How difficult is Microsoft navision development?

snsn

Hello

I just started working in navision, i have three months to learn Microsoft Navision development, i must learn c/al too. Is three month enought to learn vavision development?

Now am reading book "Programming Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009" by Devid Studebaker. The program is already created for this company and it works. My responsibility is to make new reports,to control permissions, if will be any problem i mast eradicate this problem and e.t. I will have training, but until training will be i want to learn some basic in navision development. What is the best book for me? how can i train and learn navision development?

kriki

That should be enough to get you to an acceptable level of development.

The book is a good way to help you start (if it only existed when I started with C/AL).
Another one is this : http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Dynamics-2009-Application-Design/dp/1849680965/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276431794&sr=1-12#noop

The problem with learning to program in C/AL is not the language. It is quite easy. The problem is to know the functionality and how to use it. That insight mostly comes with experience (an experienced C/AL developer to guide you a little is advisable!) . Even after 10 years, I'm still learning new functionalities in NAV.

matttrax

kriki wrote:

The problem with learning to program in C/AL is not the language. It is quite easy. The problem is to know the functionality and how to use it. That insight mostly comes with experience (an experienced C/AL developer to guide you a little is advisable!) . Even after 10 years, I'm still learning new functionalities in NAV.

This is absolutely true. If you know another programming language, you'll pick up the basics in a week. The little quirky things will come a few weeks after that. The language itself is very easy. It's knowing where to go when a customer says "The dimensions aren't filling in on these entries" or "Why is the cost of these items this much" that you have to learn. There are probably a million lines of code in NAV, and 6000+ objects. It's rough at the start, but well worth it if you stick with it.

David_Singleton

I would like to expand on the comments from Kriki and Mattrax.

C/AL is very easy to learn, and if you know pascal it would not take more than 3 weeks with proper instruction. If you know access or VB then it will be harder since you will have to go through a bit of an unlearning curve and the usual fighting of "yeah but why does it do it like that".

Whilst this means people can be up to speed with C/AL very fast, it gives them a false belief that they are then Navision programmers. Much like someone that knows how to use a scalpel to dissect a frog thinks that they are a great brain surgeon.

The key is to learn the Navision application, and the only way to do that is by using it. Unless you can post an invoice you can't write code to add a new field to an invoice, and you can't make changes to reports, because you will make the wrong changes.

So your first step is to forget coding, and instead work with the users. You have to be able to do the job of every user in the company, order entry, posting, accounting, journals, adjustments, financial statements, collections, physical inventory, manufacturing, write offs, the whole lot. Not only know how to do these, but know exactly what is happening in Navision when you do this.

That process takes 1-5 years depending on how involved you are with the project before you are ready to start being productive.

Alex_Chow

snsn wrote:

Hello

I just started working in navision, i have three months to learn Microsoft Navision development, i must learn c/al too. Is three month enought to learn vavision development?

Now am reading book "Programming Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009" by Devid Studebaker. The program is already created for this company and it works. My responsibility is to make new reports,to control permissions, if will be any problem i mast eradicate this problem and e.t. I will have training, but until training will be i want to learn some basic in navision development. What is the best book for me? how can i train and learn navision development?

Difficulty is relative. The best way to go about training is to register for a development class with Microsoft. Then use the application designer's guide and books to reinforce what you've learned.

Lastly, do real projects to cement this knowledge to your brain.