---
id: feature/573356
type: feature
title: Simplify AL extension setup and authentication in Visual Studio Code
summary: 'Development: Simplify AL extension setup and authentication in Visual Studio Code. Generally available, GA 2026-10 (Microsoft 365 roadmap). "Automatically acquire the required .NET runtime and use Visual Studio Code authentication by default, reducing manual setup across local and browser-hosted environments. Business value: AL developers spend less time installing runtimes and managing separate authentication prompts when setting up Visual Studio Code. The AL extension is also smaller because it no longer includes separate runtime copies for each supported operating system.'
tier: official
language: en
system: development
tags:
  - development
review:
  state: derived
  by: null
  at: null
  flags: []
generated:
  at: "2026-10-07T23:41:05.192Z"
  pipeline: 0.2.0
  prompts: {}
  input_hash: 4d3924f13575fb36cf49ee388dcc703d958e65e88865fbd60428b36cbb57e8af
evidence:
  - kind: roadmap
    url: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?id=573356
    title: Microsoft 365 roadmap 573356
    date: "2026-09-30"
    commit: null
    t: null
    quote: null
  - kind: learn
    url: https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-get-started
    title: Get started with AL
    date: null
    commit: null
    t: null
    quote: null
links:
  learn:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-get-started
  objects: []
  features: []
  topics: []
  localizations: []
  videos: []
  posts: []
  guidelines: []
roadmap_id: "573356"
wave: 2026 release wave 2
status: ga
roadmap_status: Launched
release_phase: General Availability
ga_date: 2026-10
preview_date: null
area: Development
whatsnew_url: null
localizations: []
objects_touched: []
---

# Simplify AL extension setup and authentication in Visual Studio Code

> Development: Simplify AL extension setup and authentication in Visual Studio Code. Generally available, GA 2026-10 (Microsoft 365 roadmap). "Automatically acquire the required .NET runtime and use Visual Studio Code authentication by default, reducing manual setup across local and browser-hosted environments. Business value: AL developers spend less time installing runtimes and managing separate authentication prompts when setting up Visual Studio Code. The AL extension is also smaller because it no longer includes separate runtime copies for each supported operating system.

[Microsoft 365 roadmap 573356](https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?id=573356) · Development · generally available · roadmap status "Launched", phase General Availability

## What Microsoft says

"Automatically acquire the required .NET runtime and use Visual Studio Code authentication by default, reducing manual setup across local and browser-hosted environments. Business value: AL developers spend less time installing runtimes and managing separate authentication prompts when setting up Visual Studio Code. The AL extension is also smaller because it no longer includes separate runtime copies for each supported operating system. The streamlined configuration provides a more consistent setup across Windows, macOS, and Linux."

## Dates

- General availability: October CY2026 (2026 release wave 2)
- Public preview: not given
- On the roadmap since 2026-09-30, last changed 2026-09-30

## Covered by

Matched by Haiku among videos and Learn pages in the same galaxy system, checked against the roadmap ids and the evidence text. Every link below was reviewed by Opus.

### Microsoft Learn

- [Get started with AL](https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-get-started)

Source: Microsoft 365 roadmap. Status words follow the roadmap.