Ask Hosk - I’m a functional consultant who wants to become a Dynamics developer
Here is a question from one my readers which is a common question, so I am putting the answer here so lots of people can read it. Question “I am working as a Dynamics 365 functional consultant But I want to become a Dynamics developer. Can you please give me an idea on what are the pre-requisites for this? I have basic knowledge of C# and MSSQL” Hosk advice Moving from a functional… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their...
How to convert an unmanaged solution into a managed solution in Dynamics 365?
“You see, but you do not observe.” — Arthur Conan Doyle, A Scandal in Bohemia I had an unusual scenario where an environment was setup with an unmanaged solution and I wanted it to be a managed solution and I needed to convert it. All environments beyond Dev should be managed, so users cannot change customisations. Changes should be made in development and the other… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog How to...
Hosk top 10 articles of the week - 6th April
S. N. Behrman meant when he said “At the end of every road you meet yourself.” I have been interested in Systems thinking and Coronavirus Article of the week The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What’s Coming Larry Brilliant is a amazing and this article is great Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking This is so relevant for… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog Hosk top 10 articles of the...
Why IT projects estimates are wrong
Why we start IT projects as optimists and finish them as pessimists #HoskWisdom No one starts a project thinking “this project will be late”. When we start project the requirements seem straightforward, the solution seem good and you have an eager team ready to go. Then the project starts………… Suddenly the assumptions are wrong, requirements are multiplying and SME’s have… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog Why...
Dual-write is available to integrate Dynamics applications in near time
Dual-write brings the possibility of integration with configuration not customisation, woohooo Dual-write was released this week after a year of people trying it and deciding it isn’t ready yet. I sometimes criticise Microsoft for releasing functionality early but the advantage is we get to try the functionality, help Microsoft test it and get a deeper understanding of what the… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their...
To deliver a project on time, stick to out of the box (if you can)
There is never enough time to build the solution the customer thinks they want #HoskWisdom Don’t ask a developer if a requirement needs code. Don’t ask users what enhancements they would like and don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut. A developer told me he worked on a project that delivered on time and the customer loved it. I have worked on many projects and few delivered… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog...
Articles and quotes to make you think - 19th March
Here are the best articles and quotes I read last week, which got me thinking. Quotes Gather together the things that change for the same reasons. Separate those things that change for different reasons Robert C Martin “Unless people can express themselves well in ordinary English, they don’t know what they are talking about.” Russell L. Ackoff Latest Hosk articles Code should be… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their...
Code should be the one version of the truth, don’t add comments
“Code never lies; comments sometimes do.” — Ron Jeffries Code should be self documenting, the purpose of classes, methods and variables should be obvious that you can understand it in six months time. The reason I don’t like comments in code is because you have to maintain the code and the comments. I have seen examples where developers have changed the code but not… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog Code...
Articles and quotes to make you think - 3rd March
Here are the best articles and quotes I read last week, which got me thinking Quotes “Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well,” Robert Louis Stevenson Best practice is, by definition, past practice — David J. Snowden Latest Hosk articles Are your best practices out of date? Dynamics 365 — Error when exporting a solution 10 Interesting… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog...
Are your best practices out of date?
Today’s ‘best practices’ lead to dead ends; the best paths are new and untried. Peter Thiel The best practices we use today are built on historic environments, they are past practices that were previously successful. As environments change, best practices should adapt and update. Best practices are not static, they evolve and improve to take advantage of new thinking, technology and… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on...
Dynamics 365 – Error when exporting a solution
If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in. Edsger Dijkstra I got an error message when the ALM tool was exporting an unmanaged solution from an environment and packaging it up before deploying it. The ALM tool sometimes errors but usually around data. This problem needed more thinking to resolve it because I wasn’t sure… Continue Reading Hosk’s...
The April Dynamics 365 release is coming! Make sure you are prepared
The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. -Charles Kettering Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform h ave two major releases a year in April and October and it’s your responsibility to be ready and to make sure your solutions are compatible. Why should I care? Since Microsoft moved the one version, Microsoft updates your production… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog...
