Commerce Developer Tools for Secure Development in NetSuite

The Commerce developer tools provide essential functionality for developers working with NetSuite, particularly for testing their applications locally and deploying them efficiently. Key topics covered within this reference include:

• Token Based Authentication: Essential for authenticating users during fetch and deploy operations, especially post the introduction of mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA) in NetSuite accounts from 2018.2 onwards.
• Mixed Domains in a Local Server: Guidance on handling redirections between local and production domains to avoid issues during testing.
• Secure HTTP (HTTPS) with the Local Server: Ensures secure connections are maintained while developing and testing applications locally.
• Troubleshooting the Developer Tools: Offers solutions and workarounds for common issues developers encounter while using the tools.

Token Based Authentication

With the need for enhanced security, developers must utilize token-based authentication instead of traditional usernames and passwords. The steps for generating tokens are crucial for ensuring secure interactions with the NetSuite environment. Here's how to generate an initial authentication token:

1. Prerequisites:
   • Ensure that you have the Token Based Authentication feature enabled in your NetSuite account.
   • Use a role that has the necessary permissions, such as the Administrator role.

Note: After generating your initial token, subsequent operations will use this token unless specified otherwise.

Mixed Domains in a Local Server

Working across multiple domains while testing locally can lead to confusion. When testing, you may find that you are redirected to the production version of an application instead of the local version. In some scenarios, you may need to adjust the URL manually. For example:

From:

https://checkout.netsuite.com/c.xxxxxxx/sca-dev-denali/my_account.ssp?n=3

To:

https://checkout.netsuite.com/c.xxxxxxx/sca-dev-denali/my_account-local.ssp?n=3

This ensures you are using the local version for development.

Common Issues

While trying to load local resources, you may receive errors related to mixed content, especially if the page is accessed over HTTPS, while insecure content is requested. Chrome may block this by default. To resolve this:

• Click on the shield icon in the address bar and select Load unsafe scripts.
• Alternatively, you can launch Chrome with --allow-running-insecure-content to test your application seamlessly.

Troubleshooting the Developer Tools

For effective use of the Commerce developer tools, troubleshooting is essential. Developers may refer to the detailed documentation provided within this section for guided instructions on addressing common challenges encountered during development.

These tools not only enhance security but also streamline the development process, maintaining a high level of efficiency and reliability for developers working with NetSuite.