Microsoft Deprecates Earlier Versions of Visual Studio for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations Development

Microsoft has announced that it will cease shipping and supporting Visual Studio extensions for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations development, as well as Power Platform tools, for versions other than Visual Studio 2022.

What Changes?

Historically, Microsoft provided support for older versions of Visual Studio with their extensions, including the project system and X++ compiler.

However, the company has decided to discontinue support for these earlier versions.

Future updates and support will be exclusively for Visual Studio 2022, and older versions will no longer be included in Virtual Hard Disks (VHDs) or Continuous Integration Environments (CHEs) provided by Microsoft.

Reasons for the Change

Several factors have influenced this decision:

1. Enhanced Capabilities of VS 2022: Visual Studio 2022 is praised for its modern interface and improved functionality. Unlike its predecessors, VS 2022 operates on a 64-bit framework, addressing many limitations related to memory and performance that impacted the Dynamics 365 codebase. This change is particularly beneficial for handling large-scale debugging scenarios.
2. Focused Development Efforts: By concentrating on a single platform, Microsoft aims to streamline the development process. This focus allows for more efficient bug fixes and feature updates. Notably, performance improvements have already been implemented exclusively for VS 2022.
3. Seamless Upgrade: Transitioning to the latest version of VS 2022 is straightforward. Users can download the newest version and run the installation without complications.

Microsoft looks forward to users' responses and to introducing future updates exclusively for Visual Studio 2022.

Our Take

Microsoft's decision to focus exclusively on Visual Studio 2022 for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations development is a smart move.

It aligns with the latest advancements in technology, offering enhanced performance and streamlined updates.

This shift will likely lead to faster, more efficient development processes, benefiting the entire D365 community.

While some may find the transition challenging, the long-term gains in stability and functionality make it a positive change.