Understanding Power Apps Portals pricing and how it differs from Dynamics Portals
“You know you’re priced right when your customers complain—but buy anyway.”John Harrison Dynamics portals are changing name to Power Apps portals and the pricing is changing which could cause a significant rise for some portal users. This Dynamics portals are changed their name to Power Apps Portals, and the pricing is changing, which could cause a significant rise for some… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article...
What the solution checker does and why you should use it
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort. John Ruskin The solution checker is a free tool to help developers verify their code doesn’t contain many bad practices and code smells. I recommend developers incorporate into your development life cycle to help you keep your code quality high. This post will explain what is, why use it and some common… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their...
What I learnt in my last role
Acknowledging your mistakes, allows you to learn from them #HoskWisdom After 3 and half great years in my last role I have moved for a new challenge and I’m excited about joining PowerObjects. I met some great people and leave better person with more experience than when I joined. Looking back over the last 3 and half years, it’s been a great journey and team effort. The key… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog...
Let go of thoughts, emotions and actions that weigh you down
If you keep picking up work, anger and emotions they will weigh you down and slow you down. The term letting go helps you visualise how your actions, thoughts and emotions can follow you around if you don’t let things go. Let go of work Leave your work at work, don’t bring it home with you. The longer you hold on to problems, questions, tasks, tension, deadlines from work, the heavier… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on...
Why you need a great team to deliver an IT project
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” –Ken Blanchard We are judged on our individual contribution but most of the time we are contributing in a team, working on a shared goal such as delivering a project. To make your work life more enjoyable and more successful its worth helping recruit the best people to the team and improve others. IT Projects are a team game, involving developers,… Continue Reading...
Why people leave their jobs and how to stop them
Incorrect requirements always result in a bad solution #hoskcodewisdom People move jobs regularly, few stay in the same company for longer than 3 years. What is the cause for moving regularly? Moving and recruiters This article says we move jobs every 4 to 5 years but IT workers move more often due to more contact from LinkedIn and recruiters. The big winners in people moving are… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365/Power Platform and other articles May 2019
Clothes matter, naked developers have little or no influence on projects #hoskcodewisdom pic.twitter.com/T4OauDvdmZ — Ben Hosking (@BenHosk) June 7, 2019 No Title No Description Quotes When the pressure is on you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your highest level of preparation – Chris Voss Articles of the Month Great resource below showing all the new certifications and resources to study Microsoft Dynamics 365 /...
Study guide for MB-230 Dynamics 365 for customer engagement for Customer Service
“Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.” —George Whitefield You cannot pass the MB-230 Customer service exam without studying. Having worked with Case management will help but you will still need to study to learn some of the features and functionality you haven’t used in a project. I recently passed the Exam MB-230: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service (beta)...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles April 2019
Quotes Not all problems have a technological answer, but when they do, that is the more lasting solution. Andy Grove The bug that stands in the way becomes the way #hoskcodewisdom The bug that stands in the way becomes the way #hoskcodewisdom The bug that stands in the way becomes the way #hoskcodewisdom Articles of the Month Introduction to DevOps for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement using YAML Based Azure Pipelines Great Dynamics...
The prepared developer writes better code
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Colin Powell Look beyond today and plan tomorrow #HoskWisdom Many developers believe writing code is the most important part of development but you can’t create good code without being prepared. Preparation, planning and understanding requirements helps find problems in solution design and before you create code. Lack of...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles January 2019
Quotes “New ideas emerge when you question the assumptions upon which a problem is based” Shane Snow if you can’t stand the heat of development, step away from the keyboard #HoskCodeWisdom When Hosk is the answer, your problems are much worse than you first thought #HoskWisdom Articles of the Month Dynamics 365 Model-Driven app — Capture entity image using device… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their blog...
Recommended reading for software engineers
In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time – none, zero. Charlie Munger Books allow you to delve deep into a topic, stop focusing on doing and think about your situation, your approach and effectiveness. Spending time on design before writing code creates better quality code, thinking about how you code, run a scrum team, deliver a project, work… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on their...
