Coding Best Practices In Dynamics AX 2012

There are some coding best practice strategies that every one should follow to avoid Best Practice Errors.

1. Use camel cases for all the member variables i.e serverClass (First alphabet of the work should be small and second alphabet should be capital).

2. Use Pascal Case Naming  Convention for application Object Tree Elements.

e.g:AddressCountryRegion

First letter of each word should be capital.

3. Parameters Names in Methods should start with _ (underscore).

4. Do not encode the type of a variable in its name eg strName (This is wrong).

5. Do not use multiple comments use only single line comments.No matter how many lines the comment contains.

6. Do not use comment at the end of the line.Unless the comment is very small
e.g: int count; //-1 indicates.

7. Remove Todo comments in advance of a release.

( Todo Comments are basically the comments of code that this code contains bug we will fix it latter or etc.)

8. XML Documentation is  basically the Description  of the method and  its parameters.

We must place XML Documentation above every method.

To create the XML tags place /// above the method or right click
scripts->documentation->HeaderTemplate.

9. Put the method calls inside the conditions so if call are fails than method calls cost will reduce.This is benefit of taking less time consuming.

10. Use field list in select statement.

11. Use Extended Data Types whereever possible.

12. For constant values that are use in multiple places in code you should use #define to define macro that has the constant value.

Example for defining Macros.

#define. MacroName('value')

Example for using Macros.

variable=#Macroname.

13. Use local variables as more as possible.

14. Avoid Global variables as more as possible.

If  you want to explore more in Coding Best Practices than here is the link below:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg865121.aspx

Thanks

Muhammad Zahid.
 

Unit Test Framework In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

The Unit Test framework is tightly integrated into the MorphX IDE of Microsoft Dynamics AX. This integration is very important to test-driven development (TDD) because a unit test can be created alongside the feature code it is testing.

What is a Unit Test:

A unit test is code that verifies that feature code has been implemented correctly. If you adhere to the principles of TDD, it is best for the developer who is writing the feature code to first write the unit tests. This puts emphasis on how feature code is consumed and creates a more user friendly application programming interface (API). A unit test, in the context of the Unit Test framework, includes test cases, how test cases are staged with data, and the organization of test cases. A test case is a class that extends the SysTestCase Class class. You can add test methods to test each requirement of the feature code. You should execute test cases when code is changed.

Some Important Points:

Every test case class should extend  SysTestCase Class.

For testing purpose you can write multiple methods for single actual method in code.

For Classes their should only one class for testing a single class.

Name the test class same as the class followed by test in the end.

Name of the method in the test class should also contains test  in the start.

We write Unit Test for classes and tables only.

Always Testing will be done on Blank Database.

The attribute that must be placed on the unit test case class is:

[SysTestTargetAttribute('SysDictTable',UtilElementType::Class)]

The attribute that must be  placed above the method of the test case is:

[SysTestMethodAttribute]

Methods for Setting Data:

Two types of methods are use for setting up data.These are:

1. Setup Method.

2 Setup Test Case Method.

1.Setup Method:

Setup Method runs before every Test method.For some times we usaually want fresh data so we write code in setup method.It works like this:First setup method executed than test method executed than tear down method executed than again setup method executed with fresh data than second test method executed and so on.

2.Setup Test Case Method:

Setup Test case method runs only one time when test class is executed.In case of setup test case method it executed only one time and than tear down method for setup test case method will execute in the end.

note:Due to some issues we usually dont use i.e override setup test case method we only use setup method.

Tear Down Method:

Tear Down method is basically use to flush out data.We normally dont override this method.It manages Automatically.

A test method will typically contain several assertions that are required to hold true,for the test to be successful.

Note: The use of the assertEquals method.This method,and other assert methods,are available as part of the SysTestCase framework.These methods also have an optional string parameter called _message,to specify the message that would go into the infolog.If the assertion fails.The following is list of available methods:

Now I will show u the simple example on how to use the Unit Testing.

Create a simple class that contains add,subtract and multiply methods.

