Business Central offers tools to secure sensitive data, including Secret Text and Isolated Storage. The recent update, Business Central 27.1, introduces the Concealed Text Field, enabling masked input for sensitive entries to enhance privacy. This feature is easily activated in the Feature Management page and applies to various field types.

The codeunit 457 "Environment Information" in Business Central helps manage extension behavior based on the environment type. It includes functions like IsProduction and IsSandbox to determine the environment and adjust operations accordingly, such as altering email procedures for Sandbox environments and handling SaaS versus OnPremises distinctions effectively.

A client requires enhanced service technician notes for customer-facing invoices in Business Central. The solution involves employing CoPilot to transform these notes into clear summaries. This implementation includes creating a table for resolution notes and integrating prompts for user input, ultimately streamlining the invoice generation and improving client communication.

In a previous post we reviewed the Type Helper Code Unit and its collection of useful procedures. There are several other helper code units, and this week we will review the String Conversion Management Code Unit. If you haven't seen the post about the Type Helper, you can find it here: This particular helper stems from the .NET System.Text objects.

The Page Scripting tool has been improved in Business Central 2025 Wave 2, addressing key challenges. Users can now delete steps, insert new ones without re-recording, rearrange steps via drag and drop, add parameters through the UI, and utilize previously generated scripts, making the scripting process more user-friendly and efficient.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central 2025 Release Wave 2 (Version 27.0) introduces a new, more efficient way to delete large volumes of data: Truncate. My first question is, how much faster is it? I setup a little experiment. I created a routine to generate 500,000 records. Which took 127,676 millisecond or about 2 minutes. I then deleted the records in one of three different ways.

The Type Helper code unit in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central encapsulates reusable logic for tasks like data formatting, localization, and type conversion. With 74 procedures, it simplifies common operations in development, facilitating API handling. The helper enhances modularity and efficiency by offloading routine functionality to callable units.

The content discusses the importance of keeping sensitive data secret while developing extensions for Business Central, particularly in relation to Azure OpenAI and API keys. It introduces the SecretText variable, which protects confidential information from debuggers and other users. The implementation includes generating JSON objects securely with secret values.

The post discusses two authentication methods for integrating AI in Business Central: using an Azure OpenAI instance or a Managed OpenAI Resource. While the Azure instance provides control over model deployment, the Managed Resource reduces costs and maintenance since it's included in Business Central. The Managed Resource also offers Grounded Bing Search capabilities, but comes with data containment concerns.

Earlier in our Delimited File Import example we imported and parsed a simple file into Customer records. While useful, there are many cases where a Header and Line system is required, such as Sales Orders. We are going to use concepts from that earlier post, so please take a moment and review if needed. There are two common structures for storing header and line data in a delimited file.

BC AL Journey #31 Pages and Page Extensions are a great way to create or update page layouts for Business Central. The issues are that they are "one size fits all", meaning that they are perfect for nobody. What is needed is a page layout that can be customized based on a user or more specifically a user profile. What we need is to be able to do is define a profile, then define customization to pages that are specific to that profile.

As of the writing of this the Business Central 2027 release wave 1 is 18+ months away, however the scope of this change leaves no time to waste. Currently in Business Central any Page can be a Web Service. You can use the magnifying glass, enter Web Services, and see a list of available Web Services. You can see the Customer Card API is a Page with the object ID of 21.

Address matching can be challenging due to various abbreviations and misspellings. The writer discusses integrating artificial intelligence to improve accuracy, utilizing tools like Azure OpenAI to evaluate address similarities. The system should return the closest matching address with a certainty percentage, aiding in data completeness within Business Central records.

Microsoft Excel is the leading data management application, widely used despite mixed opinions. The content discusses importing data into a temporary staging table using Excel files. It outlines steps to define columns, manage item records, and implement the import process with specific procedures for handling Excel data, ensuring clarity and efficiency.

Delimited files, commonly used for data transfer, separate data with various delimiters (e.g., CSV, pipe). These files are unstructured and flat, lacking validation between records. Implementing a temporary staging table ensures data integrity during customer imports. The process involves uploading a file, parsing, and storing customer records systematically for further processing.

In the remote working environment, video calls enhance participant engagement. Using OBS Studio can improve the video appearance during meetings. By configuring video and audio sources, adding images, and utilizing a green screen for better background removal, users can personalize their virtual presence. Activating the virtual camera finalizes the setup.

The post explores Business Central's reporting technologies, focusing on RDLC reports, which allow self-hosting and data inclusion. Unlike Excel and Word reports, RDLC requires Microsoft Report Builder. Users can edit reports, manage element properties, and utilize datasets for advanced expressions, enhancing report precision. The technology integrates with Power BI for paginated reports.

BC AL Journey #29 focuses on creating a Microsoft Word report for Vendor Activity. Unlike Excel reports, Word reports require a custom layout through XML mapping. The process involves exporting the layout, configuring it, and then publishing the report to produce a structured document. This method offers enhanced layout capabilities for document-style reporting.

The Code Squirrel Blog by Alexa aims to simplify complex tech concepts, particularly in cyber security, making them accessible and enjoyable. Through clear explanations of terms like "phishing" and "MFA," Alexa strives to educate readers on online safety, encouraging proactive measures for personal and professional security amid evolving challenges.

In BC AL Journey #28, the focus shifts from Excel reports to modifying existing Word Reports, specifically the Sales Quote report. The tutorial covers enabling the Developer tab in Word, using XML Mapping for data sources, and adjusting layouts via tables. It emphasizes careful versioning and testing before uploading new reports to Business Central.

In the BC AL Journey, the focus has been on data management within Business Central, leading to the complex area of reporting, distinct from Business Intelligence. Three reporting technologies are highlighted: Excel, Word, and RDLC, with Excel being most user-friendly. Users can create custom reports and maintain data integrity through updated layouts, enhancing reporting efficiency.

In BC AL Journey #26, the focus shifts to creating a Vendor Ledger API within Business Central, building on previous data analysis concepts. This API facilitates external access for tools like Power BI while ensuring read-only access. The post covers querying methods, code implementation, and initial steps for reporting in Power BI.

PowerToys, a utility for Windows users, enhances system functionality with tools for tasks like mouse tracking, image resizing, and color picking. Originally launched in 1996 and revived in 2019 as open-source, it offers both simple and advanced features. Users can customize settings, making it a valuable addition for improving productivity.

BC AL Journey #25 We have worked with Business Central tables and data a few different ways. We have displayed the data in Pages and accessed it in APIs and CodeUnits. This is great for single source data, where one table contains everything we need. Things quickly get complicated when we want to provide data that spans several tables, or we want to greatly simplify a data set from a complex table.

The content outlines the use of Copilot Studio to develop AI agents integrated with Business Central. It details the setup process, including adding tools and knowledge connectors, creating a basic agent, and publishing it to Teams. The process enhances data interaction, allowing users to derive insights and improve accounts receivable follow-ups.