How to configuring app.json & launch.json?
Both lauch.json & app.json in Business Central is backbone / foundation / manifest / core of extension / etc. Both are very important and by default created with minimum & mandatory values when we create a new project .
launch.json file contains information about the server that the extension launches on:
launch.json file contains information about the server that the extension launches on:
launch.json is automatically created when we create a new project in AL. Below are the example / sample of default file key & values:
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"type": "al",
"request": "launch",
"name": "Your own server",
"server": "http://localhost",
"serverInstance": "BC130",
"authentication": "UserPassword",
"startupObjectId": 22,
"startupObjectType": "Page",
"breakOnError": true
}
]
}
There are other keys & values (nodes / token) provided to configure as per requirement and for the other purposes.
Below are setting details from Microsoft Docs which is describing, how we will publish our extension on local server (on premise) and on cloud:
Publishing Extension to Local Server (On Premise Deployment):
Setting
|
Mandatory
|
Value
|
Example
|
name
|
Yes
|
"Publish to your own server"
|
MyBCServer
|
type
|
Yes
|
Must be set to ".al".
Required by Visual Studio Code.
|
al
|
request
|
Yes
|
Request type of the configuration.
Must be set to "launch". Required by Visual Studio Code.
|
launch
|
server
|
Yes
|
The HTTP URL of your server, for example:
"http://localhost|serverInstance"
|
http://localhost
|
port
|
No
|
The port assigned to the development
service.
|
7049
|
serverInstance
|
Yes
|
The instance name of your server, for
example: "US"
|
BC130
|
authentication
|
Yes
|
Specifies the server authentication method.
Currently, AAD authentication is supported only for Dynamics 365 Business
Central sandboxes. AAD authentication cannot be used for on-premise servers.
|
Windows
|
startupObjectType
|
No
|
Specifies whether the object to open
after publishing is a Page type ("Page") or Table type
("Table") object. The default is "Page".
|
Page
|
startupObjectId
|
No
|
Specifies the ID of the object to open
after publishing. Only objects of type Page and Table are currently
supported.
|
22
|
schemaUpdateMode
|
No
|
Specifies the data synchronization
mode when you publish an extension to the development server, for example:
"schemaUpdateMode": "Synchronize Recreate"
The default value is Synchronize. For more information, see Retaining table data after publishing. This feature is not supported in Dynamics NAV. |
Usually we leave as default.
|
breakOnError
|
No
|
Specifies whether to break on errors
when debugging. The default value is true.
|
ture (default value)
|
breakOnRecordWrite
|
No
|
Specifies if the debugger breaks on record
changes. The default value is false.
|
Usually we leave as default.
|
launchBrowser
|
No
|
Specifies whether to open a new tab
page in the browser when publishing the AL extension (Ctrl+F5). The default
value is false. If the value is not specified or set to true, the session is
started. If the value is explicitly set to false, the session is not started
unless you launch your extension in debugging mode.
|
Usually we leave as default.
|
Publishing Extension to Cloud:
Setting
|
Mandatory
|
Value
|
Example
|
name
|
Yes
|
"Publish to Microsoft cloud
sandbox"
|
SandBoxName
|
type
|
Yes
|
Must be set to ".al". Required by
Visual Studio Code.
|
al
|
request
|
Yes
|
Request type of the configuration.
Must be set to "launch". Required by
Visual Studio Code.
|
launch
|
startupObjectType
|
No
|
Specifies whether the object to open
after publishing is a Page type ("Page") or Table type ("Table") object. The
default is "Page".
|
Page
|
startupObjectId
|
No
|
Specifies the ID of the object to open
after publishing. Only objects of type Page and Table are currently
supported.
|
22
|
tenant
|
No
|
Specifies the tenant to which the
package is deployed. If you specify multiple configurations, a drop-down of
options will be available when you deploy.
|
Tenant-Name
|
app.json files contains information about the extension:
app.json is automatically created when we create a new project in AL. Below are the example / sample default key & values:
{
"id": "c8d3c095-f92b-4ca8-b426-2d5c3e7da96d",
"name": "ProjectD365BC",
"publisher": "Default publisher",
"brief": "",
"description": "",
"version": "1.0.0.0",
"privacyStatement": "",
"EULA": "",
"help": "",
"url": "",
"logo": "",
"capabilities": [],
"dependencies": [],
"screenshots": [],
"platform": "13.0.0.0",
"application": "13.0.0.0",
"idRange": {
"from": 50100,
"to": 50149
},
"runtime": "2.2"
}
There are other keys & values (nodes / token) provided to configure as per requirement and for the other purposes.