Now Create the Unit Test to Test this classes.The original class on which I have made these methods is Calculations.Now for unit test first we will override the setup method.



public class calculationtest extends systestcase
{
calculation obj;
}

pulbic void setup()
{

 obj=new calculation();

super();

}

public void testadd()
{
this.assertequal(3,obj.parmadd(1,2));
}
public void testmultiply()
{
this.assrtequal(9,obj.multiply(3,3));
}

Class Declaration:

[SysTestTargetAttribute('calculation',UtilElementType::Class]
public class calculationtest extends SysTestCase
{
calculation obj;
}

Methods:

[SysTestMethodAttribute]
public void testadd()
{
this.asserEquals()3,obj.add(1,2);
}

[SysTestMethodAttribute]
public void testsubtract()
{
this.assertEquals(1,obj.subtract(1,2));
}

[SysTestMethodAttribute]
public void testmultiply()
{
this.assertEquals(9,obj.multiply(3,3));
}

Running Test Cases:

Now right click the test class i,e is calculationtest and than go to add ins than click the run test tests as
you can see in the below image:

 

 

Now after running the unit tests you can see in the above image that the how much methods are runs how much are fail as you can see in the image.

 

 



 



You can also record the code coverage of the code just click on the parameters button as you can see in the above image.

A new screen will open.Now check the checkbox record code coverage and record number of records.as you can see in the below image.

Now click on the Listener as you can see in the above image and select infolog.This is for when some exception occur than it will be show in the infolog.

Below is the screen for the infolog.

Now close the above form and than again run the unit test and than click the details button as you can see in the 3rd last image and a new form will open and where you can see the code coverage.

The recomended code coverage of the class should be 60%.

You can see the code coverage of my class in the below image:

You can also see the code coverage of the methods also.Just select your recently run testcase and than click the test button as you can see in the above image.

A new form will open which shows the code coverage of the methods as you can see in the below image.

 

Thanks

 

Muhammad Zahid.

Queries In Dynamics AX 2012

Types Of Queries :

There are three types of queries in dynamics ax 2012:

1. Inline Queries.

2. Aot Queries.

3. Queries objects and API.

1. Inline Queries:

Inline queries are similar to the Linq queries in dot.

In inline queries you need to create the table buffer.

Table Buffer is quite similar to the objects in classes.

In Dynamics Ax tables can also be treat as a classes where you can write your own methods.

Below is the simple example of inline queries.

CustTable custTable;

 select AccountNum from custTable order by AccountNum where custTable.AccountNum>="1000";

info(custTable.AccountNum);

I you want to show all the records in the info box than we use while statement

while   select AccountNum from custTable order by AccountNum where custTable.AccountNum>="1000";

{  

 info(custTable.AccountNum);

 }

We can also use aggregate functions  in  inline queries.

Here is the example given below:

 select count(AccountNum) from custTable where custTable.AccountNum>"1000";

info(custTable.AccountNum);

Joins in Inline Queries:

Lets make it little bit more interesting by using joins:

HcmBenefit hcmBenefit;

HcmBenefitPlan hcmBenefitPlan;

while select * from HcmBenefit join HcmBenefitPlan

where hcmBenefit.BenefitPlan==hcmBenefitPlan.RecId

{

info("%1,%2",hcmBenefit.BenefitPlan,hcmBenefitPlan.RecId);

}


Group By Clause in Inline Queries:


Group by clause is basically use when we use aggregate functions.Lets see an example:

while select count(RecId) from hcmBenefit
join Description from hcmBenefitPlan
 group by hcmBenefit.BenefitPlan,hcmBenefitPlan.Description
where hcmBenefit.BenefitPlan==hcmBenefitPlan.RecId
{
info(strfmt("%1,%2",hcmBenefit.RecId,hcmBenefitPlan.Description));
}


Inline Queries -Select Options :

If you want to explore more than you can refer to the following link:

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa656402.aspx

 

Simple Insert,Update,Delete:

Insert:

Student  student;

student.name="muhammad zahid";

student.insert();

Update:

select forupdate from student where student.name=="muhammad zahid"

if(student.RecId>0)

{

ttsbegin;

student.name="Baber Tareen";

student.update();

ttscommit;

}

note:The if check was only to check that if the record exist or not that i have fetch.You can remove this if check if you want.

Delete:

select forupdate from student where  student.name="Baber Tareen";

if(student.RecId>0)

{

ttsbegin;

student.delete();

ttscommit;

}

Insert And Update multiple records at a Time:

For inserting multiple data at a single time we use insert_recordset and for updating multiple data at a single time we use update_recordset 

update record set

insert_recordset:

insert_recordset myTable(myNum,mySum)

select myNum,sum(myValue) from anotherTable

group by myNum where myNum <= 100

note:here mytable is the table in which we are inserting the bulk record and the fileds are those in which we inserting data and than the select query which fetch the record whic we are inserting in our table.    

update_recordset:

update_recordset student setting

name="zahid";

the above code will update all the names fields to zahid.You can also use where clause to update the selected record set.

