add-on criterias

Business Central/NAV Developers Forum
1

Dear all, I have downloaded add on catalogue and see many add-on. I would like to ask you about the add-on criteria and admittance for that. If I have create some tables and forms and linking them and also linking to another tables, is these able to be called add-on ? is the add-on a new module contains granules ? tks a lot for your answer beforehand rgds, Mark

2

It’s not that easy, you will have to get your Add-On Certified by Microsoft. You’ll find some Hints here(it’s the FAQ): https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/products/navision/addonprograms/11431.htm?printpage=false the complete process description is here: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/documentation/howtoarticles/nav_addonregistration.htm?printpage=false

3

Dear Zimiwings, tks for your answer, I will browse them, but what do you think about the add-on ? do you think they are like business process ? rgds, Mark

4

Mark, an Add-On is basically anything that extends some of Navision’s base functionality. There is a complex line between a Navision Add-On and a Navision Vertical. Basically a Vertical is a business application. For example The Rental solution. It is not really functionality, it is a method of implementing a business process. In most cases (not all) to create a Naviison Vertical, you need a number of functionality enhnacements which may be concidered as Add-Ons. An Add-On for example may be Matriks Doc. This does not define the way you will run your biusiness with Navision, it just gives you another tool to make that process easier. In general though, if you are going to want to develop Add-On solutions for Navision, they need to be good. So step one is going to be to learn Navision, and step two will be to get some good client installs where you will be able to show that you can deliver product. Its very important to take it one step at a time. Currently you are doing exactly the right thing by asking questions on MBSOnline about Navision and development. Good luck.

5

In order to make an Add-On from your code, you need to take a few but very important design considerations:

  • Small is beautiful In fact it means that you should keep your changes to the Navision Standard as small as possible. This makes maintenance easier for yourself when you need to upgrade to a newer version and also for your distributors in other countries to localize your product
  • Document your changes Whenever you are changing standard objects, document your changes at least with a comment at the beginning and at the end. This makes it easier to seperate your code from Standard Navision code and maybe localized Navision code or even other Add-Ons
  • Develop in W1 Even though that you might use a localized version in your country, you need to take into account that other countries are using different localized versions. But what they all have in common is: they are all based on W1
  • Watch your ID’s A huge problem in a lot of Add-Ons is that the developers are not considering that an overlap of ID’s in different Add-On’s or even in a customized Navision will make it impossible to merge your Add-On into a customer database. Example: You have changed the Item List to show an additional column. This column (Control+Label) get the ID 1000000000 and 1000000001 (with a normal 004 developers license) The customer database also has the same form changed and shows a completely different value in that form. Those controls will get the same ID’s when inserted with 004 license. Whenever you try to merge those objects together, Navision will not be able to import the object as the same ID is used more than once. And almost everything in Navision has an ID: Controls, MenuItems,Variables, Procedures. You should make sure that all the stuff you created is in a specific number range.
  • There is more than VAT I do not know if your planned Add-On is supposed to generate invoices or similar, but take into account (if so) to cater for VAT AND sales tax. Even though that the BIIIIIIG sales tax versions (US and Canada) have additional code in their localized version, Tax Areas and Tax Group Codes are a big gain if already catered for.
    Anyway, all this (except for the documentation stuff of course) just comes into place AFTER you have received an ID range
6

Dear all, Thanks a lot for your answer and also especially for Mr. David. I would like to make an add on but I will think it first. rgds, Mark