You are on page 1of 43

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Developer Updates for


Microsoft Dynamics NAV
2009 R2
User's Guide

December 2010
Contents
Developer Updates for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 ............................................................. 1
Viewing the Definition of a Function or Object by Using Go To Definition ................................... 2
Locking and Unlocking Objects .................................................................................................... 9
How to: Lock an Object ........................................................................................................... 10
How to: Unlock an Object ....................................................................................................... 11
How to: Integrate Classic Client Report Designer and Visual Studio Report Designer ............. 12
Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Microsoft .NET Framework Interoperability ........... 14
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code.............................................................. 15
How to: Call .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code .................................................. 18
How to: Set .NET Framework Types to Target the RoleTailored Client or Microsoft
Dynamics NAV Server ..................................................................................................... 21
.NET Framework and C/AL Type Mappings ........................................................................... 23
Using .NET Framework Arrays ............................................................................................... 26
Using .NET Framework Collections ........................................................................................ 30
Using .NET Framework Enumerations ................................................................................... 31
Using .NET Framework Generics ........................................................................................... 33
Using .NET Framework Interfaces.......................................................................................... 35
Calling External Web Services with Windows Communication Foundation ........................... 36
How to: Add a FactBox on a Page Using the Wizard ................................................................ 38
How to: Use the System Indicator .............................................................................................. 40
Developer Updates for Microsoft Dynamics NAV
2009 R2
This document describes the new developer tasks that you can perform in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009
R2.
For more information about whats new in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, including whats new in the
application, see Whats New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 in the MSDN Library. You can also find
this content in the Whats New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2.pdf file, which is located in the
Documentation folder. By default, this folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics
NAV\60\Documentation.
For more information about the hotfixes and known issues in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, see the
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 Release Notes (requires PartnerSource login). You can also find the
release notes in the ReadMe.htm file on the installation media.

In This Section
Viewing the Definition of a Function or Object by Using Go To Definition
Locking and Unlocking Objects
How to: Integrate Classic Client Report Designer and Visual Studio Report Designer
Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Microsoft .NET Framework Interoperability
How to: Add a FactBox on a Page Using the Wizard
How to: Use the System Indicator

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 1


Viewing the Definition of a Function or Object by
Using Go To Definition
You can view the definition of a function or object by selecting the item in the C/AL Editor and then
clicking Go To Definition. You can also view the definition of a function by selecting it in the C/AL
Globals window and then clicking Go To Definition.
To go to the definition of a function or object, select or place the cursor anywhere in the function name or
object variable name, and then do one of the following:
On the View menu, click Go To Definition.
Right-click the function name or object variable name, and then click Go To Definition.
Press SHIFT+F12.
The following table describes how you can go to the definition of a function or object.
Starting location Result

From the C/AL Globals window, select a user-defined The C/AL Editor goes to the C/AL code that defines the
function selected function.

From the C/AL Editor, select a user-defined function The C/AL Editor goes to the C/AL code that defines the
selected function.

From the C/AL Editor, select a user-defined function that The object is opened in the corresponding designer.
is called on an object variable A new C/AL Editor window opens to the C/AL code
that defines the selected function.

From the C/AL Editor, select a system function on an If the system function is called on an object variable, such
object as a record, codeunit, or report, then the object is opened
in the corresponding designer. If the system function is
not called on an object variable, then nothing happens.

From the C/AL Editor, select a variable that is one of the The object is opened in the corresponding designer or
following object types: editor:
Record Table Designer
Page Page Designer
Form Form Designer
Report Report Designer
Codeunit C/AL Editor
Dataport Dataport Designer
XMLport XMLport Designer

Note
If you select a variable that is a fundamental
data type, such as Integer or Decimal, then
information about the variable is displayed in the
status bar.

2 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Examples
This section shows examples of using the Go To Definition shortcut menu item.

User-Defined Function from the C/AL Globals Window


From the C/AL Globals window, right-click a user-defined function, and then click Go To Definition.

The result is that the C/AL Editor jumps to the C/AL code that defines the selected function.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 3


User-Defined Function from the C/AL Editor
From the C/AL Editor, right-click a user-defined function, and then click Go To Definition.

The result is that the C/AL Editor jumps to the C/AL code that defines the selected function.

4 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


User-Defined Function from the C/AL Editor for an Object Variable
From the C/AL Editor, right-click a user-defined function that is called on an object variable, and then click
Go To Definition.

The result is that the object on which the function is called is opened in the corresponding designer and a
new C/AL Editor window opens to the C/AL code that defines the selected function.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 5


System Function from the C/AL Editor
From the C/AL Editor, right-click a system function that is called on an object variable, and then click Go
To Definition.

If the system function is called on a record variable, then the table that the record is from is opened in
Table Designer.

If the system function is the <codeunit>.RUN function, then the codeunit is opened in a new C/AL Editor
window.

6 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


If the system function is called on any other object type variable, then the object is opened in the
corresponding designer. For any other system function that is not called on an object variable, nothing
happens.

Object Variable from the C/AL Editor


From the C/AL Editor, right-click a variable that is one of the following object types, and then click Go To
Definition:
Record
Page
Form
Report
Codeunit
Dataport
XMLport

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 7


The object is opened in the corresponding designer:
Table Designer
Page Designer
Form Designer
Report Designer
C/AL Editor
Dataport Designer
XMLport Designer

Permissions
To go to a definition, you must have the correct permissions. If you do not have permission to view the
definition of an object by selecting the object in Object Designer and then clicking Design, then you
cannot view it with the Go To Definition option.

8 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Locking and Unlocking Objects
In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, you can lock an object in Object Designer so that other developers
cannot save design changes to the object. After you lock an object, the Locked field in Object Designer is
selected, and the Locked By column shows the user who locked the object.
When an object is locked, another user can still do the following:
Open the object in the designer, make changes, and compile the object. However, another user
cannot save the object. The locked object is marked as Read Only when another user opens it in the
designer.
Run the object. For example, a user can run a table and can add or delete records in the table even if
it is locked for design changes.
When you finish making design changes to an object, you can unlock it in Object Designer. The Locked
and Locked By fields are cleared, and other users can now lock the object or save changes to the object.
You can select one object or multiple objects at the same time to lock or unlock. You can also set the
Auto-Lock on Design option to automatically lock all objects that you open for designing.

Object Table
The information in the Locked and Locked By columns is stored in the Object table. The Object table is
a system table that stores information about objects in the application.

Concurrency Considerations
Even though you can lock objects, it is still possible for developers to have concurrency issues, as shown
in the following examples.
A developer opens an object in the designer but does not lock it. The developer makes several
changes to the object and saves the changes periodically. At the same time, a second developer
locks the object, and the first developer cannot save design changes to the object. The first developer
gets an error message that the object is locked by the second developer.
A developer locks an object. A second developer opens the locked object in read-only mode, and
then the first developer unlocks the object. The second developer still cannot save design changes to
the object even though the object is now unlocked because it is open in read-only mode.

See Also
How to: Lock an Object
How to: Unlock an Object

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 9


How to: Lock an Object
You can lock objects so that other developers cannot save changes to the objects. You can either lock
objects manually, or you can set an option so that all objects that you open for design are locked.

To manually lock an object


1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. In Object Designer, select one or more objects that are not already locked, and then do one of
the following steps:
Right-click the object or objects, and then click Lock.
On the File menu, click Lock.
Press CTRL+ALT+L.

To automatically lock all objects that you open for design


1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Options.
2. In the Options window, in the Auto-Lock on Design field, enter Yes, and then click OK.

Tip
You cannot automatically unlock objects that you have locked. However, you can filter
for locked objects, select all objects that you have locked, and then unlock these
objects. For more information, see How to: Unlock an Object.

Note
If you go to the definition of an object, then the object is opened in design mode.
Therefore, if you set the Auto-Lock on Design field and then go to the definition of an
object, then the object is locked. For more information, see Viewing the Definition of a
Function or Object by Using Go To Definition.

See Also
How to: Unlock an Object
Locking and Unlocking Objects

10 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


How to: Unlock an Object
You can lock and unlock objects to prevent other developers from making changes while you work with
those objects. If you lock an object, then only you can save changes to the object. After you save your
changes, you unlock the object so that other developers can make changes to that object.
In some cases, a system administrator may need to force unlock an object. For example, if a user locks
an object and then cannot unlock the object because of a holiday or other absence, then the system
administrator can force unlock the object. To force unlock an object, the system administrator must have
the SUPER user role.
In some cases, you may want to unlock all objects that you have locked. To do this, you can filter on
locked objects, select all objects that you have locked, and then unlock these objects.

