Developing for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is a web-based application framework that enables users to interact with Microsoft Dynamics NAV data from SharePoint sites by displaying Microsoft Dynamics NAV pages and reports.

The following sections provide a guideline of the major tasks that are involved in creating applications for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client.

• Understand the Business Scenario

• Install the Development Tools

• Create Microsoft Dynamics NAV Objects

• Add Pages and Reports to the Microsoft SharePoint Client on SharePoint Sites

• Create Users and Grant Permissions to Objects

Understand the Business Scenario

You must understand the business problem or scenario that you want your application to solve. It is helpful to know who will be using the application and what they will be trying to accomplish. Compared to the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client, the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client is designed for the occasional users who typically need an overview of their daily work status and perform relatively simple or light data entry.

Install the Development Tools

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV Development Environment

  You use the development environment to create objects, such as tables, pages, and reports, and implement the business logic for your application.

  For more information, see How to: Install C/SIDE Development Environment for Administrative Tasks.

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client (optional)

  There are many administration and operational tasks, such as creating profiles, setting users, and publishing web services, which cannot be done by using the development environment. Although you can use the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client for performing these tasks, it is generally easier and more efficient to use the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client.

  For more information, see Client Option.

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server Administration tool (optional)

  The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server Administration tool is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that you can use to manage the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server instance that is used by the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework.

  For more information, see Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server Administration Tool.

Create Microsoft Dynamics NAV Objects

The development experience for Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client solutions resembles Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client. You use Microsoft Dynamics NAV Development Environment to create Microsoft Dynamics NAV objects, such as tables, pages, and reports, to support the business logic.

The same page or report can be displayed in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client and the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client. However, you should consider creating separate pages for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client because of the following reasons:

• Websites typically have less display area for pages and reports than the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client.

• The number of user interface controls and amount of data on a page can affect performance on a page.

• The Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client does not support personalization of the user interface as the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client does.

For more information, see Development.

Follow the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 User Experience Guidelines

The Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 User Experience guidelines can help you develop high quality and consistent applications. The guidelines provide answers to specific user experience issues, such as determining which page type to use or which components to include on a page. You can use the guidelines to design new application or improve existing ones.

For more information, see Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 User Experience Guidelines.

Add Pages and Reports to the Microsoft SharePoint Client on SharePoint Sites

After you create pages and reports in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, you can add them to your SharePoint sites that are running the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework. You can create URL links that open the page or report on the SharePoint site, or for pages, you can also add a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web Part on a SharePoint page.

For more information, see Displaying Pages in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client and Displaying Reports in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client.

Create Users and Grant Permissions to Objects

Like the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client, you restrict access to Microsoft Dynamics NAV data by creating users in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and granting them permissions to Microsoft Dynamics NAV objects, such as pages and reports. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework uses Windows authentication for validating the identity of users who try to access Microsoft Dynamics NAV data from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint client. In addition to having an account in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, users must also have permission to the SharePoint site.

For more information, see Administration in RoleTailored Clients and Managing User Permissions for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client.

See Also

Concepts

Best Practices for Developing Solutions for Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client
Getting Started with Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework
Connecting Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web Parts to Other Web Parts
Accessibility Features of Microsoft Dynamics NAV SharePoint Client
Deploying Microsoft Dynamics NAV Portal Framework