If you are a Dynamics 365 or AX developer primarily focused on delivering time-proven applications, then the books are for you. This book is also ideal for people who want to raise their programming skills above the beginner level, and, at the same time, learn the functional aspects of Dynamics 365 for Financial and Operations. Some X++ coding experience is expected.
If you are a beginner and looking for a career in Dynamics 365 FO, you must read these books. In my experience with D365 F&O learning, I have read many D365 F&O books for developers and consultants. I think that reading a book sometimes it’s better to have a good understanding of how to do things in the best way and not just solve the problem.Â
In this article, I will sort my Top 5 D365 F&O books based on my experience. If you are a beginner to D365 F&O it’s also a very good way to understand the basics of D365 F&O.
1. Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Development Cookbook
This book takes you through numerous recipes to help you with daily development tasks. Each recipe contains detailed step-by-step instructions along with application screenshots and in-depth explanations. The recipes cover multiple Dynamics 365 for Financial and Operations modules, so, at the same time, the book provides an overview of the functional aspects of the system for developers.
In my opinion, this is the best book for D365F&O Developers. In this book, you can find everything you need to know from Processing data to Integrations and Improve Development efficiency and performance. This book is very well structured and here you can see many examples that will help you learn more about how to develop a D365F&O application.
Table of Contents
- Processing DataÂ
- Working with formsÂ
- Working with Data in formsÂ
- Building Lookups
- Processing Business TasksÂ
- Data managementÂ
- Integration with Microsoft OfficeÂ
- Integration with Power BIÂ
- Integration with ServicesÂ
- Improving Development Efficiency and Performance
2. Extending Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations Cookbook
For those moving from Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, this book covers critical changes in how software is adapted, how to use the new extensibility features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations, and tips on how to use them in a practical way.Â
This book also covers the fundamental changes in the physical structure of the application metadata, the application development life cycle, and how we fit in with the new cloud-first development paradigm with Lifecycle Services and Visual Studio Team Services.Â
The integration will be a concern to AX developers, and this book covers this in detail with working examples of code that can be adapted to your own needs. In order to facilitate this, the book follows the development of a solution as a means to explain the design and development of tables, classes, forms, BI, menu structures, workflow, and security.Â
This book begins at the start of the development process by setting up a Visual Studio Team Services project, integrating Lifecycle services, and explaining new concepts such as Packages, Models, Projects, and what happened to layers. The book progresses with chapters focused on creating the solution in a practical order, but it is written in such a way that each recipe can be used in isolation as a pattern to follow.
Table of Contents
- Starting a New Project
- Data Structures
- Creating the User Interface
- Application Extensibility, Form Code-Behind, and Frameworks.
- Business Intelligence
- Security
- Leveraging Extensibility
- Data Entity Extensibility, OData, and Office
- Consuming and Exposing Services
- Extensibility through Metadata and Data Date-Effectiveness
- Unit Testing
- Automated Build Management
- Servicing Your Environment
- Workflow
- State Machines
Simon Buxton
3. Implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Apps
This book covers the entire implementation process of Dynamics 365 Finance and Operation Apps, including post-implementation and business transformation.Â
The updated second edition starts with an introduction to Microsoft Dynamics 365, describing different apps and tools under it. You will learn about different implementation methodologies such as Waterfall and Agile, for your projects. This book will cover various application components and architectures of Dynamics such as requirements processing, development, reports and analytics, and integration. With the help of tips, techniques, and best practices, you’ll explore strategies for managing configurations and data migrations.Â
As you read further, you’ll discover development tools and processes in Dynamics for building customized solutions in Dynamics. The book will also demonstrate analytics and financial reporting options such as Power BI and Cortana Intelligence. Finally, you’ll learn the importance of testing and explore various automated testing strategies.Â
By the end of this book, you will have gained the necessary knowledge to implement Microsoft business solutions with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Apps.
Key Features
Manage and plan different Dynamics configurations, designs, and products Learn how to manage projects for pre-sales and implementation using Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services (LCS). Discover various integration planning techniques, tools, and frameworks such as PowerApps and Power Automate.
4. Extending Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management Cookbook
If you are working mostly with SCM or Supply chain management this is a very nice book you can read. In this book, you can find the latest features of Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management including Chain of Command (CoC), Acceptance Test Libraries (ATL), and Business Events.Â
The book not only features more than 100 tutorials that allow you to create and extend business solutions but also addresses specific problems and offers solutions with insights into how they work.Â
This cookbook starts by helping you set up an Azure DevOps project and taking you through the different data types and structures used to create tables. You will then gain an understanding of user interfaces, write extensible code, manage data entities, and even model Dynamics 365 ERP for security.Â
As you advance, you’ll learn how to work with various in-built Dynamics frameworks such as SysOperation, SysTest, and Business Events. Finally, you’ll get to grips with automated build management and workflows for better application state management. At the end of this book, I think you will become proficient in packaging and deploying end-to-end solutions with D365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.
Table of Contents
- Starting a New ProjectÂ
- Data StructuresÂ
- Creating the User InterfaceÂ
- Working with Form Logic and FrameworksÂ
- Application ExtensibilityÂ
- Writing for ExtensibilityÂ
- Advanced-Data HandlingÂ
- Business EventsÂ
- Security
- Data Management, OData, and OfficeÂ
- Consuming and Exposing ServicesÂ
- Unit TestingÂ
- Automated Build ManagementÂ
- Workflow DevelopmentÂ
- State Machines
5. X++ Programming: A 1-Hour Crash Course (Best D365 F&O Book for beginners)
If you are a beginner I think this is the best book for you. In this book, you will find the basic knowledge of the X++ programming language. X++ is a language very similar language with C++ that allows you to easily do some customization capabilities to your Microsoft Dynamics AX environment. So if you are familiar with C++, learning X++ will be easier for you.Â
This book describes very well the X++ language, and how you can use it to deploy your own customization on D365 F&O. This book has only 56 pages, and it’s the cheapest book you can find. This book was published in 2014 and for this reason, you can think it’s outdated but it’s not true. The basics of X++ haven’t changed. What has changed is the way of customizing the Dynamics application using X++.
