Toolbelt
Microsoft is not just putting AI in the app; they are putting it in our tools.
GitHub Copilot for X++: It is becoming increasingly capable of understanding X++ syntax, helping generate boilerplate code, write test classes, and explain complex legacy code.
Power Platform Integration: The future of "customization" is often a Power App or Power Automate flow wrapped around D365 logic. Developers need to be comfortable stepping outside of Visual Studio.
Caption: Writing code that serves as building blocks for AI.
Preparing for the Future
To stay relevant, start doing these three things today:
Refactor for Readability: Write clean, modular code. AI tools can better optimize and test code that is well-structured.
Embrace Dataverse: Ensure your key tables are synced to Dataverse via Dual-write or Virtual Entities. This is often the bridge AI uses to access your data.
Learn the "Why": Don't just take requirements at face value. Ask why a user needs a specific report. Often, an AI query or a standard workspace is a better, more maintainable solution than a custom SSRS report.
Conclusion to the Series
The AI revolution in ERP isn't coming; it's already here. From the Generative Help that trains our users, to the Collections Coordinator that secures our revenue, and the Natural Language Queries that democratize our data.
As developers, we are the architects of this new reality. By embracing these tools and shifting our mindset, we don't just "keep up"—we lead the way.
Thank you for joining me on this 5-part journey into the world of Copilot in D365 FO!
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