Software Development Kits (SDKs)

Overview

Our SDKs come with comprehensive documentation including hints, tips and code samples to help with your Sage integration:

Sage Instant and Sage 50 Accounts ranges
Sage ACT!, Sage Pay and Sage CRM
Sage 200
 

SDK support

Our software is designed to be easy to use, but development can often be complex, challenging and varied so it's reassuring to know that there's always someone to turn to for help and advice.

You can contact Developer Services, our team of technical experts, via email or phone 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays (excluding Bank Holidays) who will provide help and advice on how to manage your development, testing and demonstration requirements.

If you opt for a Small Business Professional, Mid Market Professional or Universal Professional package, we'll also give you access to Ask Sage, our online support service. You'll find over 10,000 jargon-free answers to technical software questions, from 'How do I manually record opening and closing stock in Sage 50 Accounts?' to 'How do I set up and assign holiday schemes in Sage 50 Payroll?'

Sage Instant and Sage 50 Accounts ranges

Get more information about software development kits for Sage Instant Accounts, Sage Instant Payroll, Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50 Payroll.

Sage Instant Accounts

The Sage Instant Accounts SDK is common to Sage 50 Accounts, Sage 50 CIS and Sage 50 Client Manager.

Sage Instant Payroll

The Sage Instant Payroll SDK is common to Sage 50 Payroll.

Sage 50 Accounts

Create a powerful information flow to enable smarter decisions and increased productivity

With a flexible, easy-to-use, controlled interface to the Sage 50 Accounts database, the Software Development Kit (SDK) enables you to add value by integrating complementary third-party software and data sources.

A collection of ActiveX Dynamic Link Libraries (.DLLs), the SDK delivers an object-based interface with methods and properties designed to simplify communications between compliant development tools and the Sage 50 Accounts database. For example - the 'SalesRecord' object has methods to 'Find', 'Edit' and 'Update' a customer record, and properties to get and set the 'Name', 'Credit_Limit' and 'Balance'.

Objects are available to provide access to data throughout Sage 50 Accounts including products, suppliers, sales and purchase orders, invoices and nominal ledger transactions.

Manage up to 6 simultaneous connections

To accommodate multi-user applications, and the requirement to run more than one, on the same PC, and at the same time, the SDK has been designed to manage up to 6 simultaneous connections to the Sage 50 Accounts database. For example, if 1 x Sage 50 Accounts user is logged on, a maximum of 5 x SDK user connections can be established. Similarly, if 2 x Sage 50 Accounts users are logged on, then 4 x SDK user connections are permitted.

Incorporate components of the user interface to develop a tighter integration

The SDK enables you to employ component parts of the Sage 50 Accounts User Interface (UI) in your software. For example - a Computer Telephony Integrated (CTI) application could match the caller I.D. against a record in the Sage 50 Accounts database, launch the customer record form, populate the account number and display the customer record.

Range of development opportunity

• Sage 50 Accounts
• Sage 50 Accounts Plus
• Sage 50 Accounts Professional

Technical support

• Microsoft® Visual Basic v6
• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
• Microsoft Visual C#

Documentation

Documentation is also provided with hints, tips and code samples.

Sage 50 Payroll

Increase efficiency and eliminate inaccuracies

With an easy-to-use, controlled interface to the Sage 50 Payroll database, the Software Development Kit (SDK) facilitates the integration of complementary business software, such as software to manage time and attendance, recruitment and training administration.

A collection of ActiveX Dynamic Link Libraries (.DLLs), the SDK delivers an object-based interface with methods and properties to manage common payroll tasks such as adding, updating or retrieving hours worked.

For example, the 'EmployeePayment' object has methods to 'Add' and 'MoveTo' a payment type and properties to get and set 'Hours' and 'Rate'.

Range of development opportunity

• Sage 50 Payroll
• Sage 50 Payroll Professional

Technical support

• Microsoft® Visual Basic v6
• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET

Documentation

Documentation is also provided with hints, tips and code samples.

Sage ACT!, Sage Pay and Sage CRM

Get more information about software development kits for Sage ACT!, Sage Pay and Sage CRM.

Sage ACT!

Increase productivity with effective integration

Based on the .NET platform, the ACT! Software Development Kit (SDK) enables you to integrate with, automate, extend, and replace portions of the core software.

This makes ACT! very attractive for developers and users alike, who want to know that their software has the flexibility to easily adapt over the long run, as their business needs and objectives grow.

Create custom fields and reports

The development platform is comprised of three components - the Database, Framework and Application.

The Database component enables you to interact with customer data and the structure of information within the database. With it, you can create custom fields and redefine existing fields to facilitate specific business requirements.

Access data and automate functionality

When you need to integrate, and when no interaction with the Application or User Interface is required, that's when you take control of the Framework.

Your software can consume the Framework to access data, automate functionality, and provide backend services. You can create, delete or edit company records, groups, contacts, notes, activities, opportunities and more.

Web software and services can also employ the Framework to provide client applications or back-end solutions across network boundaries.

Take control of the user interface

ACT! provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI), which enables you to create additional functionality, and features. With it you can add, edit, or delete fields and objects; add, hide, and change the order of tabs; change the order in which you move through fields; and modify a form's appearance.

The application context can also be acquired via several extensibility points, which include the 'Plug-in'. The Plug-in enables you to extend ACT! software and serve as a conduit to other software that requires a live integration.

With the Plug-in you can trap and respond to events, for example - when a contact record is added or changed. You can also add application aware toolbar buttons, menu items and custom tabs.