We are all beta testers for Microsoft Dynamics 365
Working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 is often painful but always exciting #HoskCodeWisdom Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 9 has seen a lot of bugs in Microsoft Dynamics 365, particularly an increase in bugs in the core functionality, not just new functionality. I have heard a few Dynamics professional say “We are beta testers for Microsoft Dynamics 365” What’s happening and why is it so bad This is my opinion with no...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles December 2018
Quotes Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people. Nick Saban There is no such thing as requirements so clear that no developer could misinterpret them #HoskCodeWisdom Articles of the Month Dynamics 365 CE integrations scenarios with Azure Functions Great Dynamics 365 articles this month The successful growth of the Birmingham CRMUG Make higher quality Apps with Solution...
Dynamics professionals salary survey 2018 and other stats
Developers aren’t free because they need money and we need work #HoskCodeWisdom Effort is the price, experience, knowledge and skills is what you get #HoskCodeWisdom The start of the year is a trigger for people to reflect on their career, goals and happiness in their current role. The Nigel Frank Dynamics salary survey is a tool to help you understand if you’re paid the market average and other information about Dynamics...
The successful growth of the Birmingham CRMUG
Learning and keeping up with Dynamics 365 is difficult, new features, services and functionality is being released at an increasing rate. This makes working with the Dynamics community and sharing knowledge is more important now than ever I presented at the Birmingham CRMUG on November 28th, with a presentation on change in Dynamics called – Dynamics 365 is survival of the most adaptable. This was the 10th meeting of the...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles November 2018
Quotes IT projects are not about delivering technology they are about enabling users #HoskCodeWisdom The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said. – Peter F. Drucker Articles of the Month Integration of Azure machine Learning with Dynamics 365 Great Dynamics 365 articles this month {Solved} Call Web API from within a plugin in Dynamics 365 online The pains of an Microsoft Dynamics migration Dynamics...
Why avoiding being wrong is slowing your progress
You got to go down a lot of wrong roads to find the right one. Bob Parsons Is your goal being right or getting to the right solution? People go to lengths to avoid being wrong but tomorrow will it matter whose was right or who came up with the idea? Being wrong is the path to success with a detour. We seek out when we are wrong, understand why and move on. Our ego demands we right,… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article on...
Interesting resources for Dynamics professionals from Ignite 2018
Learning never stops, never ends, never finishes #HoskWisdom Ignite has a wealth of resources for Dynamics professional. The problem is not having enough videos to watch, the problem is there is too many and finding the ones interesting to Dynamics professionals. I have picked out some of the presentations that look interesting. I haven’t watched them all but I have watched a bunch of… Continue Reading Hosk’s...
Change will make or break your project
“It is always easier to talk about change than to make it.” ~ Alvin Toffler Change will make or break your project, changes can‘t be controlled your reaction can. A fixed mindset breaks instead of bends when confronted with change. Change is constant, some don’t adapt, others adapt enough to survive, a few use change to be successful. The less rigid and more adaptable you are,… Continue Reading Hosk’s...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles October 2018
Quotes Some solutions are so complex, only an architect could create them #HoskCodeWisdom There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why. William Barclay Articles of the Month Microsoft Ignite 2018 Event Recap – PowerApps & Microsoft Flow sessions ILMERGE is not supported, if you use it Microsoft can choose not to offer you any… Continue Reading Hosk’s Article...
Write your code, do your job, focus on the details, predict problems
You’re only as good as the code you create #HoskCodeWisdom It’s easy to get distracted by the noise of work but it puts more pressure on yourself and your team. If everyone focused on their role and responsibilities, doing their tasks to the best of their abilities we get more done and it will be to a higher quality. People get distracted by The internet People Are other people doing their job properly Helping other people do...
Dynamics 365 FastTrack Architect Bootcamp – Security, Scale groups, releases and some technical stuff
If a Dynamics professional isn’t learning, they are falling behind #HoskCodeWisdom A post with more information of what is the Microsoft FastTrack Architect bootcamp can found here, it includes pictures from my first day. The blog post is a bit rambling but I didn’t want to release it in a number of posts. The notes here are snippets and bits I found interesting or useful, they include Hosk thoughts, opinions and...
Dynamics 365 FastTrack Architect Bootcamp training in Frankfurt
The more you learn, the further you go #HoskWisdom One of the great things for working for Capgemini is they want individuals to grow and improve. This means I get to go to training and events. Early this year I went to Extreme 2018 in Dubrovnik What we are looking forward to at Extreme 365 — Dubrovnik This week I am on the Dynamics 365 FastTrack Architect Bootcamp. The course is run by some of the Fast Track engineers who work on...
