A developer’s job can be very taxing at times. It involves constant learning and acquiring new skills. For me, this was the case when I made the switch from SuiteScript 1.0 to 2.0. Truth be told, I was reluctant to learn the latter because I had become so comfortable with SuiteScript 1.0, having been a NetSuite Developer for years. Well, only until a NetSuite client contracted us on a big project and insisted on us coding in SuiteScript 2.0.
I quickly had to learn SuiteScript, and before long, I was singing its praises comparing it to its predecessor. I never went back and decided to stay with Suite Script 2.0 for several reasons including:
NetSuite Script 2.0 has several advantages over SuiteScript 1.0
- Modularity – Suite Script 2,0 comes with a complete set of new APIs which are all contained in modules. For example, if you need to see the APIs related to Record processing, all you have to do is look up “N/record” and you will see all the methods contained in this module.
- Complexity Management – This is especially useful for NetSuite Developers developing their SuiteApps which require several files and thousands of lines of code. Suite Script 2.0 allows to easily reference your custom modules and library files in each script file and call the functions that are needed for a specific run.
- Modern Programming Syntax and behavior – If you are new to learning SuiteScript 2.0, it won’t be an uphill task. The syntax it uses is straightforward JavaScript and it supports 3rd party JavaScript APIs.
More access to bigger jobs –
NetSuite development services offered by many IT companies should encourage their developers to learn SuiteScript 2.0 to attract more jobs. Many clients now require Suite 2.0 be used in their projects. As a developer, you will have an edge above other NetSuite Developers
The earlier you start, the better
When you make the switch to SuiteScript 2.0, you can begin making your repository of code that you can reuse for projects to come.
SuiteScript 1.0 may get deprecated soon –
This should not scare you but some features in SuiteScript 1.0 have already stopped being supported and replaced with others, for example, smbXML has been replaced by CSV Import and SOAP Web Services. NetSuite Developers have also been encouraged to switch to Celigo CloudExtend from NetSuite Outlook.
Other benefits of SuitScript 2.0 include:
- Flat File Streaming API
- Expanded Support for HTTP Content-Type Headers
- New Encryption/Encoding Functionality
- Asynchronous Client-Side Processing (Promises)
- SFTP File Transfer API
- Map/Reduce Script Type
- Cache API
Conclusion
I would advocate for any companies offering NetSuite Development services to make the switch from SuiteScript 1.0 to 2.0. Having said this doesn’t mean that SuiteScript 2.0 is perfect. Some competencies are not supported by 2.0 that are supported by SuiteScript 2.0. However, this should not deter NetSuite Developers from switching. The new version is constantly being improved since its release.