How to get started with customizations

Here’s what I would do:

1. Create a local installation of SQL Server on the local machine.  You can get a developer edition at no cost.
2. You will need to have a local instance of IIS installed as well.  The installation guide provides the guidance on configuring IIS for Acumatica.  There are quite a few settings that need to be correct for it to work correctly.
3. Install Acumatica ERP and ensure you check the “debug” option when installing.  You do not need to install the Framework separately.  If you can get a snapshot of the customer’s instance, there is a way to “pull” that data into your installation.  I can give you guidance on that if you need it.  I highly recommend that if you do need to have your customer’s data on your local implementation that you do NOT install sample data and then try to load a snapshot after the fact.  It causes unusual data to be filled into the database (in my experience it does anyway).
4. IF you don’t need actual customer data/setup to do your customization, you can select to install the Sales Demo data.  The only reason to do what I suggest in step 3 is if there is some configuration in the customer’s implementation which would take a lot of effort to duplicate locally.

Really pay close attention to the installation/setup guide.  If you miss a step, it can cause you to have to start over the entire process.  Once you have ERP installed as a web site linked to a SQL server instance, it is really hard (impossible for me) to make configuration changes to the site and the SQL server and get it run.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Hi @vpoulson,

As you are new to Acumatica and to work with customizations, below are certifications we need to get the basic knowledge on customization.

• Install the Acumatica Setup, you can get the specific version and build from this site - http://builds.acumatica.com/
• Setup the new Instance through the Configuration wizard. - This document will help you a lot - https://openuni.acumatica.com/pdf/S100_Installation_and_Site_Management(V4.20).pdf
• Add the Acumatica templates in the below path (Attached all the Acumatica templates here) - Path: C:\Users\[username]\Documents\[VS Version]\Templates\ItemTemplates\Visual C# 
•  To work with customizations, you need to do the Application Developer courses. T100, T200, T300 and etc. from the Acumatica Portal. - portal.acumatica.com

Thanks for the information.   If I don’t need the Framework Tools or VS Templates then how do I add the references to things like PX.Common or PX.Data?  Can I do that from the Customization Project Editor and then click the Move To Extension Lib button?

Move to extension lib creates a visual studio project. When working on a runtime customization you don’t need a visual studio project.

The PX assembly references are already loaded in the process memory so you don’t need to do anything. Just add code files in Code section and publish the customization. The next time any Acumatica page is opened it will compile the runtime customization.

If you have third party assembly (not from Microsoft or Acumatica) you can add the DLL in the Files section. Those reference are also loaded automatically.

That makes sense.Since I just want to create a webhook then I should be able to do all of that in the code editor?  If I need to debug the code would I then need to use a visual studio project or is there a way to do that in the code editor?

You don’t need a visual studio project to debug the code but you need to be able to open the website in visual studio (menu File->Open Website).

The setup for remote debugging is not practical:

Remote debug ASP.NET on an IIS computer - Visual Studio | Microsoft Docs

Installing Acumatica locally is more practical for large projects. I don’t think you’ll need it for simple tasks. Not sure what webhook implies, you’ll need to test it out. Customizing fields and screen don’t need a local instance, webhook can be different.

Hello,

I just found this post. I attempted the T200 course months ago, but I was stopped when I could not validate on p 33 in the 2021R2 version. Then I was directed in many other areas. I am now circling back and trying to get the information to move forward in my learning in customizations. Can you please help me with these questions?

1. Where is T100 course? T190?
2. I have several instances in the works with the 2021 R2 version, after reading this post, do I need to install an instance locally or can I use the instances I currently have to move forward with T200?
3. If yes, then are there instructions to install locally and not to the DB?
4. I know how to change generic inquiries and reports, I need to know how to change the forms. I am setting up demos for our Partner. Some of the language is hard for me to decipher. I have used different programming languages before, can you please tell me if I should be focusing on the C# language to get a better understanding of Acumatica or a different language?

I appreciate any help!

Thank you,

Barbie

@bjeter94 Sorry for the length.  You asked a lot, and I tend to be wordy. 

Training

he courses were revised somewhat recently, and the old T100, T200, T300, etc. courses changed numbers in the process.  The current courses are located at:

• openuni.acumatica.com/courses/development/

So yes, T190 is the new “starting point”.  It’s been a while since I went through them, but I believe T190 is more of an overview while T200 is where I started getting more value from the course.  Don’t skip T190, but just go into it with the understanding that it’s sort of preparing you for the next course where you should start to get a good grasp of the basics.  Here are some notes I made on T190, T200, and T210.

• T190 Quick Start in Customizations – Acumatica.dev
• T200 Maintenance Forms – Acumatica.dev
• T210 Customized Forms and Master-Detail Relationship – Acumatica.dev

Just note that they may have updated the documentation since I made my notes.  It’s been a while.

Where to install

Installation is pretty much up to you on how you want it.  I have 2 instances for development, one local and one on a server at work.  As long as your instance can talk to the SQL server, it doesn’t matter where the SQL server is installed.  If you want to develop in Visual Studio, I find that best to install on your own PC.

For my “testing the next release” development, I keep the instance completely local on my work Surface Pro tablet.  That means the Acumatica ERP installation, the instance that I will use (website) and the SQL database.  When I compile my code and update my customization project with the DLL created, I can send the customization project to my sys admin who loads on his test instance.

For my development code supporting production, I still use Visual Studio with a drive mapped to the remote server where the code resides.  However, the Acumatica ERP installation and instance are on that remote server, and the SQL server is on another machine entirely.  You install the Acumatica ERP software on the machine where you want the instance to be located, and then you create a new instance depending on your needs.

Deploy New Application Instance tends to be used for the first instance only.  From there, I normally use Perform Application Maintenance to install other instances (websites, not tenants).  Using that option, you can select an option to install certain predefined data for training courses, but lately I’m always using Sales Demo for sample data that is generic enough and broad enough that my customizations should work if they work with that data.

When it comes time to tell it what database to use, start by selecting the server (or your local PC) where you installed SQL for this instance.  If you can access it properly, you should be able to use that SQL server instance.  (Remember to use the free Developer edition of SQL if using in a development environment so you don’t tie up licenses.)  Just be sure you don’t use your production SQL Server as you don’t want to risk making a mistake in code that ends up over burdening your production server’s resources and thus degrading production performance.

Programming Language

Use C#.  Definitely C#.  Acumatica is written in C#, so it’s best to stick with C#.  The first part of this question mentions changing forms, and while C# will be used to create the graphs, DAC’s, graph extensions, and DAC extensions to support customizing existing and creating new screens/forms, you likely will handle the screen form changes in the Customization Projects screen in Acumatica under the Screens section.

If you need help with learning C#, I can recommend a couple of resources from Microsoft that helped me early on.

• C# docs - get started, tutorials, reference. | Microsoft Docs
• C# Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners | Microsoft Docs

Be sure to come back here or to Stack Overflow (tagging Acumatica) as you learn and have questions.  This is a great developer community, and you will find a lot of people willing to help you.

You are awesome and a great source of Knowledge. Thank you for all this, very much appreciated!

Sorry I have a few questions because my education is a little outdated…

You said to use the free Developer version of SQL. I tried last week, but I was missing a few steps can you please confirm this is what I should do to install Acumatica 2022 R1 locally on my laptop.

1. Install the Express version of Microsoft SQL, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
2. Install the Microsoft Management Studio latest version, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?msclkid=52f92713cf9a11eca5be202627898220&view=sql-server-ver15
3. Then install the Acumatica Build 2022 R1
4. Since it would be the 1st instance on my laptop, should I use “Deploy a new instance for T-series Developer Courses?

Again, I really appreciate your help!

Barbie

Sounds correct.  I think you’ve got it.

The developer version of SQL is on that page you provided… 

You don’t NEED Microsoft Management Studio, but I use it all the time… so yes, I’d recommend that for use after you get up and running.

2022 R1 is the latest version, so yes, I’d go with that.

As for what to deploy, that depends on  your purpose.  If you are doing the training courses and need it for that, then sure, use Deploy for T-Series courses.

If you want to install a normal instance to play in, you can select Sales Data when using the non-T-Series options.

If you are doing the T-Series courses, the T-Series option will automate some of the things you fill in, and you can pick which course you are installing to complete.  Each T-Series course builds on the previous, so you should only have to install once, picking which course you are starting with.

Give that a try, and come back here if you run into any trouble.

Thank you!

Can you please tell me how to get the files from github? How do I know which files to choose? I am not having any success.

Thank you,

Barbie

If you mean the training material on github…

On T190, it directs you to:

The initial customization project and the initial source code of the extension library for this course:https://github.com/Acumatica/Help-and-Training-Examples/tree/2022R1/Customization/T190

Normally, at least in the past, you would copy the URL and paste into your web browser and then use a download option to download the repository. Now it seems you’d have to download 1 file at a time, which isn’t practical.

This is what it SHOULD look like, so I’ll reach out to a contact at Acumatica to see if they can fix it.

For now, go download the entire repository…

Acumatica/Help-and-Training-Examples: Examples from the Acumatica ERP developer guides and training courses (github.com)

Hold on, Since I am working in the 2022 R1 version. I found a folder in the Program files that says help and training. It has the files in there for the 200 and on courses. This is the error I am getting now. I think maybe I shouldnt have picked DefaultAppPool when setting up the instance, can you tell me if that is correct or how I can correct?

bjeter94 wrote:

Hold on, Since I am working in the 2022 R1 version. I found a folder in the Program files that says help and training. It has the files in there for the 200 and on courses. This is the error I am getting now. I think maybe I shouldnt have picked DefaultAppPool when setting up the instance, can you tell me if that is correct or how I can correct?

 

 

 

 

It looks like you may need to copy the training project files to your Projects folder so the website can access the files.  The training guide suggests that you not use the Program Files folder for installation. (I use C:\Acumatica ERP instead.)

On the Instance Configuration page, in the Local Path of the Instance box, select a folder that is outside of the C:\Program Files (x86) or C:\Program Files folder. We recommend that you store the website folder outside of these folders to avoid an issue with permission to work in these folders when you perform customization of the website

Yes I see it in the guide now. Thank you!

Hello again,

I have tried to find instructions to handle this prerequisite part of executing the T200_DatabaseTables.sql but have failed to do so. I found the scripts of the tables and did not know if I could just add them that way directly into the database scripts. Can you please advise? Again, I really appreciate your help. I redid the instance the correct way so I can master each section.

Thank you,

Barbie