Installation

This page explains how to install Erik's ToolBox in your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environment. Whether you are running Business Central online (SaaS) or on-premises, you will find the appropriate installation steps below.

Overview

Erik's ToolBox is distributed as three separate extensions that work together:

Extension	App ID	Purpose
AL Compiler and Interpreter	de0ad312-13dc-48bc-9aa4-eec46e388ee0	Provides the low-level AL compiler, interpreter engine, and symbol management
AL AI Services	9095ed8c-5bff-4b5f-84db-c487250959b3	Provides the AI agent infrastructure: provider setup, chat panel, conversation store, and the connections to the AI providers
Erik's ToolBox	fe7b0b6a-e183-4606-882d-6adff0ce9401	Provides all user-facing features such as Interactive Code, Batch Processing, Object Inspector, and more

The ToolBox extension depends on both the AL Compiler and Interpreter extension and the AL AI Services extension, and AL AI Services itself depends on the compiler. The installation order is therefore compiler, AL AI Services, ToolBox. If you install from AppSource, the dependencies are handled automatically.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, confirm the following:

You have access to a Business Central environment running application version 19.0 or later.
You have administrator privileges in the environment (SUPER permission set).
For SaaS environments, you have access to the Business Central Administration Center or the Extension Management page.
For on-premises environments, you have access to the Business Central Administration Shell (PowerShell) or the Extension Management page in the Web Client.
The environment allows HttpClient requests for the ToolBox extension (required for license validation and symbol downloads) and for the AL AI Services extension (required for the AI agents).

Installing from AppSource (SaaS)

The recommended way to install Erik's ToolBox on a Business Central online environment is through Microsoft AppSource.

Step-by-Step Procedure

Open your Business Central environment in the Web Client.
Use the search icon (or press Alt+Q) and type Extension Management.
Open the Extension Management page.
On the Extension Management page, choose the Marketplace action in the action bar to open the AppSource marketplace.
In the AppSource search bar, type Erik's ToolBox.
Locate the app published by hougaard.com and select Free trial or Get it now.
Follow the on-screen prompts to accept the license terms and privacy policy.
Microsoft AppSource will install both extensions in the correct order:
- First, the AL Compiler and Interpreter extension is installed.
- Then, the AL AI Services extension is installed.
- Finally, the Erik's ToolBox extension is installed.
Wait for the installation to complete. You can monitor progress on the Extension Management page. The Status column shows the current state of each extension.
Once all three extensions show a status of Installed, the ToolBox is ready to use.

Alternative: Install from the Admin Center

If you manage environments through the Business Central Administration Center:

Sign in to the Business Central Administration Center at https://businesscentral.dynamics.com.
Select the environment where you want to install the ToolBox.
Navigate to Apps and then choose AppSource Apps.
Search for Erik's ToolBox and select Install.
Accept the terms and wait for all three extensions to finish deploying.

Installing On-Premises

For on-premises installations, you have two options: using PowerShell or using the Extension Management page in the Web Client.

Option A: Using PowerShell

Obtain the .app files for all three extensions from your distributor or from the hougaard.com download portal.
Open the Business Central Administration Shell on your server.
Publish and install the AL Compiler and Interpreter extension first:

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ALCompilerAndInterpreter.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard"
Install-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Publish and install the AL AI Services extension:

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ALAIServices.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard"
Install-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Then publish and install the Erik's ToolBox extension:

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ToolBox.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard"
Install-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Replace BC with the name of your Business Central server instance and adjust the file paths as needed.

Option B: Using Extension Management (Web Client)

Open your on-premises Business Central environment in the Web Client.
Navigate to the Extension Management page.
Choose Upload Extension from the action bar.
Upload the AL Compiler and Interpreter .app file first. Accept the deployment and wait for it to complete.
Upload the AL AI Services .app file. Accept the deployment and wait for it to complete.
Upload the Erik's ToolBox .app file. Accept the deployment and wait for it to complete.

Enabling HttpClient Requests

The ToolBox requires outbound HTTP calls for license validation and for downloading symbols. If HttpClient requests are not enabled, you will see the error message: "Please activate Allow HttpClient Requests on the ToolBox app (in Extension Management)."

To enable HttpClient requests:

Open the Extension Management page.
Locate the Erik's ToolBox entry in the list.
Open the extension details by selecting the row.
Toggle Allow HttpClient Requests to Yes.
Repeat for the AL Compiler and Interpreter extension if prompted.

Verifying the Installation

After installation, verify that all three extensions are correctly installed and running:

Open the Extension Management page and confirm that all three extensions appear with status Installed.
Use the search bar and type Erik's ToolBox. The main ToolBox page should appear in the search results under the Administration category.
Open the ToolBox page. If this is your first time, you will be prompted to set up the ToolBox. This confirms the installation is working.
Navigate to the About ToolBox page (available from the ToolBox menu) to see the installed version numbers.

Verification Check	Expected Result
Extension Management lists all three apps	Status shows "Installed" for each
Search for "Erik's ToolBox"	Page appears in search results
Open the ToolBox page	ToolBox menu loads without errors
About ToolBox page	Displays ToolBox Version and AL Compiler Version

Updating to a New Version

When a new version of Erik's ToolBox is released, the update process depends on your deployment type.

SaaS Environments

Updates from AppSource are delivered automatically through the Business Central Administration Center.
You can check for available updates on the Extension Management page by looking for a notification or by visiting the Apps section in the Administration Center.
When an update is available, choose Update and wait for the process to complete.
All three extensions are updated together, in dependency order: AL Compiler and Interpreter, then AL AI Services, then the ToolBox.

On-Premises Environments

Obtain the new .app files for all three extensions.
Use PowerShell to publish and upgrade each extension in order:

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ALCompilerAndInterpreter_New.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Mode ForceSync
Start-NAVAppDataUpgrade -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ALAIServices_New.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Mode ForceSync
Start-NAVAppDataUpgrade -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Publish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Path "C:\Apps\ToolBox_New.app" -SkipVerification
Sync-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Mode ForceSync
Start-NAVAppDataUpgrade -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard"

After upgrading, unpublish the old versions to keep your environment clean:

Unpublish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Version "OldVersion"
Unpublish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Version "OldVersion"
Unpublish-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard" -Version "OldVersion"

Uninstalling the ToolBox

If you need to remove the ToolBox from your environment:

Uninstall the Erik's ToolBox extension first (since it depends on the other two).
Then uninstall the AL AI Services extension.
Finally uninstall the AL Compiler and Interpreter extension.
On SaaS, use the Extension Management page and choose Uninstall for each extension.
On-premises, use PowerShell:

Uninstall-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "ToolBox" -Publisher "Hougaard"
Uninstall-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL AI Services" -Publisher "Hougaard"
Uninstall-NAVApp -ServerInstance BC -Name "AL Compiler and Interpreter" -Publisher "Hougaard"

Tips and Best Practices

Always install or update in dependency order: AL Compiler and Interpreter, then AL AI Services, then the ToolBox extension.
If you encounter an error during installation, check that your Business Central application version is 19.0 or later.
Enable Allow HttpClient Requests immediately after installation to avoid errors during license registration and symbol downloads. Enable it for the AL AI Services extension as well if you plan to use the AI agents.
On SaaS environments, you can use the ToolBox in sandbox mode without a license to evaluate the product before purchasing.
Keep all three extensions on the same version number to ensure compatibility.