--- id: video/bvGdaxC3sq8 type: video title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" summary: Contoso Demo Tool is a tool announced for 2023 release wave 2 (available from version 23.0) that orchestrates modular demo data for Business Central. The video covers the limits of rapid start packages, the Contoso Coffee modules, and how developers build their own demo data modules with dependencies and helper code units. tier: official language: en tags: - demo data - contoso - demo modules - rapid start package - module dependencies - data layers - on-demand creation - lego architecture - open source system: development review: state: reviewed by: opus at: "2026-10-07T23:13:09.280Z" flags: [] generated: at: "2026-10-07T23:13:09.317Z" pipeline: 0.2.0 prompts: extract-video: 1 summarize-video: 2 input_hash: fcd612b489e3f1e6f57267e6b15e892a48f2cbfd3cf48197d6434747bd755b71 evidence: - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=185s title: "Contoso Coffee Demo Data: generally available" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 185 quote: We actually have released it like two uh releases ago, uh and we already have some available modules - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=406s title: "Contoso Demo Tool: announced" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 406 quote: the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0 - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=85s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 85 quote: using rapid start package to create your demo data is a support tool, absolutely, but it has its own limitation - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=247s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 247 quote: from now on think of demo data module as LEGO and it's like bricks of LEGO that you build on top of each other - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=406s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 406 quote: the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0 - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=481s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 481 quote: we highly recommend you to go ahead and check out what data is created in each module - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=542s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 542 quote: we are creating one line of general posting setup in one line of code - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=635s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 635 quote: we want to move toward on-demand demo data creation - kind: video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=697s title: "Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2)" date: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" commit: null t: 697 quote: all of this is open source. It has been open source for like a year now links: learn: [] objects: - object/enum/5160 features: [] topics: [] localizations: [] videos: [] posts: [] guidelines: [] video_id: bvGdaxC3sq8 channel: yt-microsoft source_name: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube) url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8 published_at: "2023-12-21T13:57:40.000Z" duration_s: 721 captions: full audience: - developer - functional consultant - administrator chapters: - t: 0 title: Introduction and Current Demo Data Tools - t: 54 title: Limitations of Rapid Start Packages - t: 148 title: Introducing Contoso Coffee - t: 210 title: Contoso Design Goals and Architecture - t: 289 title: Contoso Tool Overview and Module Strategy - t: 374 title: Building Your Own Demo Data Module - t: 520 title: Helper Code Units and Module Implementation - t: 625 title: Future Plans for Contoso Demo Tool - t: 697 title: Open Source and Feedback features: - name: Contoso Coffee Demo Data status: ga t: 161 verified: true status_source: video - name: Contoso Demo Tool status: announced t: 325 verified: true status_source: video - name: Demo Data Module Interface status: unclear t: 388 verified: false status_source: video - name: Helper Code Units for Demo Data status: unclear t: 531 verified: false status_source: video - name: Module Dependency System status: unclear t: 232 verified: false status_source: video - name: On-Demand Demo Data Creation status: unclear t: 625 verified: false status_source: video - name: Enhanced Company Creation Wizard status: unclear t: 664 verified: false status_source: video objects_mentioned: - enum Contoso demo data module - codeunit helper code units quotes: - t: 85 text: using rapid start package to create your demo data is a support tool, absolutely, but it has its own limitation check: exact - t: 247 text: from now on think of demo data module as LEGO and it's like bricks of LEGO that you build on top of each other check: exact - t: 406 text: the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0 check: exact - t: 481 text: we highly recommend you to go ahead and check out what data is created in each module check: exact - t: 542 text: we are creating one line of general posting setup in one line of code check: exact - t: 635 text: we want to move toward on-demand demo data creation check: exact - t: 697 text: all of this is open source. It has been open source for like a year now check: exact --- # Introducing: Contoso Demo Tool (2023 release wave 2) > Contoso Demo Tool is a tool announced for 2023 release wave 2 (available from version 23.0) that orchestrates modular demo data for Business Central. The video covers the limits of rapid start packages, the Contoso Coffee modules, and how developers build their own demo data modules with dependencies and helper code units. [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8) · Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube) · 