Dynamics NAV 2018 last 'NAV' branded version.

JDVyska

Announced yesterday:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/nav/2018/04/02/dynamics-365-business-central-is-now-live/

Because Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV run the same application code base, this empowers us to smoothly transition all our Dynamics NAV partners and customers into Dynamics 365 Business Central. Dynamics 365 Business Central is a cloud first solution, designed for the age of digital transformation powered by the cloud. But it will not be a cloud only solution. In the fall it will be available for self-deployment on premise and in the intelligent edge for customers that prefer that option. For the existing partners and customers, this will be just another upgrade, like they would do for Dynamics NAV, with a name change.

Slawek_Guzek

For the existing partners and customers, this will be just another upgrade, like they would do for Dynamics NAV, with a name change.

Am I right thinking that it means leaving C/AL, Windows Client, .NET, and allowing modification of standard objects?

Juhl

No, not nessesary.
C/AL will continue, for years to come, from what I heard. Think MS woke up and realised they just can’t take that away.
But I guess we need to plan, because if we use extensions as we already can in 2017 and 2018, to keep it clean and then we suddenly need to access extension tables/fields from a standard code customization. Then the fun starts...

Kepty

@Juhl What? They wrote that only AL will be supported... (see Microsoft Github)

Juhl

Not On-premise

Kepty

On-Premise too. It will be possible to edit standard objects, but only with AL.

Slawek_Guzek

Sorry, @Juhl, I have written my question in a very confusing way. By "leaving" I meant that Microsoft will not drop C/AL, Windows Client, .NET, etc, from the BC.

From what I've heard just today (a webinar) C/AL indeed is going to be available in on-prem version. So it will not be dropped from BC - at least not now . But "for years to come", hmmm.. MS and "can't do"? They can and I guess they will as soon as the number of new small customers using BC in MS cloud will be significant

Juhl

I didn’t answer your question Slawek, as we wrote at the same time. You beat me.

What I meant was business as usual on on-prem.

Good reading https://community.dynamics.com/nav/b/simplanovablog/archive/2018/03/27/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-dynamics-365-business-central

Kepty

Ok, my information is a little bit older - https://github.com/Microsoft/AL/issues/237

Currently the base-app is still written in C/AL using C/SIDE. In the future we will develop everything in AL. When we have fully moved to AL, you will be able GoTo definition into base-objects as well.

This doesn't mean that you can't view the source. We will still continue to make the source available, the complete move to AL will just make it possible to build even better navigation/discoverability between symbols/source.

For future OnPremise development you will still be able to change/customize everything - if the extension model isn't sufficient. The only change is that the development tools will then be AL + VsCode and not C/AL + C/SIDE. Being able to do so will of course still require access to standard
objects.

kalyanbl

What about the release for the OnPremise version. It was announced as Dynamics NAV 2018 R2 in some Road Maps, eg. at Directions EMEA. Will a new version be released?

Juhl

Yes, in the fall.
But 2018R2 is out, and the next version will be called, wait for it......

Dynamics 365 Business Central (On-Premise)

JDVyska

Strong recommend that folks read the linked article Juhl linked. I will relink for lazy finding:

Everything you wanted to know about Dynamics 365 Business Central

From that article:

When is the next release of Dynamics NAV planned, is there still going to be 2018 R2?

Dynamics NAV 2018 will receive updates in April. Microsoft decided not to call it R2.