Unlocking Dynamics 365 Finance and SCM: A Deep Dive into Extensibility Dynamics
Srinivasan M.
Democratizing Technologies-Product: Innovation, Development, Strategy, Marketing, Support and L&D.
1. Sealing the Application:
- The presentation emphasizes the importance of sealing the application to enable faster updates and hotfixes, particularly crucial in a cloud environment.
- Extensions play a key role in isolating changes, with Microsoft's application suite assembly protected and only modified by provided hotfixes.
2. Extensibility Features:
- Extensibility in Dynamics 365 includes adding new model elements, modifying existing ones, and using class augmentation features like Chain of Command.
- The goal is to enable partners and customers to customize without resorting to traditional techniques like overlaying, ensuring easier upgrades and updates.
3. Extension Examples:
- Examples cover various extension types, such as forms, tables, enums, and classes, with step-by-step guides on creating them and incorporating additional logic.
- Enum extensibility requires marking enums as extensible and ensuring switch statements are hookable or have delegates for partner code integration.
4. Application Areas for Extensibility:
- Extensibility is explored across different application areas, including data entities, queries, menus, and reports.
- Delegates and chain of command methods are highlighted as powerful tools for handling events and customizing behavior without relying on overlayering.
5. Future Expectations:
- As Dynamics 365 evolves, the expectation is to limit intrusive customizations and encourage the adoption of extension models.
- Certain limitations exist, such as changes to method or type definitions, as these define the system's contract with partners, ensuring a balance between flexibility and system integrity.