Finally, at Van Dijk, we started to get our NAV (Dynamics everyone here is calling it) installation upgraded to the latest version. So finally I can really get into things like PowerShell, and not in the least the merge utilities. One of first things I definitely wanted to get going with.

And surely, as many, I could profit from the various resources on the Internet. Using the scripts from the product DVD, and both Bas Graaf post on the NAV team blog and waldo’s post, I created the PowerShelll script, that allowed me to upgrade our code to NAV 2016. Coming from NAV 2009 R2, this is quite a step, but indeed the merge utilities do a pretty usable job. I really like the way conflicting code is handled. I also ran into some issues where properties are not handled right, but altogether I am really positive.

One other thing I ran into was the handling of the Version List. It’s no secret that this was not properly implemented in the Merge-NAVApplicationObject cmdlet. However, Microsoft provided us some examples by means of a How do I video and a blog post both by Bas Graaf. And also waldo gave a helping hand. I tried both and decided to use Bas Graaf’s solution, called New-NavVersionList. Simply because I got it working somewhat easier and liked it better as it contains lesser lines of code.

But … I found it had one relevant issue: it did not handle the deletion of an version list part. More specifically: between NAV 2009 R2 and NAV 2016 some standard objects, localized for NL, were reverted to w1. Therefor the Version List should, after the merge and post processing with Bas' script, not have a NAVNL part in the Version List. And as you might have guessed, this went wrong.

To get a clear view on the result of the script I setup the following cases:

• Cases 1 to 6 concerns updated w1 objects existing in NAV 2009 R2 (pure w1, or w1 localized and/or customized)
• Case 7 a new w1 object
• Cases 8 and 9 updated local objects (of which one is localized)
• Case 10 a pure custom object

Guess I covered all options with this.

Running the Merge-NAVApplicationObject cmdlet and post processing it with the original New-NavVersionList the result was as follows:

As you can see case 5 and 6 where not OK (have a look at the Result and Expected Result), being the fact that the NAVNL should not end up in the Result as the NL localization was removed from both COD 1 and COD12 (have also a look at the Modified and Target).

For clarity this was the merge scenario:

ORIGINAL = NAV 2009 R2
MODIFIED = NAV 2016
TARGET = CUSTOM NAV 2009 R2
RESULT = CUSTOM NAV 2016

For completeness I also executed the other, valid scenario:

ORIGINAL = NAV 2009 R2
MODIFIED = CUSTOM NAV 2009 R2
TARGET = NAV 2016
RESULT = CUSTOM NAV 2016

Resulting in:

Being still an amateur PowerShell user I tried to tweak the script to get the desired result, but, honestly, I totally failed, and asked Bas for help, who quite quickly answered with an improved version. Well … a changed version that yielded the same results. But his second improvement was a hit.

Original Script

function New-NavVersionList($MergeInfo, [string[]]$ProductCode = ("NAVW1","NAVNL","CUSTOM"))
{
   $allVersions = @() + $MergeInfo.modified.versionlist -split ‘,’
   $allVersions += $mergeInfo.target.versionlist -split ‘,’

   $mergedVersions = @()

   foreach ($code in $ProductCode)
   {
      # keep the “highest” version tag for $code
      $mergedVersions += $allVersions | where { $_ -like “$code*” } | sort | select -last 1

      # remove all $code version tags
      $allVersions = $allVersions | where { $_ -notlike “$code*” }
   }
   # return a ,-delimited string consisting of the “highest” versions for each $ProductCode and any other tags
   $mergedVersions += $allVersions
   $mergedVersions -join ‘,’
}

Improved Script

function New-NavVersionList($MergeInfo, [string[]]$ProductCode = ("NAVW1","NAVNL","CUSTOM"))
{
   $allVersions = @() + $MergeInfo.modified.versionlist -split ‘,’
   $allVersions += $mergeInfo.target.versionlist -split ‘,’

   $mergedVersions = @()

   foreach ($code in $ProductCode)
   {
      # add only to merged version list if the product code was not removed
      if (($MergeInfo.original.versionlist -notlike "*$code*" -or ($allVersions -like "$code*").Count -ge 2))
      {
        # keep the “highest” version tag for $code
        $mergedVersions += $allVersions | where { $_ -like “$code*” } | sort | select -last 1
      }
      # remove all $code version tags
      $allVersions = $allVersions | where { $_ -notlike “$code*” }
   }
   # return a ,-delimited string consisting of the “highest” versions for each $ProductCode and any other tags
   $mergedVersions += $allVersions
   $mergedVersions -join ‘,’
}

The main part of the script was left unchanged, only an if-clause was added that incorporates the code to select the “highest” version tag.

Facit

Now it work perfectly well in all cases I am working with. As you can see I did not test it with more than three tags in the Version List. I leave that up to you.

A big thanx to Bas Graaf!

