Business Central web services (SOAP/OData)
SOAP is a lightweight XML protocol utilizing HTTP and was first implemented in the late 1990s. Pages and codeunits (with XMLports as procedure parameters) can be used to read, write, or delete data using HTTP calls.
OData is a Microsoft-only RESTful service that differs from other REST-based APIs in that the format is predefined. OData services can be exposed using Page or Query objects. Pages exposed can read, write, or delete data, while Queries are read-only.
OData is used in other Microsoft products and technologies, including the following:
- Microsoft Excel implements OData for its Power Query feature
- Microsoft Power BI can read data from OData services
- Microsoft SharePoint can expose its list-oriented data with OData
Authentication
Currently, the only method to access a Business Central web service or API is through Azure-based authentication, or OAuth using Microsoft Entra ID. The Microsoft authentication...