Dynamics 365 Customisation and configuration – MB2-716 study notes
I studied for the latest Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customization and Configuration certification, this is the 6th version I have passed. Each time I take the certification I learn something new about Microsoft Dynamics, it’s limitations and how it works. My previous study notes are here MB2-712 – CRM 2016 customisation and configuration Hosk study notes , the notes below are new things I learnt and built on top of the previous...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles September 2018
Quotes The pain of legacy code never goes away #HoskCodeWisdom Writing code is a long lesson in humility #HoskCodeWisdom Power is like being a lady… if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” – Margaret Thatcher Articles of the Month Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Common Data Service updates and upgrades What Developers Should Know from Microsoft Build Great Dynamics 365 articles this month Dynamics...
The new Microsoft Dynamics 365 release schedule is coming
You might have missed or ignored Microsoft’s post on the new update cadence because few people use the term update cadence. What update cadence refers to is the NEW MICROSOFT DYNAMICS RELEASE schedule, the change is two major updates to Dynamics 365 online twice a year at the same time (in each region) with no way to opt out or schedule. WHAT! You mean Microsoft Dynamics 365‘ in a region will upgrade at the same time potentially...
The pressure of IT projects make people doubt themselves at the time they need to believe in themselves
The pressure of IT projects make people doubt themselves at the time they need to believe in themselves #HoskCodeWisdom It’s easy believing your plan is the right thing to do before the start but when it begins, money is being spent pressure builds and those easy decisions suddenly become scary decisions. When the pressure is on, people can doubt decisions because now decisions carry consequences but it’s at this moment...
Good code is like underwear
Good code is like underwear. Simple, short and and a joy to look at #HoskCodeWisdom Developers write complex code because they don’t have enough time to write simple code. To get to a place to write simple code you need to have understood the key requirements and create a simple design. When explaining a subject, an expert identifies the key points, the hierarchy of knowledge and can explain it. People who don’t...
Hosk’s recommended Dynamics 365 and other articles August 2018
Quotes I’m an artist, my canvas is Microsoft Dynamics 365 #HoskWisdom Write fewer lines of code but which do more #HoskCodeWisdom “To live in the past is to die in the present.” – Bill Belichick Articles of the Month Getting started as a Dynamics 365 CE Developer Custom controls and advanced client side business logic for model-driven Microsoft PowerApps Great Dynamics 365 articles this month Dynamics 365 Multi-Select...
The future of Microsoft Dynamics 365 projects
The future of Dynamics 365 projects will be defined by the people implementing them #HoskCodeWisdom Dynamics professionals should embrace new technologies and services. Technology changes and evolves and Dynamics 365 projects adapt to take advantage of them. Microsoft dropped CRM from Dynamics product, projects evolved from case management, sales pipeline and transforming excel spreadsheets into enterprise projects including legacy...
Will development move towards no code solutions?
Being a developer is hard, being a good developer is very hard and being a bad developer is merely difficult #HoskCodeWisdom Code is bad. It rots. It requires periodic maintenance. It has bugs that need to be found. New features mean old code has to be adapted. Code is the enemy – Skrentablog Microsoft are talking about the citizen developer, improving PowerApps and Flow. Should developers and companies invest time and...
Hosk’s Recommended Dynamics 365 Articles July 2018
Quotes You cannot forget when you do something amazing #HoskWisdom Projects and code always take longer than expected #HoskWisdom The pain of legacy code never goes away #HoskCodeWisdom Articles of the Month HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESS APPLICATION RELEASE NOTES What is the Custom Control Framework, and why should Dynamics 365 developers be excited about it? Best of the rest Writing TypeScript Packages for Dynamics 365...
When a Patch to Microsoft Dynamics 365 can break your instance
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt We had problems importing solutions in a sandbox instances for Microsoft Dynamics 365. It was because different instances having different versions of Microsoft Dynamics 365. This article looks at the potential problems of patches. Upgrading We have been upgrading customisations to make them Microsoft Dynamics 365 version 10 compliant and...