What's Next: AL-Go for GitHub (2025 release wave 1)
Freddy Christensen outlines planned AL-Go for GitHub work for 2025 release wave 1: indirect (private) templates expected around April or May, NuGet generation and publishing of runtime packages, running tests and page scripting tests when publishing to online sandbox or QA environments, ongoing security hardening, and a multi-year move away from BC Container Helper. Publishing test apps to online environments was released in this release; running the tests there is still in progress.
- Introduction and Security Overview
- Security Investments and AL-Go Benefits
- Indirect Templates and Customizations
- NuGet Support and Package Publishing
- Testing on Online Environments
- Moving Away from BC Container Helper
Overview
The video covers what is next for AL-Go for GitHub in 2025 release wave 1. The speaker frames security recommendations and partner feedback as must-haves, and says AL-Go benefits from Microsoft’s security investments, including monthly security updates implemented in DevOps pipelines.
It then walks through indirect templates for customer-specific customizations, NuGet support for runtime packages, running tests and page scripting tests on online environments when publishing, and the gradual move away from BC Container Helper. The speaker gives no firm dates, and says one item may land in April or May.
Key points
- Indirect (private) templates let partners add customer-specific customizations without changing the final repositories; custom jobs and custom steps are merged into templates. It is at PR stage, being tested by partners, and settings handling is still being finalized; the speaker expects it around April or May.
- NuGet support is meant to generate and publish runtime packages efficiently, a frequent partner request. It needs more testing and partner adoption.
- Publishing test apps to online environments was released in this release. Running tests and page scripting tests when publishing to sandbox or QA environments is still being worked on, as part of publishing (continuous or manual deployment) rather than the core CI/CD pipeline.
- AL-Go will move away from BC Container Helper, shifting DevOps-relevant features into PowerShell modules or GitHub actions. The speaker expects this to take two to three years.
- Partners running their own DevOps solution based on BC Container Helper are recommended to move to a managed DevOps solution. BC Container Helper will not be removed from the PowerShell gallery, but support will stop at some point.
- The team receives security requirements every month to implement in its DevOps pipelines, and AL-Go for GitHub benefits from these Microsoft security investments.
- The speaker says these are must-haves but gives no firm dates, apart from expecting indirect templates around April or May.
Features
| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indirect Templates and Customizations | status not stated | 2:04 | |
| NuGet Support - Generate and Publish Runtime Packages | announced | 4:06 | “that is big on the agenda for Al go for GitHub in the future” (4:26) |
| Running Tests on Online Environments | announced | 4:26 | “another thing we’re working on is running tests and Page scripting tests on online environments” (4:26) |
| Move Away from BC Container Helper | announced | 5:22 | “we will be moving away from BC from using BC container helper in Al go for GitHub” (5:43) |
| Security Recommendations Implementation | status not stated | 1:26 |
Quotes
- 0:46 “we definitely need to listen to partner feedback we definitely need to follow new security recommendations so some of these things are musthaves”
- 3:45 “I expect this one to to make it in in probably April or May I said no dates oh I just gave a date”
- 4:06 “generate and publish runtime packages as new get uh that part is something that I very frequently hear from Partners they miss”
- 4:42 “in this release we have released a functionality that can publish test and test apps and stuff like that to online environments”
- 6:23 “there’s a long way probably two three years before we we’re going to get through with all of these things”
- 6:40 “Partners move to a managed devop solution if they have if if partners are running right now A devop solution that they’re managing themselves”
Disclaimers in the video
- 0:26 other: no promises no dates
- 3:45 coming-later: I expect this one to to make it in in probably April or May
- 6:23 coming-later: there’s a long way probably two three years before we we’re going to get through with all of these things
Presenters (as heard): Freddy Christensen.