What's New: Web Services in Business Central (2024 release wave 1)

Overview

The session covers what changed for incoming and outgoing web services in 2024 release wave 1. Developers get a new cookie data type and AL methods for cookies in the HTTP client. OData gains the in operator and a changed find logic for better performance. The web service request queue moves from a global queue to one per user.

The video also covers expanded web services documentation, an internal session optimization that uses fewer resources, and breaking changes. Delta links are removed, API schema version 2.0 is now the default, and API version 1 and SOAP web services on Microsoft pages are announced for removal in later releases.

Key points

• The HTTP client has a new cookie data type and a use response cookies method. Get cookie names and get cookie are available on the response and request message types, and cookies can be set or removed on the request message.
• Direct PATCH support in the HTTP client was not in this wave. It is expected in a minor release afterwards.
• OData supports the in operator as shorter notation for several equals conditions. OData uses find first for one row, find for 2 to 50 rows, and find set for more than 50 rows.
• The web service queue changed from a global queue of five requests per tenant to a queue per user. For example, if a user has three requests, they are executed immediately without waiting behind other users.
• The global service protection limit still applies, so HTTP 429 responses are possible. When the limit is reached it is applied round robin.
• Delta links with APIs are removed, so setting OData track changes in the HTTP header has no effect. API schema version now defaults to 2.0, and older versions can be set in the HTTP header.
• API version 1 will be removed in version 26 or later. SOAP web services on Microsoft-owned pages will be removed in a later release, so plan migration to OData and newer API versions.

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 “cookie data type” at 1:05
• other “HTTP response message data type” at 1:43
• other “HTTP request message data type” at 1:55
• other “use response cookies method” at 1:17
• other “use request cookies method” at 2:36
• other “web services page” at 11:30

Quotes

• 0:30 “In this wave, we added support for cookies in HTTP client.”
• 1:05 “We have a new cookie data type, new AL methods to handle cookies, and also a way to reuse cookies in in later responses”
• 2:48 “We didn’t make it for this release, but we expect to ship it in a minor release, which is direct support for patch.”
• 5:58 “Now, you have a queue per user. So, if a user has three requests, they will be executed immediately.”
• 9:02 “We have optimized the way we have handle sessions, so that we use a lot less resources just to keep a session alive, which”
• 10:37 “Delta links with APIs is now removed. That was announced a couple of years back, which means if you set the OData track a”
• 11:04 “In a later version, version 26 or later, API version 1 will be removed.”

Disclaimers in the video

• 2:48 coming-later: Direct support for patch in HTTP client expected in a minor release after this wave
• 11:04 coming-later: API version 1 will be removed in version 26 or later
• 11:18 coming-later: SOAP web services on Microsoft pages will be removed in a later release

Presenters (as heard): Kenny Pontoppidan, Jens Møller Pedersen.