The pseudo code for the update record set is:

update_recordset my TableBuffer setting

field1=1,

field2=fieldX + filedY

where field1==0

 

AOT Queries:

AOT Queries are those queries that we made in AOT by the help of the wizard.

below is the image of the AOT Queries.



Calling Aot Queries:

 

HcmBenefit hcmBenefit;

 

HcmBenefitPlan hcmBenefitPlan;

 

Query q=new Query(queryStr(BenefitQuery));

 

QueryRun qr=new QueryRun(q);

 

while(qr.next())

{

hcmbenefit=qr.get(tableNum(hcmBenefit));

 

hcmBenefitPlan=qr.get(tableNum(hcmBenefitPlan));

 

info(strfmt("%1,%2",hcmBenefitPlan.Description,hcmBenefit.RecId));

}

 

Query Build API:

Query:

 

Contains the definition of the query.Can consist of one data source or several data sources if they are related.

 

Query Run:

Class use to execute the query and loop through reuslt.

 

Query Build DataSource:

Links to one datasources in query.

 

Query Build Range:

 

Enables the end user to limit the result by adding a value in the specified query range.

 

QueryBuildFieldList:

 

List of all the fields in data source.

 

Query Build Link:

 

Links two data sources in a join.Is set on the child data source.

 

Using Aggregates and Sorting:

 

 

 

 

 

Using Joins:

 

 

some usefull links so you can deeply explore.

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa883417.aspx

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb394994.aspx

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa638454.aspx

 

Thanks

 

Muhammad Zahid. 

 

 

 

Map and MapEnumerator Class

Map Class:

                       The Map class lets you associate one value, that is, the key, with another value. Both the key and value can be any valid X++ type. This includes objects. The types of the key and the value are specified in the declaration of the map. The way in which maps are implemented means that access to the values is very fast.

we can also assign our hard coded key value and value in maps.

I will show you the little example on how to implement Maps.This will make more clear concepts.

Map zahidmap;
 
zahidmap=new Map(Types::Integer,Types::string);
 
zahidmap.insert(1,"Muhammad Zahid");
 
zahidmap.insert(2,"Asim Saeed");
 
zahidmap.insert(3,"Baber Tareen");
 
if(zahidmap.exist(1))
{
info(strfmt("%1",zahidmap.lookup(1)));
}
 
if(zahidmap.exist(2))
{
info(strfmt("%1",zahidmap.lookup(2)));
}
 
if(zahidmap.exist(3))
{
info(strfmt("%1",zahidmap.lookup(3)));
}

In the above code I have just created the map with key value type=integer and value type =string
than I have inserted the key value and value into the map and than i have just made an if  check whcich checks that if this key is exist or not and by m.lookup method i just return the value against the key that I have passed into the parameter.

Output:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MapEnumerator:

 

The MapEnumerator class allows you to traverse through the elements within a map.

 

Example:

 

This example is proceeding from the above created example.

 

As I have already created the map.Now in this example i will assign this map to the map enumerator.

MapEnumerator zahidmapenumerator;

zahidmapenumerator=zahidmap.getEnumerator();

while(zahidmapenumerator.movenext())
{
info(strfmt("%1",zahidmapenumerator.currentvalue()));
}

The outpur will be the same as you can see in the above image.

Thanks

Muhammad Zahid.
 
   

Assigning roles in Sql Server 2008 R2

Go to security => login tab of the security tab of  Sql server 2008 R2 right click and than select new login as u can see in the below image:

Now click on the new login and than enter the login name as u can see in the image below:

Now click on the server roles and check the roles you want to assign to that user as you can see in the image below:

Now click on the user mapping than check the database on which u have to assign the role related to that database and than select the checkboxes below which shows the roles related to selected database as you can see in the image below.

Now check the another database and than repeat the steps as I have stated above.

Thanks

Muhammad Zahid.



Error 3154:The backup set holds a backup of a database other than the existing 'AXDBDEV' database

This error message  will produce when we restore our database from the database backup file:

There are following easy steps to resolve this issue:

Step 1: 

First right click the existing database which you want to restore than go to:

 

task => restore => database

 

as you can see in the below image:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2:

A new wizard will open.Now click on the options then check the checkbox

 

"Overwrite the existing database (with replace)" 

 

as you can see in the below image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now perform the rest of the steps for restoring the database.The error message will not be produce again.

 

 

Thanks

 

Muhammad Zahid.