FlowOn API
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 2025
Overview
FlowOn API is an accelerator for developing custom applications on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365. It eliminates the tedious code required when building APIs on top of Dynamics 365 by providing an API generator that consumes configuration files and produces REST APIs suitable for building rich UI applications.
Traditional development of web and mobile applications on Dynamics 365 requires significant backend development effort. FlowOn API shifts this responsibility from backend developers to functional consultants—the people who understand the Dynamics 365 implementation best—enabling them to generate APIs without writing code.
The Problem: Traditional API Development
A typical solution involving web or mobile applications built on top of Dynamics 365 requires developing REST APIs by backend developers. This approach presents significant challenges:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STATE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Functional │ │ Backend │ │
│ │ Consultant │ ─────── │ Developer │ │
│ │ │ Knowledge│ │ │
│ │ • Understands │ Transfer │ • Writes C# code │ │
│ │ Dynamics 365 │ (often │ • Creates APIs │ │
│ │ • Configures │ informal)│ • Maintains │ │
│ │ entities │ │ endpoints │ │
│ │ • Knows business │ │ • Handles │ │
│ │ rules │ │ changes │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ │ Custom Code │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ REST API │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ • Hand-coded │ │
│ │ • Hard to │ │
│ │ maintain │ │
│ │ • Sync issues │ │
│ └────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Web/Mobile │ │
│ │ Applications │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Challenges with Traditional Approach:
| Challenge | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Transfer | Backend developers must understand Dynamics 365 customizations | Scheduling constraints, incomplete understanding |
| Complexity | Dynamics 365 customizations are complex and evolving | Steep learning curve for developers |
| Documentation Gaps | Knowledge transfer is often informal | Misunderstandings, incorrect implementations |
| Continuous Changes | Dynamics customizations change frequently | APIs fall out of sync with the data model |
| Maintenance Burden | Every change requires code updates | Longer implementation times, project delays |
| Bug Introduction | Hand-coded APIs are error-prone | More application bugs, quality issues |
The Solution: FlowOn API
The functional consultant is better suited to develop the API than the backend developer, given their intimate understanding of the Dynamics 365 implementation. However, functional consultants shouldn't need to write code. FlowOn API addresses this by shifting responsibility from backend developers to functional consultants through a no-code API generation approach.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NEW DEVELOPMENT STATE │
│ (with FlowOn API) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Functional │ │
│ │ Consultant │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ • Understands │ │
│ │ Dynamics 365 │ │
│ │ • Understands │ │
│ │ UI needs │ │
│ └────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ │ Uses │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ FlowOn API │ │
│ │ Studio │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ • No-code │ │
│ │ designer │ │
│ │ • Visual config │ │
│ └────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ │ Generates │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ API Metadata │ ──────► │ FlowOn API │ │
│ │ │ Fed to │ Runtime │ │
│ │ • Endpoints │ │ │ │
│ │ • Schemas │ │ • Dynamic REST │ │
│ │ • Security │ │ generation │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ │ • On-the-fly │ │
│ │ API creation │ │
│ └────────┬─────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ │ REST API │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Web/Mobile │ │
│ │ Applications │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ UI Developer │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ • Uses API │ │
│ │ introspection │ │
│ │ • Retrieves │ │
│ │ schema │ │
│ │ • Builds apps │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| 80% Faster Development | Eliminates custom/boilerplate code needed to create APIs |
| No Backend Developer Required | Functional consultants generate APIs directly |
| Always in Sync | API configuration lives with the Dynamics 365 customization |
| Reduced Bugs | Generated code is consistent and tested |
| Immediate Changes | Update API configuration, changes apply instantly |
| Self-Documenting | API introspection provides schema for UI developers |
Next Steps
- Setup and Installation - Get started with FlowOn API
- API Structure - Understand how APIs are organized
- FlowOn API Studio - Learn the visual designer
- Actions - Configure CRUD and process actions
- Queries - Define data retrieval operations
- Runtime - Deploy and host your APIs