Below are setting details from Microsoft Docs which is describing, the app.json file contains information about extension that you are building, such as publisher information and specifies the minimum version of base application objects that the extension is built on. Often the app.json file is referred to as the manifest.
Below are detailed settings for app.json:
Setting
|
Mandatory
|
Value
|
Example
|
id
|
Yes
|
The unique ID of the extension. When
app.json file is automatically created, the ID is set to a new GUID value.
|
"e2785bd8-1452-48bc-ade7-33c2ddb2b3d5"
|
name
|
Yes
|
The unique extension name.
|
ProjectD365BC
|
publisher
|
Yes
|
The name of your publisher, for
example: NAV Partner, LLC
|
MyExtension
|
brief
|
No
|
Short description of the extension.
(Mandatory, if required for AppSource submission)
|
My Extension
|
description
|
No
|
Longer description of the extension.
|
For testing internal
|
version
|
Yes
|
The version of the app package.
(Mandatory, if required for AppSource submission)
|
1.0.0.0
|
privacyStatement
|
No
|
URL to the privacy statement for the
extension. (Mandatory, if required for AppSource submission)
|
Usually left undefined.
|
EULA
|
No
|
URL to the license terms for the
extension. (Mandatory, if required for AppSource submission)
|
Usually left undefined.
|
help
|
No
|
URL to the help for the extension.
(Mandatory, if required for AppSource submission)
|
Usually left undefined.
|
url
|
No
|
URL of the extension package.
|
Usually left undefined.
|
logo
|
No
|
Relative path to the app package logo
from the root of the package. (Mandatory, if required for AppSource
submission)
|
Usually left undefined.
|
dependencies
|
No
|
List of dependencies for the extension
package. For example: "dependencies": [ {
"appId": "4805fd15-75a5-46a2-952f-39c1c4eab821",
"name": "WeatherLibrary", "publisher":
"Microsoft", "version": "1.0.0.0"}],
|
Usually left undefined. But must
define if using any dependency (controll addins, etc.)
|
screenshots
|
No
|
Relative paths to any screenshots that
should be in the extension package.
|
Usually left undefined.
|
platform
|
Yes
|
The minimum
supported version of the platform symbol package file, for example:
"11.0.0.0". See the Symbols for the list of object symbols
contained in the platform symbol package file.
|
13.0.0.0 for Business Central
|
application
|
Yes
|
The minimum supported version, for
example: "application":
"11.0.0.0" (Note: Mandatory, if base application
objects are extended or referenced. The AL package will be compiled against
the application that is present on the server that you connect to. This allows
you to write a single AL Language extension for multiple country versions as
long as you do not depend on country-specific code. If you do depend on
country-specific code you should only try to compile your app against a
server set up for that country.)
|
13.0.0.0 for Business Central
|
features
|
No
|
To enable generation of the
translation file, you must add a setting in the manifest.
|
"TranslationFile"
|
idRange
|
Yes
|
For example: "idRange":
{"from": 50100,"to": 50149}. A range for application object IDs.
For all objects outside the range, a compilation error will be raised. When
you create new objects, an ID is automatically suggested.
|
As per extension series. For
testing, usually leave with default.
|
idRanges
|
Yes
|
For example: "idRanges":
[{"from": 50100,"to": 50200},{"from":
50202,"to": 50300}]. A list of ranges for application object IDs.
For all objects outside the ranges, a compilation error will be raised. When
you create new objects, an ID is automatically suggested. You must use either
the idRange or the idRanges setting.
Overlapping ranges are not allowed and will result in a compilation error.
|
Define in case of using different -
different range. Basically for multiple reanges of object IDs.
|
showMyCode
|
No
|
This is by default set to false and not visible in
the manifest. To enable viewing the source code when debugging into an
extension, add the following setting: "showMyCode": true
|
TRUE
|
target
|
No
|
By default this is Extension. For Dynamics NAV,
you can set this to Internal to get access to
otherwise restricted APIs and .NET Interop. The Dynamics NAV Server setting
must then also be set to Internal.
|
Internal
|
helpBaseUrl
|
No
|
The URL for the website that displays
help for the current extension. The default URL is https://docs.microsoft.com/{0}/dynamics365/business-central.
|
Usually left undefined. Default
value.
|
supportedLocales
|
No
|
The list of locales that are supported
for looking up help. The value on the list is inserted into the URL defined
in the helpBaseUrl property. The first locale on the list is default. An example is "supportedLocales":
["da-DK", "en-US"].
|
Usually left undefined. Default
value.
|
For detailed explanation please read complete details on Microsoft Docs (Click Here)
