It is nine years since the first release of our software MA!N. Since then technology has changed and so has MA!N. And even during the pandemic, we kept developing MA!N. This resulted in a new milestone: MA!N 2.0. In this blog, we explain the most important changes.
During the years we have added many features to MA!N or changed them and something like that leads to clutter. When you look under the hood in MA!N 2.0, you will see that we did a cleanup. We removed unnecessary code and added a new structure. One of the results is that the folder in which MA!N is installed is now a lot clearer.
By removing unnecessary parts, the performance of MA!N also improves. This is reflected in the boot time of the application, among other things. Keep in mind that this is affected by the complexity of the MA!N configuration for individual customers. And configuration leads us to one of the most significant additions in MA!N 2.0 and that is PowerShell.
PowerShell
With the release of version 2, MA!N offers the option to use MA!N PowerShell in MA!N. This has been on the wish list of developers for a long time, both externally and internally. It makes MA!N Low Code even more powerful.
PowerShell is a shell and scripting language for managing and automating tasks. Like MA!N, it’s built on Microsoft’s .NET Framework, and it makes developers’ lives easier. Microsoft explains more about PowerShell via this link.
As a developer, you can use PowerShell in several ways in MA!N. For example, by using scripts or native PowerShell in MA!N commands. And MA!N also handles the feedback from PowerShell.
PowerShell offers tons of use cases. We name two examples that you can apply in MA!N:
- Retrieving and processing data from external sources through REST. For instance, credit information from Creditsafe or D&B.
- Administrative tasks such as resetting passwords. Including forwarding new passwords to users by email.
You use PowerShell in MA!N in addition to the existing options that you have such as SQL and XML. Developers decide where and when they use PowerShell.
REST
MA!N was already compatible with REST APIs for a long time. New is the POST function for REST. For those unfamiliar with REST: a REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Program Interface) is an architectural style that allows software to communicate with other software over a network or on the same device.
Until now, MA!N only offered the GET function, where MA!N calls another application. We use this for web services with Creditsafe and applications like Twinfield. In those cases, MA!N retrieves data from other sources.
The POST function allows other applications to call MA!N’s REST API. They can use it to retrieve data from MA!N or push it to MA!N.
With the addition of the POST function, we make it even easier for customers to exchange data with MA!N. It fits within the philosophy that MA!N does not tell you how to work, but that it is in line with the requirements and possibilities of the customer.
Spell checker
For customers who use the MA!N Text and Mail editor, we have improved the experience. We removed several bugs and added a native spell checker because everyone who writes a text sometimes makes a typo. And you can add extra languages in the editor.
Ready for the future
With the new features and cleanup, we’ve refreshed and improved MA!N. It is not the final stage, but the start of further developments. Developments that ensure that MA!N remains the most flexible and versatile platform in the field of credit management.
Meanwhile we are working on a new look for MA!N and the you interact with the application.
All customers who use MA!N can upgrade to MA!N 2.0 in the way they are used to. For questions about MA!N 2.0 and developing with MA!N, you can email us at info@ce-it.nl.