Dynamics AX handles text localization by using
a label ID (e.g. @SYS1234) in code and metadata; the real text is looked up
then based on user’s language. .NET developers may recall localization
resources and satellite assemblies and it’s indeed a very similar principle.
There are few changes
in Dynamics AX 2012 regarding labels, mostly because of the movement of
application files to database (model store). Labels are now located in AOT
(Label Files node) or – from another perspective – in ModelElementLabel table
in database.
New label files are still created by Label file Wizard,
but the existing ones are imported and exported in AOT, not as before by direct
manipulation with .ald files in the application directory.
This alone is a quite
confusing change for many people and even more radical changes were made for
labels saved in a version control system.
Version control
If you create a new
label, let’s say in the ABC label file, ID of the new label is @ABCx (e.g.
@ABC42). It was exactly the same in previous versions too.
But if a version
control is active, it’s different.
In case of active version control, a temporary label ID is
created at first. It looks somehow like @$AA1 (I think one temporary label file
is created for each user-defined permanent file – sequentially from AA to AB,
AC etc.).
This temporary ID is
replaced by a “normal” ID (i.e. ID corresponding to the label file name) when
inserting to the version control. Label ID is replaced also in code and
metadata, but only if these objects are checked into version control together
with the label file.
What are these temporary IDs good for? If every developer has
his own Dynamics AX environment (as recommended), it’s necessary to guarantee
that no duplicated IDs are created on different places. It used to be
accomplished by Team Server which centrally assigned individual IDs. The
current solution doesn’t require any central component for development;
each environment assign label IDs by its own. Only when inserting to version
control, permanent label IDs are assigned, which is a serial operation without
any risk of ID conflict.
Version control in Label editor
Version control commands
are accessible from Label editor. They work similarly as for other objects
(labels are saved in version control as good old .ald files), just be sure that
the right label file (field Label file ID) is selected.
Potential problems
And what if I don’t check
in code and labels together?
Let’s show it by an
example:
I create two labels
and code using them. Notice that they are temporary IDs prefixed by @$:
I insert the code to
version control but I forget the label file:
Code is saved to
version control without any change and thus using temporary IDs:
Such code obviously
won’t work correctly in other AX instances. But if I check in the code again,
now with the label file:
temporary IDs are
correctly replaced. You also get an infolog message enumerating changed
objects:
Another situation
arises if you insert labels to version control, but omit some code. All code
not included in the check-in stays the same and continue to use temporary IDs.
Fortunately, it’s not difficult to find the right permanent label, because the
text of the temporary label is changed to contain such information:
However, the fix must
be done manually.
No matter how we
achieved the goal, now we can run the code with correct labels:
