To offer users a great tablet experience, you must decide on a strategy for how to accomplish this based on an analysis of your users’ needs. This topic explains the different options for developing for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet client, but the documentation you will find in this section is primarily focused on the first of these scenarios.

Tablet Development Strategy

This section briefly describes some of the options that exist for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Development strategy Advantages What also to consider Examples For more information, see

Use the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Development Environment to modify and extend the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet client. This scenario is similar to developing for Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client.

  • Extending and modifying Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet client is useful for a minimal learning curve and a reduction of development costs; scenarios automatically work on multiple operating systems without having to worry about the maintenance.
  • Reusing existing investments in Microsoft Dynamics NAV page objects, business logic, and javascript-based client add-ins. Ideal for user scenarios which can be achieved by using simple application pages.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV only supports a specific number of page types, and this can be a limitation in some type of development projects.

  • For salespeople tracking customers, looking up item details, and capturing orders.
  • For technicians on the road using and re-ordering spare parts.

Introducing the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet Client

Getting Started Developing for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet Client

Based on OData web services and/or SOAP web services technologies, write an app that interacts with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Visual Studio includes project templates for this type of apps.

This strategy applies when you want to build a highly-custom app with your own UI design that takes advantage of all the rich features which native apps provide, such as control over GPS and camera.

Cost to learn development tools and languages outside C/SIDE, preparing new development environments. Cost of licensing any one of these tools, and having to maintain code for different operating systems.

A simple touch interface for users to scan their access card for time registration.

Using OData Web Services to Modify Data

OData Web Services

SOAP Web Services

Web Services

Web Service Walkthroughs

Specifically for developers, use a browser for continuous development and test of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet client solution that you are working on.

Switching to running in a browser is an easy and efficient way to test what new and modified pages look like.

Running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet client in a browser is only recommended for development scenarios.

Testing a Role Center throughout the development process from a browser.

How to: Open the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Tablet Client from a Browser

See Also