Range of development opportunity

• Sage ACT!
• Sage ACT! Premium

Technical support

• Microsoft® Visual Basic .NET
• Microsoft Visual C#

Documentation

Documentation is provided with hints, tips and code samples for Microsoft Visual Basic. NET and C# developers.

Sage Pay

Sage Pay Software Developers Kit (SDK)

Sage CRM

Sage CRM Community

Sage 200

No two customers are alike, but no matter what their needs are, you'll find that Sage 200 can be tailored to suit the most exacting of business requirements.

Extend application logic and embed your own business rules

Sage 200 business objects can be extended to suit particular business scenarios. In the case of a telesales environment, for example, properties to set call duration and coupon code could easily be added to the Sales Order object.

The Sage 200 Object Store Builder utility automates the creation of database tables, fields and code to manage relationships and data access. You also get to add your own business logic.

Change the way information is presented, entered and processed

The Sage 200 Form Designer provides you with an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) to modify Sage 200 forms quickly, easily and without writing code. Just 'point and click' to disable buttons, hide fields, set tab order, change colour, size and much more.

Collect and store additional information

The Form Designer toolbox comprises a series of controls that can be added to a form, including radio buttons, tabs and text boxes. Just 'drag and drop' the control on to the form's design surface and associate it with a property from the form's business object, for example - a spare field or a new field that you've just added.

Installed with the necessary components to facilitate form customisation with Microsoft Visual Basic.NET Script, the Sage 200 User Interface (UI) can be fine-tuned to present and capture the data your customers really want.

Applications can be coded to receive immediate notification of form-based events - for example, when a form is opened or closed, when field values have changed, or when a command button is clicked. You can code appropriate responses - for example, reject a save button's click event, should your own business rules determine a data submission to be incomplete or invalid.

Integrate popular productivity software such as Microsoft Excel, Word and Access

Functionality and data, such as text, images and video from other software can be embedded in any form.

Increase productivity, value and quality with software components

An increase in productivity, value and development quality may be achieved by employing the use of third-party software components. Components are available to manage a wide range of business requirements, for example - bar coding, credit card authorisation and address management.

Customise the Sage 200 Desktop

The Sage 200 Desktop comprises a series of business views in each module, all of which can be customised to meet the needs of the user. For example - a user's desktop could include views showing stock below re-order level, sales orders due for despatch, information from additional database tables, internet pages or documents such as spreadsheets.

The Sage 200 Desktop Designer makes it easy for you to generate and modify views, with a GUI to automate the build process and code production. The resulting code for each view can be modified to extend core functionality.

Create content rich workspaces

The introduction of workspaces is an integral part of our information management strategy; making information within the Suite more accessible to users in their day-to-day roles. Workspaces give users instant access to the important information they need the run their business.

Workspaces are fully customisable, and Microsoft Windows Presentation. Foundation (WPF) can be employed to create new controls and content parts. Underlying workspace queries can also be customised and created using Microsoft Linq. Data can be selected and presented from multiple data sources, including Sage 200.

Customise for roles or individuals

Assign customisations (Form Designer, Desktop Designer and Script generated) to roles or individuals. For example, if your customised form is only intended for use by telesales staff, simply authorise the feature for the telesales role in SAA.

Create custom reports quickly and easily

Sage 200 delivers a highly functional reporting engine to facilitate the simple creation, modification, distribution and use of reports. Using the Custom Model Builder utility, you can consolidate data from user-defined Sage 200 data tables and views, to ensure that reports address the precise needs of the business. You can also define your own calculated fields ad report on data in non-Sage 200 database tables.

Package and deploy your customisations

With the Sage 200 Add-On Manager, your customisations can be managed in to one, easy to install package, which can be deployed as a single file.

Make changes as often as necessary

Detachment from the core software is one of the key advantages that Sage 200 technologies offer over other approaches to customisation. This separation, coupled with a high-level interface to Sage 200, means that customers can take full advantage of upgrades and updates in the future.

Modifications can be made as often as necessary to manage the changing requirements of the business.

Integrate with a high level of safety, flexibility and speed.

The Sage 200 Software Development Kit (SDK) comprises a series of .NET based business objects, which enable you to establish a real-time connection to other data sources and software with a high level of safety, flexibility and speed.

No knowledge of the underlying database structure is required; enabling you to effectively bypass the time it takes to investigate complex database models and relationships.

To appreciate the power of Sage 200 business objects, let us consider the Sage 200 sales order entry process. Upon selecting a sales ledger account, and required line items, we hit the 'Save' button.

Sage 200 reads user-configured settings to automate discount and VAT calculations, stock allocations, nominal code assignments and more. Sage 200 business objects deliver the same benefits of process automation to developers; saving hours if not days spent researching and reviewing Sage 200 application logic.

Use Sage 200 business objects and you have the confidence that data integrity is preserved at all times.

Adopt same look and feel

The SDK comprises a series of UI controls, which enable you to add a Sage 200 'look and feel' to your software, for example - the Sage 200 List and Grid controls.

The speed with which software can be designed is also increased with the provision of typed lookup controls. These controls are able to automate the process of database connection and record display.

Take full advantage of future updates and upgrades

Sage 200 was designed to accommodate the need for customisation and integration. With high level interfaces to the SQL database and UI, you have the confidence in knowing that software updates and upgrades can be managed effectively.

Range of development opportunity

• Sage 200 Financials
• Sage 200 Commercials
• Sage 200 Project Accounting
• Sage 200 Bill of Materials

Technical support

• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
• Microsoft Visual C#

Documentation

Documentation is also provided with hints, tips and code samples.