To unlock an object
1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. In Object Designer, select one or more objects that you have locked, and then do one of the
following steps:
Right-click the object or objects, and then click Unlock.
On the File menu, click Unlock.
Press CTRL+ALT+U.

To force unlock an object


1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. In Object Designer, select one or more objects that you want to force unlock, and then do one of
the following steps:
Right-click the object or objects, and then click Force Unlock.
On the File menu, click Force Unlock.
3. Confirm that you want to force unlock the object.

Note You must have the SUPER user role to force unlock an object.

To unlock all objects that you have locked


1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. In Object Designer, click All.
3. On the View menu, click Table Filter.
4. In the Table Filter window, enter Locked By in the Field field, enter your user name in the
Filter field, and then click OK.
5. On the Edit menu, click Select All, and then do one of the following steps:
Right-click the object or objects, and then click Unlock.
On the File menu, click Unlock.
Press CTRL+ALT+U.

See Also
How to: Lock an Object
Locking and Unlocking Objects

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 11


How to: Integrate Classic Client Report Designer and
Visual Studio Report Designer
To create and modify client report definition (RDLC) report layouts, you must use Visual Studio. When
you create an RDLC layout for a report, you may have to perform some steps in Classic client Report
Designer to modify the dataset and some steps in Visual Studio Report Designer to modify the layout. To
work with both Classic client Report Designer and Visual Studio Report Designer, you must know when
and where to save your work and how to switch between them efficiently.
You can save changes to the RDLC report layout of the report in Visual Studio multiple times and then
return to Classic client Report Designer and load the changes that you made to the layout into the report.
In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, you can save and compile changes to the report dataset in Classic
client Report Designer multiple times and then return to Visual Studio Report Designer and reload the
dataset into the report layout.
To switch between Classic client Report Designer and Visual Studio Report Designer, we recommend
that you follow these steps:
Before you switch from Visual Studio Report Designer to Classic client Report Designer, save the
report.rdlc file. You can also build the report in Visual Studio before you switch to the Classic client,
but this is not required.
Before you switch from Classic client Report Designer to Visual Studio Report Designer, save and
compile the report.
After you update the dataset in Classic client Report Designer, you must refresh the dataset result in
Visual Studio Report Designer. In the Website Data Sources pane, expand DataSet, right-click
Result, and then click Refresh.
If you rename a field in Classic client Report Designer, then you must update all instances of that field
in the Visual Studio Report Designer layout. Otherwise, the report will not successfully compile.
If you delete a field in Classic client Report Designer, then you must delete all instances of that field in
the Visual Studio Report Designer layout. Otherwise, the report will not successfully compile.
The following procedure describes how to switch between Classic client Report Designer and Visual
Studio Report Designer.

To work with both Object Designer and Visual Studio Report Designer
1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. To either create or modify an RDLC report, do one of the following steps:
To create a new RDLC report layout for a report, in Object Designer, click Report, select
the report, and then click Design. On the Tools menu, click Create Layout Suggestion.
To modify an existing RDLC report layout for a report, in Object Designer, click Report,
select the report that you want to modify, and then click Design. On the View menu, click
Layout.
3. After you make changes in the RDLC layout, in Visual Studio, on the File menu, click Save
Report.rdlc.
4. In the Classic client, select an empty line in the report in Report Designer. A dialog box opens
with the following message:
The layout of report id: '<report ID>' is changed by another application.
Filename of the changed RDLC: <filename>
Do you want to load the changes?

12 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


5. Click Yes to load the changes that you made to the RDLC layout into the Classic client.
6. In the Classic client, on the File menu, click Save.
7. In the Save dialog box, select Compiled, and then click OK.

Note
If you try to close the report in Object Designer in the Classic client, then you see the
following error: You must close the Visual Studio Designer window before closing
the report object.

