Business Central Musings

Hello readers!

Recently I have been working on a customization for a customer with the goal of changing the out-of-the-box Positive Pay export for a Bank Account record.

While preparing the mapping for the positive pay details, I noticed the way Microsoft wrote the picking up of a field ID. They created a new codeunit: “Field Selection”.

Let’s see how to get to that piece of code:

• in BC, search for “Data Exchange Definitions”

• Click on any Exchange Definition Code, then in the Line Definitions, click on Manage and “Field Mapping”

• In the “Field Mapping”, click on “Field ID” lookup “…”

• the list of fields in the table 330 is displayed:

This lookup page is triggered by the OnLookup trigger on page 1217 “Data Exch Field Mapping Part”:

field("Field ID"; "Field ID")
                {
                    ApplicationArea = Basic, Suite;
                    ShowMandatory = true;
                    ToolTip = 'Specifies the number of the field in the external file that is mapped to the field in the Target Table ID field, when you are using an intermediate table for data import.';

                    trigger OnLookup(var Text: Text): Boolean
                    var
                        "Field": Record "Field";
                        TableFilter: Record "Table Filter";
                        FieldSelection: Codeunit "Field Selection";
                    begin
                        Field.SetRange(TableNo, "Table ID");
                        if FieldSelection.Open(Field) then begin
                            if Field."No." = "Field ID" then
                                exit;
                            TableFilter.CheckDuplicateField(Field);
                            FillSourceRecord(Field);
                            FieldCaptionText := GetFieldCaption;
                        end;
                    end;

                    trigger OnValidate()
                    begin
                        FieldCaptionText := GetFieldCaption;
                    end;
                }

The OnLookup trigger is using codeunit 9806 “Field Selection”. This codeunit, as well as its associated page, Page 9806 “Fields Lookup” can be located in Microsoft System Application app.

You can go through the source code for this codeunit here.

As you can see below, the main function Open is fairly simple:

Let’s put these objects into a simple practice exercise.

I am going to create a new table and in it a new field in which I am planning to record the ID of the Customer.”No.” field.

Here is field definition in the table:

        field(2; "Customer No Field ID"; Integer)
        {
            DataClassification = CustomerContent;
        }

And here is the field definition on the list page:

                field(MyField2; Rec."Customer No Field ID")
                {
                    ApplicationArea = All;

                    trigger OnLookup(var Text: Text): Boolean
                    var
                        RecField: Record "Field";
                        FieldSelection: Codeunit "Field Selection";
                    begin
                        RecField.SetRange(TableNo, Database::Customer);
                        if RecField.Get(Database::Customer, Rec."Customer No Field ID") then;

                        if FieldSelection.Open(RecField) then
                            Rec.Validate("Customer No Field ID", RecField."No.");
                    end;
                }

First, we’re filtering the Field record (RecField) to the Customer table and then we execute the “Field – Selection” Open method, which in turn displays the “Fields Lookup” page. Lastly, I validate my new field “Customer No Field ID” against the result of the lookup:

In the Lookup page users can pick the field and the field ID needed:

The goal with this exercise reminding those who knew and making aware those who didn’t know about the new Microsoft System app objects and use them in daily tasks, instead of re-inventing them each time.

Moreover, these objects are part of the platform (designed and tested by Microsoft), therefore, we have every reason to use them.

Hope this helps!