Core Development Specialist in Business Central
The Core Developer Specialist booster is the most comprehensive self-paced AL development programme available for Dynamics 365 Business Central. Built around a realistic case story following Botelo, a fictional company managed by the consulting firm Solutize, this on-demand course takes you from your first steps in VS Code through to building, deploying, and maintaining production-ready Business Central extensions. Practical, case-based, and supported throughout, it gives aspiring AL developers the structured foundation they need to work confidently in real project environments.
This course is part of the Business Central Developer Learning Journey
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Who is this course for?
Aspiring and junior AL developers who want to build a deep, structured foundation in Dynamics 365 Business Central development. No prior AL experience is required, though familiarity with basic programming concepts is beneficial.
What will you learn?
You will learn how to build Business Central extensions from scratch using AL and VS Code, how to apply core AL programming concepts and data manipulation techniques, how to implement design patterns, events, and posting routines, and how to manage the full extension lifecycle including reporting, permissions, translations, and SaaS deployment using Git and Azure DevOps.
Course outline
Getting started. The booster opens with a platform orientation covering how the LMS works, how to use discussions and support, and what to expect from the learning journey. The case story introduces Botelo and Solutize, the fictional context that runs through the entire course.
Environment setup. You set up a Business Central trial, explore the interface and demonstration company, configure VS Code with the AL Language extension, create a sandbox for development, and build your first extension. Docker, Git, and Azure DevOps are introduced as the professional development toolchain you will use throughout.
Building the Chicken Management extension. The core case study runs across multiple modules. You design and build master data tables and pages, implement flowfields and calculated fields, create document tables and pages, and add a role center and profile. Each topic is introduced through webinars and consolidated through hands-on assignments with full solutions.
AL programming fundamentals. A dedicated module covers AL syntax, variables and data types, operators, expressions, statements, codeunits, and debugging. You work through progressively more complex programming exercises, moving from basic syntax to record manipulation, filtering, data insertion and deletion, triggers, and page extensions.
Sprint-based project work. The second part of the course is structured as a series of sprints, each delivering a complete feature: factboxes, expired ledger visualisation, won and lost quote status, customer grading with design patterns and posting routines, and a full reporting sprint covering RDLC, Word, and Excel layouts, report extensions, and document reports.
Extension lifecycle management. Across the course you work with installation code, upgrade code, permission sets, translations, access modifiers, and SaaS deployment, building the habits of a professional AL developer who ships and maintains extensions over time.
Assessment and certification. The booster closes with a Core Developer exam. Learners who complete the course and survey receive a certificate and badge.