ALTool
ALTool is the cross-platform command-line tool for compiling and packaging AL extensions for Business Central. This section answers questions about what the AL Development Tools package contains, how ALTool fits into CI/CD pipelines, and which commands it offers.
Path: Development > Get started > ALTool · tier official · system development · narrative reviewed (checked by Opus)
Overview
ALTool is a command-line utility delivered in the AL Development Tools package, a cross-platform NuGet package. It is used to compile and package AL extensions and to retrieve manifests, and it is designed for integration into CI/CD pipelines.
The section has two pages. The package page explains what the AL Development Tools package provides and how ALTool is part of it. The command-line reference lists the ALTool commands: compilation, workspace management, test execution, call graph analysis, and detection of symbol-only packages. It also covers LSP and MCP servers, including MCP proxies for performance profiling and snapshot debugging that connect AI agents to running Business Central environments.
Start with the package page to understand what the package contains and that it is distributed through NuGet. Then use the command-line reference to find the specific command for your build or analysis task.
Key points
- ALTool is a cross-platform command-line tool for compiling and packaging AL extensions.
- It ships in the AL Development Tools package, available as a NuGet package.
- It supports CI/CD integration for automated builds.
- Commands cover workspace management, test execution, and call graph analysis.
- ALTool can detect symbol-only packages and retrieve manifests.
- It can run LSP and MCP servers.
- MCP proxies for performance profiling and snapshot debugging let AI agents connect to running Business Central environments to profile slow sessions and capture debugging snapshots.
- The reference page is marked with 2026 release wave 2.
Learn pages
- AL Development Tools package: Streamline AL extension development with the AL Development Tools package. Access powerful command-line utilities for compiling, packaging, and automating workflows.
- ALTool Command-Line Reference for AL Development: Simplify AL extension development with ALTool. Validate code, package extensions, and integrate into CI/CD pipelines for seamless deployment.
Videos, posts and code changes
Linked by a Haiku matcher with a grounding quote from the item’s summary (link/topics.ts); machine-generated.
- #2304 Support framework-dependent (flat) AL Language extension layout (code change): “Get-ALTool probes nested bin/win32 or bin/linux paths first”
- #2327 Add doNotPerformUpgrade setting and enhance upgrade warning messages (code change): “AL-Go pipeline now supports skipping the upgrade phase”
- #2382 Fix dependency artifact pattern for branch names with glob-special characters (code change): “Fixed a bug where dependency artifact downloads failed silently”
- Enhance Your AL Development with the AL MCP Server (community post): “The AL MCP server ships with the AL development tools and gives AI agents tools”
Source: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0). Descriptions are Learn’s own.