Simple Object Designer Documentation
Index

Overview

Simple Object Designer (SOD) is a low-code/no-code extension for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central that enables you to customize your system without writing a single line of AL code.

What Simple Object Designer Is

SOD provides a visual interface for creating custom fields, placing them on pages and reports, building new tables with full business logic, and exposing data through APIs. Instead of hiring developers or learning the AL programming language, you can make customizations directly within Business Central using familiar list and card pages.

When you use SOD to create customizations, the app generates a proper AL extension behind the scenes. This extension can be published directly to your current environment or downloaded as an .app file for installation in other environments, including production.

When to Use Simple Object Designer

SOD is ideal for:

  • Business users and administrators who need to add custom fields to track additional information
  • Power users who want to surface hidden fields or reorganize page layouts
  • Consultants who need rapid prototyping and quick customizations without development overhead
  • Partners who want to empower their customers to make simple changes independently
  • Organizations starting with Business Central who need basic customizations before engaging developers

How It Works

SOD follows a straightforward workflow:

  1. Download Symbols - SOD reads metadata from all installed extensions to understand your system's structure
  2. Design Your Customizations - Use the visual interface to create fields, place them on pages, build features, or expose APIs
  3. Publish - SOD generates AL code and compiles it into an extension that gets installed in your environment

The generated extension is a standard Business Central app that follows Microsoft's best practices. This means your customizations are:

  • Upgrade-safe - They survive platform updates because they use extension methodology
  • Portable - You can download the .app file and install it in other environments
  • Professional - The generated code can be exported to GitHub for further development in VS Code

Key Benefits

Benefit Description
No coding required All customizations are made through visual interfaces
Immediate results Changes can be published and tested within minutes
Upgrade-safe Extensions survive Business Central platform updates
Professional output Generated code follows Microsoft standards
Reversible Customizations can be removed cleanly through Extension Management
Scalable Start simple, graduate to full development when needed

What You Can Customize

With SOD, you can:

  • Add new fields to any existing table
  • Place fields (new or existing) on pages and reports
  • Create mandatory field rules that run on page actions
  • Build calculated fields using expressions
  • Create entirely new tables with list pages, card pages, and business logic
  • Expose tables as OData APIs for Power Platform integration
  • Expose codeunit methods as callable API endpoints
  • Create data queries for reporting and analysis
  • Design print-perfect PDF report layouts with a visual designer and an AI assistant