What’s New: AL Runtime and Database (2024 release wave 1)

Overview

The session covers developer-facing runtime and database updates in 2024 release wave 1. Number sequences get faster next, current and exist methods (up to 32%), a restart method, and a range start method that fetches an interval in one call. Change log entry deletion is optimized for very large tables, and an on-premises alter key method disables keys for the current transaction to speed up bulk deletion.

It also covers field tooltips defined once on the table, new system tables for translatable texts, test field adding navigation links to failing data, expanded error handling documentation, and the server runtime move from .NET 6 to .NET 8 and from PowerShell 5 to PowerShell 7 with a backward compatibility bridge.

Key points

• Number sequence next, current and exist methods are up to 32% faster. A new restart method resets a sequence to a given number without dropping and recreating it.
• The range start method gets an interval of numbers in one call, so a range of 100 needs 1 database call instead of 100.
• The alter key method disables keys for the current transaction to speed up bulk deletion of change log entries. It is marked on-premises only, and keys are re-enabled when the transaction ends.
• The force order and loop join server settings are removed in this release. They were deprecated in version 23.
• Field tooltips can be defined on the table and are inherited by pages using the field. Page-level tooltips can still override them.
• Test field adds a navigation link to failing data when conditions are met: read permission, available drill down page ID and card page ID, and a target that is a different page or record.
• The runtime moves to .NET 8 and PowerShell 7. A bridge through the nav admin tool relays PowerShell 5 calls, but scripts that import assemblies directly may need minor changes.

Features

AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

• other “number sequence” at 0:37
• other “change log entry” at 2:25
• other “test field” at 8:44
• table 98 “General Ledger Setup” at 9:45
• other “currency card” at 10:18

Quotes

• 0:37 “next current exist methods are up to 32% faster”
• 1:48 “so you’re basically saving a datab base call for every time you need a number so if if you have a range of 100”
• 2:25 “change log entry tables growing to very large sizes to the point where even setting up retention policies would time out”
• 5:07 “with this release wave as developer you can now Define field tool tips once on the table and any page uh that that use”
• 9:04 “we’ve added new capabilities to test field so that it can add link to add a navigation link to the failing data”
• 12:10 “for this release we have switched to net 8 which is a faster and more efficient runtime”
• 12:30 “with doet 8 we’re moving to Powers shell 7”

Disclaimers in the video

• 3:05 preview: new method which for now is mar for on premises
• 5:48 not-in-this-release: that’s science fiction not coming in this release wave
• 6:29 coming-later: I’m afraid it didn’t make it for this release but um it will go out with a later um compiler update
• 13:22 coming-later: will deprecate Parell five within the next years

Presenters (as heard): Kenny Pidan, Yan M Peterson.