Programming Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Cover
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction to Business Central
	Business Central – an ERP system
		Financial management
		Manufacturing
		Supply chain management
		Business intelligence and reporting
		Relationship management
		Human resource management
		Project management
	A developer's overview of Business Central
		Business Central object types
		The Visual Studio Code integrated development environment
		Visual Studio Code icons
			Explorer
			Search
			Source control
			Debugger
			Extensions
		AL programming language
		Business Central object and system elements
		Business Central functional terminology
		User interface
	Hands-on development in Business Central
		Business Central development exercise scenario
		Getting started with application design
		Folder structure
			launch.json
			app.json
		Symbol files
		Application tables
			Designing a simple table
			Creating a simple table
		Pages
			Standard elements of pages
			List pages
			Card pages
			Document pages
			Journal/worksheet pages
		Creating a list page
		Creating a card page
		Creating some sample data
		Creating a list report
			Generating the layout
			Designing the layout
	Other Business Central object types
		TableExtension and PageExtension
		Codeunits
		Queries
		XMLports
		Control add-ins
	Development backups and documentation
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 2: Tables
	An overview of tables
		Components of a table
		Naming tables
		Table numbering
		Table properties
		Table triggers
		Keys
		SumIndexFields
		Field groups
			Bricks
	Enhancing our sample application
		Creating and modifying tables
		Assigning a table relation property
		Assigning an InitValue property
		Adding a few activity-tracking tables
		New tables for our WDTU project
		New list pages for our WDTU project
		Keys, SumIndexFields, and table relations in our examples
			Secondary keys and SumIndexFields
			Table relations
		Modifying an original Business Central table
	Types of table
		Fully modifiable tables
			Master data
			Journal
			Template
			Entry tables
			Subsidiary (supplementary) tables
			Register
			Posted document
			Singleton
			Temporary
		Content modifiable tables
			System table
		Read-only tables
			Virtual
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 3: Data Types and Fields
	Basic definitions in Business Central
	Fields
		Field properties
		Field triggers
		Field events
		Data structure examples
		Field numbering
		Field and variable naming
	Data types
		Fundamental data types
			Numeric data
			String data
			Date/Time data
		Complex data types
			Data structure
			Objects
			Web services
			DotNet
			Input/output
			DateFormula
			References and other data types
		Data type usage
	FieldClass property options
		FieldClass – Normal
		FieldClass – FlowField
		FieldClass – FlowFilter
		FlowFields and FlowFilter for our application
	Filtering
		Experimenting with filters
		Accessing filter controls
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 4: Pages - The Interactive Interface
	Page design and structure overview
		Page design guidelines
		Business Central page structure
	Types of pages
		Role Center page
		HeadlinePart page
		List page
		Card page
		Document page
			FastTabs
		List Plus page
		Worksheet (journal) page
		ConfirmationDialog page
		StandardDialog page
		Navigate page
			Navigate function
			Request page
		Page parts
			FactBox area
				Card Parts and List Parts
		Charts
		Page names
	In-client designer
		Designer
	Page components
		Page triggers
		Page properties
		Inheritance
	WDTU page enhancement – part 1
	Page controls
		Control types
			Container controls
			group controls
			Field controls
			Page part controls
			Page control triggers
		Bound and unbound pages
	WDTU page enhancement – part 2
	Page actions
		Page action types and subtypes
		Action groups
			Navigation pane button actions
			Actions summary
	Learning more
		Patterns and creative plagiarism
		Experimenting on your own
		Experimentation
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 5: Queries and Reports
	Queries
		Building a simple query
		Query and query component properties
			Query properties
			DataItem properties
			Column properties
	Reports
		What is a report?
