Introduction. Only for a customer, possible doesn´t mean good.

Someone put on the table the possibility of doing custom modifications in a BC 365 SAAS installation. When a say custom modifications, I mean modifications that only have value for a single customer, not suitable for other companies.

Most people already know the answer: is possible. But it conflicts with Microsoft final purpose of an SAAS. SAAS develop must be focus to repeatability and store, not to custom particular features.

In this post I want to show:

• You can customize your 365 SAAS, but not the scenario MS is suggesting for repeatability, is only keep the old business model with new tools. I don´t have any opinion about that. If something is wrong I will probably do it.
• You can program BC, without being a part of any organization, I mean without developer partner license (freelance time?).
• You can develop without any BC installation only with symbol files and VS Code. Even without internet connection.

The simpler scenario to start extensions development: getting a Business Central 365 SAAS account.

You can develop BC 365 with a lot of environments:

• With a local machine server (localhost). Traditional scenario.
• With docker installation (warning: I have not yet tested).
• A very curious scenario: a machine without NAV, only with symbols .app files and visual studio Code!! It works, even if you use 2018 NAV symbols to develop to 365 SAAS!!
• And the best and more comfortable in my opinion, create a 365 account and later a sandbox environment (“Entorno aislado” in Spanish).

Steps to develop in 365 SAAS.

If you choose the office 365 account option follow these steps, go to the link:

https://trials.dynamics.com/Dynamics365/Signup/BusinessCentral

Click here sign and follow some very simple requirements:

In 365 we create the sandbox (search “aislado” in Spanish).

You will get this screen and push “Create”:

A now we are ready to develop. With sandbox the steps are easier than another options, type AL! Go and choose the folder:

And when cloud sandbox server is choosen you can develop without problems with symbols. No need to configure ports and url server. All is done.

We develop the extension in AL language and we push F5. Extension is published in Sandbox. In Sandbox we can test, and refractor it.

To publish the customization in a real environment you must open 365, go to extensions/Load extension.

Select the .app file generated in project folder and push ok.

Have you missed anything? The freelance hour.

In this process I have not any license and have not local installation on my machine. With C/SIDE we need a partner license to program. Now, you can develop for your own without belonging any partner company.