2023-12-21 · 12:01 · tier official · reviewed (checked by Opus) ## Overview The video explains why rapid start packages are a limited way to create demo data, and introduces the Contoso Demo Tool as an alternative. Demo data is split into scenario-based modules that can work together or separately. Contoso Coffee, a fictitious company that makes coffee and coffee machines, provides modules such as common, warehousing, manufacturing, and service. The presenter then shows how to build your own demo data module. This covers implementing the module interface, declaring dependencies on other modules, creating data layer by layer, and using helper code units to populate tables. The video ends with future plans, including on-demand demo data creation and an enhanced company creation wizard, and notes that the code is open source. ## Key points - The Contoso Demo Tool is announced for wave 2 and is available from version 23.0. - Demo data modules are described as LEGO bricks that build on top of each other, and they can be used together or separately. - Contoso Coffee modules named in the video are common, warehousing, manufacturing, and service. - A custom module implements a standard interface with procedures for customization pages, dependency specification, and creating demo data layer by layer. - Modules can declare dependencies on other modules, such as common, so you can reuse their data, for example posting groups, instead of duplicating code. - Helper code units populate tables and specify fields, so a general posting setup line can be created in one line of code. - Planned: on-demand demo data creation that will eventually replace the evaluation and extended packages, and a company creation wizard that lets you select multiple modules. Both need more modules to be developed first. ## Chapters - [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=0s) Introduction and Current Demo Data Tools - [0:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=54s) Limitations of Rapid Start Packages - [2:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=148s) Introducing Contoso Coffee - [3:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=210s) Contoso Design Goals and Architecture - [4:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=289s) Contoso Tool Overview and Module Strategy - [6:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=374s) Building Your Own Demo Data Module - [8:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=520s) Helper Code Units and Module Implementation - [10:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=625s) Future Plans for Contoso Demo Tool - [11:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=697s) Open Source and Feedback ## Features | Feature | Status | At | Evidence | |---|---|---|---| | Contoso Coffee Demo Data | generally available | [2:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=161s) | "We actually have released it like two uh releases ago, uh and we already have some available modules" ([3:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=185s)) | | Contoso Demo Tool | announced, demoed | [5:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=325s) | "the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0" ([6:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=406s)) | | Demo Data Module Interface | status not stated, demoed | [6:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=388s) | | | Helper Code Units for Demo Data | status not stated, demoed | [8:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=531s) | | | Module Dependency System | status not stated, demoed | [3:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=232s) | | | On-Demand Demo Data Creation | status not stated | [10:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=625s) | | | Enhanced Company Creation Wizard | status not stated, demoed | [11:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=664s) | | ## 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. - [enum 5160 "Contoso Demo Data Module"](../objects/enum/5160.md) at [6:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=417s) - codeunit "helper code units" at [8:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=531s) Not found in BC28-30: codeunit "helper code units". ## Quotes - [1:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=85s) "using rapid start package to create your demo data is a support tool, absolutely, but it has its own limitation" - [4:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=247s) "from now on think of demo data module as LEGO and it's like bricks of LEGO that you build on top of each other" - [6:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=406s) "the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0" - [8:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=481s) "we highly recommend you to go ahead and check out what data is created in each module" - [9:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=542s) "we are creating one line of general posting setup in one line of code" - [10:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=635s) "we want to move toward on-demand demo data creation" - [11:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=697s) "all of this is open source. It has been open source for like a year now" ## Disclaimers in the video - [6:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=406s) not-in-this-release: the new Contoso demo tool will be available from 23.0 - [10:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=635s) coming-later: we want to move toward on-demand demo data creation - [11:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGdaxC3sq8&t=664s) coming-later: you can basically when you create a new company, you can choose a set of modules Presenters (as heard): Wael Abu Sa'ada, Horan.