Introduction

In the previous article of the series, we connected Visual Studio 2022 to the developer-enabled UDE environment we created on Power Platform. We covered the distinction between the Environment URL and the Finance and Operations URL, the Connect to Dataverse step, the Finance & Operations assets download process, the metadata configuration check, and how to verify that Application Explorer opens correctly.

In this article, we are now taking one step further. In a UDE environment where the connection has been completed, we will create a new model, position this model in the correct package structure, open an Operations Project in Visual Studio, and do our first simple X++ development.

For developers coming from the classic development VM model, there are both familiar and different points here. Model, package, project, Application Explorer, and build concepts are familiar. However, because the development tier and the execution tier are separated with UDE, some habits need to be reconsidered. Code and metadata are prepared on the local computer; execution, deploy, and test take place on the Finance & Operations runtime in the cloud.

Understanding this distinction correctly is one of the basic requirements for healthy development on UDE. Because creating and building an X++ object on the local computer does not mean that it will automatically run in the cloud runtime. To run and test it, the related model must be deployed to the online UDE environment. In this article, I will focus on the model, project, and first build side; I will cover the deploy and debug side with a short introduction and connect it to the next article.

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Connecting Visual Studio to a UDE Environment on Power Platform

Installing Visual Studio 2022 and Preparing the Development Tools

In the previous article of the series, we covered how to create a developer-enabled UDE environment by using the Power Platform Admin Center interface.

Proceeding through the interface is especially useful in the first trials. Seeing which option is on which screen, how Dynamics 365 apps are enabled, where Platform Tools and Provisioning App are installed from, and where the Developer Tools option appears makes the process easier to understand.

However, in real life, especially for partners, ISVs, or teams managing multiple environments, doing these operations from the interface every time is not a very sustainable method. The environment creation process needs to be standard, repeatable, and documentable.

In this article, we will look at how we can do the same work with PowerShell.

Why PowerShell?

The most important advantage of creating a UDE environment with PowerShell is that it standardizes the process.

When creating an environment from the interface, many selections are made manually. Settings such as template selection, region, demo data, developer tools, language, and currency are determined by the user each time. Naturally, this increases the possibility of errors.

On the PowerShell side, we include these decisions in the script. This way, the same script can be reused for different tenants, projects, or trial environments with small changes.

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In the first article of this series, I tried to explain what UDE is, how it differs from the classic development VM approach, and why it is important.

In this article, we are moving a little more into the practical side. Our goal is to create a developer-enabled UDE environment for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations by using the Power Platform Admin Center interface.

I will cover environment creation with PowerShell in a separate article. In my opinion, creating the first environment through the interface is more useful for seeing the screens and understanding the logic of the process. After that, making the same process repeatable with a script becomes much more meaningful.

Before you start

There are a few basic prerequisites that should be ready before creating a UDE environment.

First of all, the user who will create the environment must have the required admin permissions. Usually, one of the following roles is sufficient:

• Power Platform Administrator
• Dynamics 365 Administrator
• Global Administrator

The tenant must also have the appropriate licenses and capacity to create Finance & Operations applications. Especially Dataverse database capacity and Operations database capacity should be checked.

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