What's New: AL Language (2025 release wave 2)
AL language changes in Business Central 2025 release wave 2: allowing customizations options, field mask type, document extended data type, report tooltips, truncate method, record ID formats, namespace metadata column, AI test type, and VS Code cancellation token propagation. Feature status is not stated in the video.
- Introduction and Allowing Customizations
- Allowing Customizations Property and Classification
- Mask Type, Document Extended Data Type, and Code Cup Rules
- Page Features and UI Rendering
- Report Tooltips and Table Methods
- Sequential GUID, Data Transfer Objects, Text Constants, and Record ID
- Namespace Support and External Business Events
- AI Test Type and Cancellation Token in VS Code
Overview
This 12-minute What’s New session covers AL language updates for 2025 release wave 2. It starts with the allowing customizations property, where the always option is deprecated and replaced by “as read only” and “as read write”, plus a “to be classified” option for incomplete classification.
It then covers field and page features (mask type, the document extended data type, summary fact boxes), report tooltips, and new table and record methods such as truncate and lock timeout. It also covers namespace-related changes (record ID formats, AL namespace column in metadata tables, external business event deprecation) and testing and tooling updates (AI test type, required test isolation, cancellation token in VS Code).
Key points
- Allowing customizations: the always option is deprecated. Use ‘as read only’ (same behavior as always), ‘as read write’, or ‘to be classified’ for incomplete classification.
- Fields get a mask type property with ‘none’ and ‘concealed’ to hide data in the UI. It differs from the extended data type masked.
- Extended data types gain a ‘document’ option so media renders in portrait mode. A new code cup rule enforces auto format type and expression properties.
- Summary fact boxes are added automatically on card, list and document pages. Hide one by referencing the summary system part and setting visibility to false.
- The truncate method on tables deletes data more efficiently but has limits, such as no use on media tables. Check the documentation first. Setting lock timeout to zero waits indefinitely and is not recommended.
- Record ID formats 2 and 9 return fully qualified names for namespaced tables. The new AL namespace column in metadata tables helps find namespaced tables.
- New AI test type and a required test isolation property on codeunits. VS Code now sends the cancellation token to the server, so publish operations can be cancelled.
Features
| Feature | Status | At |
|---|---|---|
| Allowing Customizations Property Updates | status not stated, demoed | 0:27 |
| Mask Type Property on Fields | status not stated, demoed | 2:05 |
| Document Extended Data Type Option | status not stated, demoed | 2:21 |
| Code Cup Rule for Auto Format Properties | status not stated | 2:46 |
| Summary Fact Box Control | status not stated, demoed | 3:39 |
| Report Tooltips | status not stated, demoed | 5:33 |
| Truncate Method on Tables | status not stated | 6:11 |
| Lock Timeout Duration Method | status not stated | 6:46 |
| Record Reference Field Access Methods | status not stated | 7:01 |
| Create Sequential GUID Method | status not stated | 7:22 |
| Update Audit Fields Property on Data Transfer Objects | status not stated | 7:37 |
| Text Constant Methods | status not stated, demoed | 7:58 |
| Record ID Formatting Enhancements | status not stated, demoed | 8:20 |
| AL Namespace Column in Metadata Tables | status not stated, demoed | 9:28 |
| External Business Event Deprecation | status not stated | 9:55 |
| User Control Obsolescence | status not stated | 10:13 |
| AI Test Type | status not stated | 10:26 |
| Required Test Isolation Property | status not stated | 10:26 |
| Cancellation Token Propagation in VS Code | status not stated, demoed | 10:59 |
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.
Not found in BC28-30: table “Flight Data”, table “Flight Lock Entry”, page “install code unit”.
Quotes
- 0:41 “we deprecated the always option and extended it with two new as read only as read write”
- 2:05 “We have a new property on fields called mask type. The mask type has two options for now. The none and the concealed.”
- 2:21 “On the extended data types, we added a new option called document. Document is intended for you to to tell the client that this”
- 6:11 “If you work with a lot of data here, you have now a new option to use the truncate method on tables.”
- 8:48 “But now if you use format two or format 9, you will get the fully qualified name of a table that is namespaced.”
- 9:28 “As part of the namespace work, we also introduce the AL namespace colum in the metadata tables.”
- 10:13 “Here for tests, we added a new test type AI test. This is to indicate that this test is all about validating AI behaviors.”
- 11:26 “We’ve now taken the cancellation token here and propagated it all the way to the server. So when I click cancel the whole operation”
Disclaimers in the video
- 6:26 other: The truncate method has some limitations. Among others, you cannot use it on media tables. I recommend everyone who thinks about using it to go check out the documentation
Presenters (as heard): unnamed presenter.