Having been around in the NAV world for some time already and (partly) being occupied with educating and informing my NAV pro fellows, I always claim to know that there is a continuous need for "education and information". In what ever format, at whatever time and level.

Back in 1999 the main source for getting informed and educated where the local Navision Software subs. By means of the product itself, with all the manuals in those nice blue carton boxes (I cherish to one I still have at home) and the help system. By means of the sessions that were organized to get the partner channel updated. By means, and not in the least, of the product courses offered to the channel. Internet as a valuable resource was only starting and far off of where we are now. With msdn help, a vast number of blog and forum posts, and how-do-I videos. All of them have proven helpful to all of us.

But in this move forward I also claim that we tend to let go of valuable resources - or should I call it formats? Resources that have been there for ages; more specifically: classroom training and expert workshops. With the emerge of instantly accessible resources, it seems somehow that these are expected to replace on-site training. Clearly with the deprecation of the certification, for Dynamics NAV and GP, last year, and the discontinuation of all training material, Microsoft has given fuel to this expectation. As altmodisch as classroom education might seem, every time again I witness that they are of great value for many of us as the direct interaction between students and a trainer, vice versa and also among students, cannot be replaced by pre-"recorded" information. No matter how useful these have proven to be.

Being together in one room is a surplus and goes beyond sheer knowledge transfer or sharing. It's about ... being in it together ... being supported by an expert and your peers ... conquering the subject with a group ... cross the swords of knowledge, skills and experience ... I know, the self-educated can do without, but that's only a part of us. Each different learning style is in need of a different format.

For the very value of Classroom Training & Experts Workshops I ...

• ... stepped in to the adventure of the Dutch Dynamics Community in 2010
  
• ... picked up the gauntlet Mirjam Berntsen of Mprise threw at me in 2012, asking me to conduct a in-house NAV Development course after almost 10 years of having been absent as a trainer
  
• ... started with Martijn van der Laan Areopa in 2014, to offer Dynamics pros experts workshops and support these experts in sharing their knowledge to help bring the NAV ecosystem to a higher level
  
• ... joined Mark Brummel this year in NAV Skills to provide NAV implementation teams with methodologies and tools to enable them to bring their development to the next level and to spread this around the globe with help of local Learning Centers
  
• ... boarded the Credentialing Council of the Association of Dynamics Professionals, to be of help in getting the certification re-introduced (and hoping that we even go beyond that, but that's my secret agenda)
  

Surely Classroom Training & Experts Workshops will not die that easily and as long as they're around take advantage of it.

... almost.

With Directions EMEA 2015, October 5-7, in Mannheim, Germany, it is starting off on Monday, followed by a 'load' of other conferences:

• NAVUG Summit, October 13-16, in Reno, US
• Directions 2015, October 25-28, in Orlando, US
• NAV TechDays 2015 November 18-20, in Antwerp, Belgium
• Convergence 2015 EMEA, November 30-December 2, in Barcelona, Catalonia / Spain

And NAV ALM with Team Foundation Server (or GIT)  is on the agenda again:

• Directions EMEA 2015
  • MVP-02: Source Code Management for Dynamics NAV in 4 Examples
    Date: 2015-10-5 | From: 02:00 to 03:00 | Room: Arnold Schöneberg
    Speakers: Soren Klemmensen, Kamil Sacek, Eric Wauters, Luc van Vugt
  • MVP-06: From Source Code Management to Daily Build
    Date: 2015-10-6 | From: 01:30 to 02:30 | Room: Arnold Schöneberg
    Speakers: Soren Klemmensen, Kamil Sacek, Luc van Vugt
• Directions 2015
  • BP 150: Source Code Management for Dynamics NAV in 4 Examples
    10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Monday, October 26, 2015 (Grand Cypress I)
    Speakers: Soren Klemmensen, Kamil Sacek, Eric Wauters, Luc van Vugt
  • BP 200: From Source Code Management to Daily Build
    1:15 PM – 2:15 PM, Monday, October 26, 2015 (Grand Cypress I)
    Speakers: Soren Klemmensen, Kamil Sacek, Luc van Vugt
• NAV TechDays 2015
  • Let It Build! (TFS Build for Dynamics NAV)
    Pre conference workshop, 9:00 – 17:00, Wednesday November 18, 2015 (Conference Hotel: RADISSON BLU ASTRID HOTEL)
    Leader: Kamil Sacek
  • NAV ALM using Team Foundation Server
    Pre conference workshop, 9:00 – 17:00, Wednesday November 18, 2015 (Conference Hotel: RADISSON BLU ASTRID HOTEL)
    Leader: Luc van Vugt
  • Team Foundation Build and NAV Development
    13:30 – 15:00, Friday November 20, 2015
    Speakers: Soren Klemmensen, Kamil Sacek, Luc van Vugt

So be there and get going with it.