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AL Development Tools package

When you install the AL Development Tools package, you gain access to a set of command-line utilities designed to streamline AL extension development and automation. The main features include:

  • ALTool command-line utility
    A cross-platform tool for compiling, packaging, and managing AL extensions outside of Visual Studio Code.
  • Integration with CI/CD pipelines
    Easy automation of build and deployment processes for your AL projects in Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or other automation platforms.
  • Multiple installation options
    The tools package is available as a NuGet package, making it simple to install on build agents or local machines using standard package management workflows.
  • No need for full Visual Studio Code installation
    Using the ALTool independently is ideal for automated environments or lightweight setups.
  • Support for various ALTool commands
    Compile, create symbol packages, retrieve manifests, and more—all from the command line.

Learn more in Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessCentral.Development.Tools

Note

To deploy code built using ALTool, you must sign up for a Dynamics 365 Business Central Sandbox tenant.

Get started

Get started with the AL Development Tools package by following the instructions on Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessCentral.Development.Tools. When you install the package, you get access to the ALTool command-line tool, and you can use the al alias to run it. The al alias is a convenience provided by the tools package so you don't need to reference the full path to alc.exe as you would when using ALTool directly from the Visual Studio Code AL Extension.

ALTool commands

To get a list of available commands, run the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

al help
Command Description
compile Compile a package using alc.exe.
workspace Workspace-related commands.
launchmcpserver Launches an AL Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Learn more in ALMCP.
launchlspserver Launches an AL Language Server Protocol (LSP) server for autonomous AI agents and editors. Learn more in AL LSP.
GetPackageManifest Retrieve the manifest from a .app file.
CreateSymbolPackage Create a symbol-only package from a .app file.
GetLatestSupportedRuntimeVersion Get the latest supported AL runtime version for a platform version.
help Display detailed information about a specific command.
version Display version information.

ALTool
Microsoft.Dynamics.BusinessCentral.Development.Tools

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