Extension Identity
The extension identity settings determine how your customization extension is identified in Business Central. This page explains each identity setting and best practices for configuration.
Why Extension Identity Matters
The extension identity appears in:
- Extension Management - Users see the name and publisher when managing extensions
- About This Extension - Information shown when users view extension details
- App File Name - The downloaded .app file includes the name and version
- Dependency References - Other extensions reference yours by name and publisher
- Support and Troubleshooting - Identifying which extension is causing issues
Extension Name
The Extension Name is the display name for your customization extension.
Configuration
In Setup, enter your desired name in the Extension Name field.
Best Practices
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use a descriptive name | Use generic names like "Customizations" |
| Include your company name | Use names that conflict with other apps |
| Stay within the 30-character field limit | Use special characters or symbols |
| Make it recognizable | Use technical jargon |
Examples
- "Contoso Manufacturing Customizations"
- "Acme Corp BC Extensions"
- "Northwind Traders Custom Fields"
Extension Name 2 (Dual-App Mode)
When using Dual-App mode, you need a second extension name. Make it clear the two extensions are related:
- Extension Name: "Contoso Customizations - Tables"
- Extension Name 2: "Contoso Customizations - Pages"
Publisher
The Publisher field identifies who created and maintains the extension.
Configuration
In Setup, enter your company or organization name in the Publisher field.
Best Practices
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use your official company name | Use personal names for business extensions |
| Match your AppSource publisher if applicable | Use abbreviations that aren't recognizable |
| Be consistent across extensions | Change publisher names between versions |
| Use proper capitalization | Use all lowercase or all uppercase |
| Stay within the 30-character field limit | Pad with whitespace |
Examples
- "Contoso Ltd"
- "Acme Corporation"
- "Northwind Traders Inc."
Importance of Consistency
The Publisher name is part of the extension's unique identity. Changing it between versions can cause:
- Installation failures due to identity mismatch
- Confusion about extension ownership
- Issues with dependency resolution
Once you publish with a Publisher name, keep it consistent.
Version Number
The Version field uses four-part semantic versioning: Major.Minor.Build.Revision
Version Components
| Component | Purpose | When to Increment |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Breaking changes | Significant rewrites, major feature additions |
| Minor | New features | Adding new customizations |
| Build | Bug fixes | Fixing issues in existing customizations |
| Revision | Auto-incremented | Each publish (SOD does this automatically) |
Automatic Versioning
SOD automatically increments the Revision number each time you publish. You don't need to manually change the version for routine updates.
Manual Version Changes
Change the Major, Minor, or Build numbers when:
- Making significant changes (increment Major)
- Adding substantial new features (increment Minor)
- Releasing a fix-focused update (increment Build)
- Resetting after a major release (reset lower components to 0)
Version Examples
| Version | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1.0.0.1 | Initial release, first publish |
| 1.0.0.5 | Same release, fifth publish iteration |
| 1.1.0.1 | New features added |
| 2.0.0.1 | Major update or rewrite |
Object Prefix
The Object Prefix is added to all object names to identify them as SOD-generated.
Configuration
In Setup, enter a short prefix in the Object Prefix field.
Requirements
- AppSource compliance requires a suffix, so SOD always adds "Hgd"
- Your prefix is added for additional identification
- Combined format:
[Your Prefix] Object Name Hgd
Best Practices
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use up to 3 characters (field limit) | Use longer prefixes |
| Use company abbreviation | Use generic prefixes |
| Be consistent | Change prefix between versions |
Example
If your prefix is "CONT":
- A field named "Discount Percent" becomes "CONT Discount Percent Hgd"
- A table named "Custom Data" becomes "CONT Custom Data Hgd"
Extension ID
Every extension has a unique GUID. SOD generates this once when the setup record is first created and stores it permanently — changing Extension Name or Publisher later does not change the ID. The ID is independent of the display fields.
This means:
- Renaming the extension or publisher keeps it the same extension in Business Central
- Reinstalls / upgrades work the same way after a rename
- To create a genuinely separate extension, use the Init new App action on the Setup page
What Init new App does to your existing work
Init new App resets the SOD configuration so you can build a new, separate customization extension.
After it runs, the features, fields, tables and other customizations created under the previous configuration are no longer visible or manageable in SOD — SOD now points at a new, separate configuration.
The previously published extension keeps working. Its tables, fields and features continue to function in Business Central exactly as before, as an ordinary extension. What you lose is the ability to modify them through SOD, not the extension itself.
Before using Init new App:
- Export App from the Setup page, saving the current configuration so it can be re-imported later
- If you use GitHub integration, push the current state first
- Then Init new App and work on the new one
To manage the original features again, Import App with that exported file — or with the previously published .app, since SOD embeds the source definition inside the .app when publishing.
The whole workflow: export current config → Init new App → work on the new app → import the saved config whenever you need to return to the original.
Note also that reusing the same App ID under a new Extension Name on an already-published customization can produce a CircularDependency deployment error where the app appears to depend on itself. See Circular Dependencies.
Viewing Your Extension
After publishing, verify your extension identity:
- Go to Extension Management
- Find your extension in the list
- Click to view details
- Verify Name, Publisher, and Version are correct
Changing Identity After Publishing
Warning: Changing extension identity settings after publishing can cause problems.
Safe Changes
- Incrementing version numbers
- Minor typo corrections in Name or Publisher (before widespread deployment)
Problematic Changes
- Changing Publisher name significantly
- Changing Extension Name completely
- These can result in Business Central treating it as a new extension
If You Must Change Identity
- Document the change and reason
- Uninstall the old extension in all environments
- Make the identity changes
- Publish as effectively a new extension
- Reinstall in all environments