Microsoft Dynamics NAV Extension Packages
You deploy your Dynamics NAV extensions as packages.
A package file can contain a number of different artifacts that are needed for the extension, such as DELTA files and full application object .TXT files. The package also contains a manifest with metadata such as name, version, publisher and, most importantly, a globally unique identifier, the extension ID. Dynamics NAV uses the extension ID to uniquely identify the extension. This ID must be maintained consistently across versions of an extension in order to upgrade properly. The Windows PowerShell cmdlets that you use to create the manifest generate an ID for you, but you can also specify an ID.
Extension Manifests
Important
Use the New-NAVAppManifestFile cmdlet to write your manifest to disk so that the App ID is preserved. Then, you can use the modification cmdlet, Set-NAVAppManifest, to change attributes such as the version number.
The following code snippet illustrates how you can generate a manifest file.
New-NAVAppManifest -Name ‘My Extension’ -Publisher ‘Proseware’ -Version ‘1.0.0.0’ | New-NAVAppManifestFile –Path ‘C:\MyExtensionManifest.xml’
The following code example illustrates a manifest for an extension.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Package xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/navx/2015/manifest">
<App Id="6147E5EF-197E-43CF-B4A2-168AAE537A0B"
Name="Microsoft Dynamics NAV Customer Loyalty"
Publisher="Microsoft Corporation"
Description="Customer Loyalty Extension Package for Microsoft Dynamics NAV"
Version="1.0.23.0"
CompatibilityId="1.0.0.0" />
<Capabilities>
<Capability Name="schemaChanges" />
</Capabilities>
<Prerequisites>
<Objects>
<Object Type="CodeUnit" Id="1600"/>
</Objects>
</Prerequisites>
<Dependencies>
<Dependency Id="9DE57280-CC68-4612-BB26-8C8F5CF34A37"
Name="Microsoft Dynamics NAV Service Integration"
Publisher="Microsoft Corporation"
MinVersion="1.3.1.0"
CompatibilityId="1.1.0.0" />
</Dependencies>
</Package>
At the root of the manifest is the Package element. The following sections describe the other elements and settings.
App
The App element describes your extension to the system and users. The element has the following attributes.
| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Id | Yes | GUID | An identifier that uniquely identifies the extension. This value should remain constant for the life of the application. |
| Name | Yes | String | The name of the extension. String length of 250 characters. |
| Publisher | Yes | String | The publisher of the extension. String length of 250 characters. |
| Description | No | String | The description of the extension. String length of 2048 characters. |
| Version | Yes | String | Version string in the format of Major.Minor.Build.Revision. This value should be incremented for each published package. |
| CompatibilityId | Yes | String | Version string in the format of Major.Minor.Build.Revision. This value defines the compatibility ID of the extension. |
| Brief | No | String | The brief description of the extension. |
| PrivacyStatement | No | String | A hyperlink to a privacy statement for the extension. |
| Eula | No | String | A hyperlink to an end user license agreement for the extension. |
| Url | No | String | A hyperlink to a page or web site with additional information for the extension. |
| Help | No | String | A hyperlink to Help for the extension. |
| Logo | No | String | A logo image file for the extension that is shown in the Extension Management page. Provide a .png or .jpg file that is 240 x 240 pixels. |
| ScreenShots | No | String | One or more screenshots of the extension. Provide a .png or .jpg file that is 240 x 240 pixels. |
Capabilities
The Capabilities element contains a collection of Capability elements that describe what the extension impacts in terms of the hosting Dynamics NAV deployment. The Capability element can be used to determine if an extension is allowed to be installed.
Note
Capabilities cannot be set manually as they are added by the packaging process. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2018 does not provide any functionality for analyzing or otherwise reacting to capabilities. Capabilities are reserved for future use.
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| uiChanges | Existing UI objects have been modified, |
| uiAdds | New UI objects are added, |
| schemaChanges | Existing tables or fields have been modified. This includes adding a new field to an existing table. |
| schemaAdds | New table objects are added. |
| codeAdds | Event subscriber codeunits are added, |
| permissionSets | New permission sets are added. |
| ControlAddIns | Client-side JavaScript or WinForms extensibility control add-ins are added. |
| ServerSideControlAddIns | Server-side .NET add-ins are added. |
| FieldPropertyChanges | Existing field properties have been modified. |
| XMLPortAdds | New XMLports are added. |
| ReportAdds | New reports are added. |
| QueryAdds | New queries are added. |
| TenantWebServices | New tenant web services are added. |
| CustomReportLayouts | New custom report layouts are added. |
| LanguageFiles | New language translations are added. |
Prerequisites
The Prerequisites element contains a collection of Object elements that define what must be presently available in the hosting Dynamics NAV deployment in order for this extension to function. It uses specific identifiable object IDs that must be available in the system. If a prerequisite is not found, the extension cannot install.
| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Yes | Type | The type of the object. The following objects are available: - TableData - Table - Report - CodeUnit - XmlPort - MenuSuite - Page - Query |
| Id | Yes | Int32 | The object ID. |
Dependencies
The Dependencies element contains a collection of Dependency elements that define identifies other extensions that this extension has a specific dependency on. Dependencies are added to the manifest when you provide a path to a .navx file in the –Dependencies parameter of the New-NAVAppManifest cmdlet.
| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Id | Yes | GUID | The unique identifier of the extension that this extension depends on. |
| Name | Yes | String | The name of the extension. |
| Publisher | Yes | String | The publisher of the extension. |
| MinVersion | Yes | String | Version string in the format of Major.Minor.Build.Revision. This is the minimum version of the extension that must be present in conjunction with the specified Compatibility ID. |
| CompatibilityId | Yes | String | Version string in the format of Major.Minor.Build.Revision. This value defines the compatibility ID of the extension. |
See Also
Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Extension Packages
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows PowerShell Cmdlets
How to: Develop an Extension