Because NAV is extremely flexible and suitable for addressing many problem types, there are a lot of choices for advanced NAV topics. We'll try to cover those that will be most helpful in the effort of putting together a complete implementation.

First, we will review the overall structure of NAV as an application software system, aiming for a basic understanding of the process flow of the system along with some of the utility functions built into the standard product. Before designing modifications for NAV, it is important to have a good understanding of the structural "style" of the software so that our enhancements are designed for a better fit.

Second, we will review some special components of the NAV system that allow us to accomplish more at less cost. These resources include features such as XMLPorts and Web Services that we can build on, and which help us use standard interface structures to connect with the world outside of NAV system. Fortunately, NAV has a good supply of such features.

Topics we will cover in this chapter include:

• Role Center pages
• The Navigation Pane and Action menus
• XMLports
• Web services