Hi - I’m Margo Crandall, a principal writer on the Microsoft Dynamics AX documentation team. Our team is passionate about providing the right documentation for customers and partners who are implementing, customizing, developing applications for, or using Microsoft Dynamics AX. I’d like to explain where you can find our content, what we’re working on now, what we’ve changed from previous versions, and how you can communicate with us.

Where can you find our content?

Content for System administrator - System administrator content includes information on deployment, patching, and upgrade, managing different types of servers, and security.

• The most up-to-date content for system administrators is on TechNet in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 System Administrators section.
• From within the client, use the web search page (WebSearchAX) that is available from Help > System Administrator Help on the web.

Developer content - Developer content includes information on using the IDE and debugging tools, Visual Studio integration, User experience guidelines, and reference content for X++ and APIs.

• The most up-to-date content for users is on MSDN in the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Developers section.
• From within the Development Workspace in the product, use the web search page (WebSearchAX) that is available from Help > Developer Help on the web.

Content for the Application user - Application user content includes information on configuring modules, performing tasks within a module, product-wide features, and productivity tools.

• The most up-to-date content for users is on TechNet, in the Application Users section.
  Some content is only available on TechNet, such as the Report Catalog.
• The same content, current for the released version of the product, is available from within the client at Help > Application user Help.
• From within the client, you can also use the web search page (WebSearchAX) that is available from Help > Application user Help on the web.
• Context-sensitive help is also available for forms in the client and in Enterprise Portal.

The Application User Help can also be customized for your organization by your partners, or internally, by adding topics to the Help server. For more information, see the Help server topic on TechNet.

What content can be found on PartnerSource and CustomerSource?

PartnerSource and CustomerSource host our licensing information, downloadable tools, and also include links to content on TechNet, MSDN, and the Download center.

The following graphic shows where our help is located :

What are we working on now?

We’re still finishing some of the content that we plan to complete for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Right now, our teams are planning to ship content in the following areas over the next few months (subject to change without notice, no commitment is implied, and so forth):

• Configuration Key reference topics
• More report topics for financials, projects, sales, and country-specific reports
• More content about how to use models
• A Windows PowerShell cmdlet reference on TechNet
• New and updated conceptual and procedural topics in areas such as Projects, Product configurator, financials, and Production control
• Topics describing integration with Microsoft Excel

How is the Help for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 different from the Help for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009?

Our goals for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 were to provide customization opportunities for end user help, to improve discoverability by providing all of our help content on Microsoft’s web properties, and to make content available more frequently. Following this strategy, we have eliminated most compiled help (.chm) files from the product.

Customize Application Help - The Help server provides a client/server approach to help delivery by storing the help files on a central server, so that they don’t need to be installed on all client desktops like .chm files.

The Help server enables you to:

• Publish an HTML file to a web server when you want to add or change a topic.
• Deploy and manage Help from a centralized location.
• Apply Help updates that are provided by Microsoft without deleting your customized topics.

Improve Discoverability -

• Developer Help is exclusively on MSDN.
• System administrator Help, except for form Help, is exclusively on TechNet.
• Application user Help is both on TechNet and in the product.

More Frequent Updates

• Additions and updates to content on MSDN and TechNet are made regularly.
• Microsoft ships Help updates that you can install on your Help server.
• Help updates and localizations for Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish have already been released as hotfixes.

What do we need from you?

Feedback! We really need to know what you like, and what you don’t. Ratings are nice, but comments really help us improve.

The location of the feedback links on TechNet and MSDN vary by which view you have set in your preferences.

• In Classic view, the default for TechNet, you can provide feedback on any topic by clicking the Feedback control at the top right of the page:

• In Lightweight view, the default for MSDN, the feedback link is at the bottom of the page, next to the copyright statement

• In ScriptFree view, the feedback link is back at the upper right.

You can also always email us at adocs@microsoft.com—let us know if something is missing, or doesn’t meet your needs.

Where can you hear from us?

We’re starting to be more visible on social media, beginning with posting here. Approximately 10 times a year, we’ll also be posting notes about which content we’ve recently published and updated on the AX Support and EMEA Dynamics AX Support blogs.

You can also follow us on twitter (AXContent for the team, or MSMargoc for me personally), and we’re also active on LinkedIn groups.