Mastering AL Programming in Business Central: From Basics to Advanced

 Introduction

Unlock the full potential of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central by mastering AL programming. This comprehensive guide takes you from the basics to advanced techniques, covering essential topics such as code units, procedures, queries, triggers, and more. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this structured content will help you enhance your skills and build powerful extensions for Business Central.

If you are an aspiring Business Central developer, check out this e-book: 

For Indian residents: AL Mastery in 3 Weeks: A Programmer's Boot Camp.

For Other countries: AL Mastery in 3 Weeks: A Programmer's Boot Camp

If you are preparing for an interview, explore this resource: 

For Indian Residents: Business Central Technical Interview Preparation.

For Other countries: AL Mastery in 3 Weeks: A Programmer's Boot Camp

If there's anything missing in the table below, please let me know in the comments.

Basic Level

Topic	Concepts/Link Reference (Click the link to learn the concept)
Introduction to AL Programming	Overview of Business Central
	AL language
	Setting up the development environment
Getting Started with AL	Creating a new AL project
	Understanding the project structure and key files
Basic Syntax and Data Types	Variables and data types
	Basic syntax and operators
	Control structures if statements  loops: for do  For Each While Repeat
Tables and Fields	Creating and modifying tables
	Defining fields and data types
	Primary keys and indexing
	Table triggers (OnInsert, OnModify, OnDelete)
Pages and UI Design	Creating pages (Card, List, Worksheet)
	Page properties and layout customization Part 1 Part 2
	Simple actions and triggers Triggers in AL Table Triggers
Basic Codeunits and Functions	Introduction to codeunits
	Creating and calling functions (procedures)
	Error handling basics

Intermediate Level

Topic	Description
Advanced Table Concepts	Table relations and lookup fields
	Validations and triggers (OnInsert, OnModify, OnDelete)
	Temporary tables and buffer tables
Advanced Pages and UI Customization	Complex page design Role Center Page: Navigation Menu and Bar Action Bar Card Part Headline part List Part Cue
	Handling page events and triggers Event Types
Codeunits and Business Logic	Writing complex business logic in codeunits
	Defining and using local and global procedures
	Error handling and debugging Introduction Field Error and Error method
Reports and Document Layouts	Designing reports with RDLC and Word layouts RDLC Introduction RDLC from Multiple Tables Word Excel
	Report triggers and data handling
Queries and Data Retrieval	Creating and using queries
	Advanced data retrieval techniques Types of Joins Complex Query

 

Advanced Level

Topic	Description
Event-Driven Programming	Understanding and using events and subscribers
	Creating and handling custom events
	Best practices for event-driven design
Extensions and Upgrades	Developing and publishing AL extensions
	Handling extension versioning and upgrades
	Managing dependencies and breaking changes
Integration and Web Services	Consuming and exposing web services (SOAP, OData)
	REST API integration
	Handling authentication and security
Advanced AL Features	Using advanced AL features (Enums, Interfaces)
	Customizing the application lifecycle management (ALM) Part 1 Azure DevOps Intro to GitHub
	Implementing automated testing and CI/CD pipelines
Performance Tuning and Optimization	Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks
	Advanced indexing and query optimization
	Best practices for efficient AL code
Customization and Localization	Advanced customization techniques
	Handling multi-language and localization
	Customizing Business Central for different regions

 

Conclusion

Mastering AL programming in Business Central opens up a world of opportunities for developers. By understanding the basics, diving into intermediate concepts, and exploring advanced techniques, you can create powerful and efficient solutions. Keep learning and experimenting to stay ahead in the ever-evolving field of Business Central development.

If you found this guide helpful, don't forget to share it with your network! 😊🚀 If there's anything missing or if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below. Happy coding! 💻✨