Features we can expect in the “2019 Release Wave 2” for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

A week ago, Microsoft came with this message on twitter:

Which basically pointed to an URL that was (for me) difficult to find on Microsoft Docs. I literally had to find the tweet again to find the list of expected features again .. so I figured: If I have a problem finding it, others might have problems as well. So, here it is:

The (updated) list of features we can expect in the 2019 Release Wave 2

Key dates for the 2019 release wave 2 of Dynamics 365

When I just scheduled this blog, Eva Dupont tweeted this:

I guess it’s very much “on topic”, so let’s include this URL as well:

Key dates for the 2019 release wave 2 of Dynamics 365

Look out for August 2nd to get your hands on the preview, and obviously to October 1st for the RTM release!  Following the link, you will be able to download a PDF (in your own language) with a description of all upcoming features.

What am I looking forward to?

Since we’re at it, let’s talk about the ones that I am really looking forward to myself :-).

Basically, anything “client” related is in my opinion very important, just because we know that in this next major release, the Windows Client won’t exist anymore. So:

  • Longer timeout period for server connection: this is a no-brainer. It was only added quite late to the list, but good to know that the “session timeout period” for BC Online will increase to “hours” in stead of just 20 minutes.
  • Multi-tasking across multiple pages: I know many users have been asking for this – not me in particular, but who am I? I spend more days in outlook and VSCode than in the actual client ;-).
  • Speed and agility of data entry: We have a customer we will be upgrading to BC15 (that’s what I call it), and speed of data-entry is going to be very important for them .. .
  • Customize a user profile without writing code: also again something I hear a lot from our consultants – something we need to be able to do! I just hope Microsoft will implement this on “personalization”-level, and not on “designer”-level, where we would need to compile it in code / or an extension needs to be created/changed/deployed. Users need to be able to do this on their own – and it should not involve anything technical.
  • Saving and personalizing list views: this is a no-brainer as well. So useful!
  • Add links to your navigation menu: Do I need to say more?
  • Resize columns with fewer clicks: at this point it’s not really intuitive (open personalization, and start resizing columns). So any improvement in this area is always appreciated!
  • Full keyboard shortcut support: THE number one for all I am concerned. I’m all into shortcuts, and powerusers (if I can call ‘m that) apparently as well. So I’m really looking forward to August, when this will be in the preview releases!

All great additions, and a awesome step towards getting into parity with the windows client. Probably people will still have their doubts – but that’s ok ;).

Not only the client-related stuff I’m looking forward to – also technical stuff, like:

What am I NOT waiting for?

And may be a list of what I wasn’t really waiting for 🙂 (since lately , I’m all into testability: you always have to test the opposite truth as well to have a full test – well, in this case, to have a full story, I have to talk about the opposite as well ;-))

  • More power to developers using Designer: personally, I’m not a fan of the Designer. It has brought lots of confusion (and crashes) .. but I’ll give it a go in August to see what it will bring.
  • Page background tasks: A first step into async processes .. . To be honest, I don’t see “it” yet. I need usecases .. . I missed a webcast about it – so probably it’s just me (and a matter of time) ;-). (Sorry, Kenny ;-)).
  • Base application delivered as AL applications: if that is still a surprise, well, read this post. I’m actually quite against the “Customizing-the-Base-App-in-AL” as any form of solution. For me, it’s a 100% no-go, and I will do anything I can to go fully for AL Extensions. And after all the investments we have been doing, I’m confident we will succeed. Why am I against it? Well, in my opinion, it’s at least as bad as going hybrid (aka “side-by-side”. You can read all about my opinion on that here). With all the changes we have been going through – and we are still going through – I don’t see why we would have to implement even a third development model as a partner.
    I know some people see it as a step in the AL direction. Well, it IS a step, sure .. but the only direction I can think of is “South” ;-). It feels too much like putting off the inevitable to me .. . And yes, I realize that some things are not possible with extensions, like extending primary keys, reports, options, posting routines, .. or missing events. We also had to deal with all of these … .
    Anyway, I’m at it again – I told myself to shut up about this very topic… , but apparently it’s stronger than me ;-). I’ll stop here…

So here you go. To recapitulate, the main topic of this post is simply to share the URL to the list of features: The (updated) list of features we can expect in the 2019 Release Wave 2! But now at least you have some useless opinions on top of it ;-).

5.00 avg. rating (98% score) - 3 votes

Permanent link to this article: https://www.waldo.be/2019/07/18/features-we-can-expect-in-the-2019-release-wave-2-for-microsoft-dynamics-365-business-central/

4 comments

12 pings

Skip to comment form

    • Matthias König on July 18, 2019 at 10:01 am
    • Reply

    Hi Waldo,

    Now I have often read about “Base application delivered as AL applications” before.
    I thought this only means to us, that there are decoupled localizations. But the last weeks I read out of the posts, that this causes to the On-Prem Version we could modify that localizations. I can not find the clear answer (for me).
    If this is true, I think its the wrong way…

      • waldo on July 19, 2019 at 10:11 am
        Author

      This is true, and it IS the wrong way ;-). Microsoft will strongly recommend to go the right way, which is “extensions”. But there are partners that are not able to refactor their solution (in time), so there will be a possibility to change the base app (only for onprem) – or so they said at Directions.

  1. About the point “Base application delivered as AL applications”. For me it’s a good thing to (and only for that) get some standard object directly on AL, without a need to use an on premise version, convert with Txt2Al and repair the errors from conversion. For example, when a customer want to have more fields on his Invoice Report, I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but use the report already done by MS…today, that’s painful.

  1. […] Features we can expect in the “2019 Release Wave 2” for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business … […]

  2. […] Source : Waldo’s Blog Read more… […]

  3. […] all of you with that opinion about me – let me make you happy.  You might have figured from my previous post that there is one topic that doesn’t make me particularly happy: “Code Customizing the […]

  4. […] all of you with that opinion about me – let me make you happy.  You might have figured from my previous post that there is one topic that doesn’t make me particularly happy: […]

  5. […] you already knew about this, because I already announced it here (and specifically here by Microsoft) – just kidding […]

  6. […] all of you with that opinion about me – let me make you happy.  You might have figured from my previous post that there is one topic that doesn’t make me particularly happy: “Code Customizing the […]

  7. […] all of you with that opinion about me – let me make you happy.  You might have figured from my previous post that there is one topic that doesn’t make me particularly happy: “Code Customizing the […]

  8. […] I’m still going to talk about at least a few of these points.  I did that before, and last time, I remember I did rant about one thing (Code Customized AL) – let’s see if there is […]

  9. […] I’m still going to talk about at least a few of these points.  I did that before, and last time, I remember I did rant about one thing (Code Customized AL) – let’s see if there is […]

  10. […] I’m still going to talk about at least a few of these points.  I did that before, and last time, I remember I did rant about one thing (Code Customized AL) – let’s see if there is […]

  11. […] know if it makes any sense to make that into a separate section .. but then again .. why not. It actually all started with something that I really really hated in one of the previous releases: the ability to go hybrid […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.