		Four Business Central report designers
		Business Central report types
			Report types summarized
			Report naming
	Report components – overview
		Report structure
			Report data overview
			Report layout overview
	Report data flow
		Report components – detail
		Report properties
		Microsoft Word – report properties
		Report triggers
		Request page properties
		Request page triggers
		DataItem properties
		DataItem triggers
	Creating a report in Business Central
		Learn by experimentation
		Report building – phase 1
		Report building – phase 2
		Report building – phase 3
			Modifying an existing report with Report Designer or Word
		Request page
			Adding a request page option
		Processing-only reports
		Creative report plagiarism and patterns
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 6: Introduction to AL
	Understanding Visual Studio Code
		Explorer
			Starting a new object
			Object designer navigation
			Some AL naming conventions
			Variables
				AL Globals
				AL Locals
				Special working storage variables
		AL programming
			Non-modifiable procedures
			Modifiable procedures
			Custom procedures
				Creating a procedure
	AL syntax
		Assignment and punctuation
		Expressions
			Operators
				Arithmetic operators and procedures
				Boolean operators
				Relational operators and procedures
				Precedence of operators
		Frequently used AL procedures
			The MESSAGE procedure
			The ERROR procedure
			The CONFIRM procedure
			The STRMENU procedure
			Record procedures
				The SETCURRENTKEY procedure
				The SETRANGE procedure
				The SETFILTER procedure
				The GET procedure
			FIND procedures
				FIND ([Which]) options and the SQL Server alternatives
		Conditional statements
			The BEGIN-END compound statement
			IF-THEN-ELSE statement
		Indenting code
	Some simple coding modifications
		Adding field validation to a table
		Adding code to a report
			Laying out the new Report Heading
			Saving and testing
			Lookup-related table data
			Laying out the new report Body
			Saving and testing
		Handling user entered report options
		Defining the Request Page
			Finishing the processing code
		Testing the completed report
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 7: Intermediate AL
	IntelliSense
	Internal documentation
	Source code management
	Validation functions
		TESTFIELD
		FIELDERROR
		INIT
		VALIDATE
	Date and time functions
		TODAY, TIME, and CURRENTDATETIME
		WORKDATE
		DATE2DMY function
		DATE2DWY function
		DMY2DATE and DWY2DATE functions
		CALCDATE
	Data conversion and formatting functions
		ROUND
		FORMAT function
		EVALUATE function
	FlowField and SumIndexField functions
		CALCFIELDS function
		SETAUTOCALCFIELDS function
		CALCSUMS function
			Comparing CALCFIELDS and CALCSUMS
	Flow control functions
		REPEAT-UNTIL
		WHILE-DO
		FOR-TO or FOR-DOWNTO
		CASE-ELSE statement
		WITH-DO statement
		QUIT, BREAK, EXIT, and SKIP functions
			QUIT function
			BREAK function
			EXIT function
			SKIP function
	Input and output functions
		NEXT function with FIND or FINDSET
		INSERT function
		MODIFY function
			Rec and xRec
		DELETE function
		MODIFYALL function
		DELETEALL function
	Filtering
		The SETFILTER function
		The COPYFILTER and COPYFILTERS functions
		The GETFILTER and GETFILTERS functions
		The FILTERGROUP function
		The MARK function
		CLEARMARKS function
		The MARKEDONLY function
		The RESET function
	InterObject communication
		Communicating through data
		Communicating through function parameters
		Communication via object calls
	Enhancing the WDTU application
		Modifying table fields
		Adding validation logic
			Playlist Header validation
		Creating the Playlist subpage
			Playlist Line validations
		Creating a function for our FactBox
		Creating a FactBox page
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 8: Advanced AL Development Tools
	Business Central process flow
		Initial setup and data preparation
		Transaction entry
		Testing and posting the Journal batch
		Utilizing and maintaining the data
		Data maintenance
	Role Center pages
		Role Center structure
			Role Center headlines page
			Role Center activities page
			Cue groups and cues
		System part
		Page parts
			Page parts not visible
			Page parts for user data
		Navigation pane and action menus
			Action Designer
			Creating a WDTU Role Center ribbon
	XMLports
		XMLport components
			XMLport properties
			XMLport triggers
			XMLport data lines
			The XMLport line properties
				SourceType as text
				SourceType as table
				SourceType as field
			Element or attribute
				NodeType element data item
				NodeType attribute data item
			XMLport line triggers
				DataType as text
				DataType as Table
				DataType as Field
			XMLport Request Pages
	Web services
		Exposing a web service
		Publishing a web service
		Enabling web services
		Determining what was published
		XMLport – web services integration example for WDTU
	Summary
	Questions
Chapter 9: Successful Conclusions
	Creating new AL routines
		Callable functions
			Codeunit 358 – DateFilterCalc
			Codeunit 359 – Period Form Management
				FindDate function
				NextDate function
				CreatePeriodFormat function
			Codeunit 365 – Format Address
			Codeunit 396 – NoSeriesManagement
			Function models to review and use
		Management codeunits
	Multi-language system
	Multi-currency system
	Navigate
		Modifying for Navigate
	Debugging in Business Central
		Dialog function debugging techniques
			Debugging with MESSAGE and CONFIRM
			Debugging with DIALOG
			Debugging with text output
			Debugging with ERROR
		The Business Central debugger
			Activating the debugger
			Creating break events
			The debugger window
	Visual Studio Code test-driven development
	Other interfaces
	Client Add-ins
		Client Add-in comments
	Business Central development projects – general guidance
		Knowledge is key
		Data-focused design
			Defining the required data views
			Designing the data tables
			Designing the user data access interface
			Designing the data validation
			Data design review and revision
		Designing the Posting processes
		Designing the supporting processes
		Double-check everything
	Designing for efficiency
		Disk I/O
		Locking
	Updating and upgrading
		Design for updating
			Customization project recommendations
				One change at a time
			Testing
				Database testing approaches
				Testing in production
				Using a testing database
				Testing techniques
			Deliverables
			Finishing the project
		Plan for upgrading
			Benefits of upgrading
			Coding considerations
			Low-impact coding
	Supporting material
	Summary
	Questions
Appendix: Assessments
Other Books You May Enjoy
Index