Note
If you try to view the layout when the report layout is already open, then you see the
following error: The report layout is already open in Visual Studio.
8. In Classic client Report Designer, make some additional changes to the report dataset.
9. In the Classic client, on the File menu, click Save.
10. In the Save dialog box, select Compiled, and then click OK.

Important
If you save the report but do not compile it or if you compile the report but do not save
it, then you cannot load the changes into the RDLC report layout in the following step.
You must both save and compile the report.
11. Go to Visual Studio Report Designer. You see the following message: This file has been
modified outside of the source editor. Do you want to reload it? Click Yes or Yes to All to
reload the changes from Classic client Report Designer into the RDLC report layout.
12. In Visual Studio, in the Website Data Sources pane, expand DataSet, right-click Result, and
then click Refresh. The additional items that you added to the dataset in Section Designer in
the Classic client are displayed in the Visual Studio dataset.
13. You can continue making changes in either Visual Studio Report Designer or Classic client
Report Designer without having to close either designer. You must save and compile the report
object after you make changes and load the changes into the report object or the RDLC report
layout when you are prompted.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 13


Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Microsoft
.NET Framework Interoperability
You can extend the RoleTailored client and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server with functionality that is
available in Microsoft .NET Framework assemblies. You can take advantage of .NET Framework
interoperability so that Microsoft Dynamics NAV objects can interact with .NET Framework objects. In
your Microsoft Dynamics NAV objects, you can reference .NET Framework assemblies and call their
members directly from C/AL code. You can use assemblies from the .NET Framework class library, which
are found in the global assembly cache; your own custom assemblies; or third-party assemblies. For
more information, see Assembly Installation in the GAC in the MSDN Library.
.NET Framework interoperability offers an alternative to COM so that you can extend your solution. For
example, you can use .NET Framework interoperability to:
Consume web services.
Integrate with Microsoft Office products.
Create .NET Framework applications that can target the RoleTailored client.

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
.NET Framework Type Conversion
Using .NET Framework Arrays
Using .NET Framework Collections
Using .NET Framework Enumerations
Using .NET Framework Generics
Using .NET Framework Interfaces
Calling External Web Services Using Windows Communication Framework

14 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
You can call .NET Framework type members, including methods, properties, and constructors, from C/AL
code with the DotNet data type for C/AL variables. This section provides an overview of the DotNet data
type, guidelines on its use, and aspects about calling members of a .NET Framework type. For
information about how to create and use a DotNet variable to call members of a type, see How to: Call
.NET Framework Members From C/AL Code.

DotNet Data Type


The DotNet type resembles the Automation type in C/AL except that it references a .NET Framework type
in an assembly. Assemblies can be either part of assemblies that are installed in the global assembly
cache or custom assemblies that you have installed for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. After you have defined
a DotNet variable, you can call it in C/AL code to instantiate members of a .NET Framework type.

Constructors
A constructor is a method that creates an instance of an object and prepares it for use. Before you use a
DotNet variable, you should verify whether the variable is static or is an object instance because this
determines whether you have to use a constructor.
Static variables do not require a constructor because they do not have an instance.
Object instance variables require a constructor because they must be created before they can be
accessed.
To find the constructor and other methods and property for your object, in Object Designer, click Symbol.

Static and Instance Method Calls


Methods that you call from C/AL code can be either static or instance methods.
You use the same syntax to call static and instance methods.
Calling static methods provides a factory pattern for creating object instances. For example, to create
a new System.TimeZoneInfo object, you call the types System.TimeZoneInfo.Local static method
with the following code:
zone := zone.Local;
A static class or object is loaded once per Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server instance, and the class or
object is shared between all clients that are connected to the server instance. The data that is
maintained by the static class or object is visible by all clients that use the type. You should consider
this in your .NET Framework interoperability design to help avoid disclosing private information.

C# Indexers
A C# indexer is represented as an Item property in C/AL. For example, in C#, the following code sets an
array element N to the value M:
arrayVariable[N] = M;
In C/AL, the corresponding code is as follows:

arrayVariable.Item(N) := M;
Indexers can also be overloaded. In Object Designer, click C/AL Symbol Menu to see the parameters
and return types for the indexer.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 15


Indexers for lists and arrays that are defined by .NET Framework variables are zero-based, which means
that they start at 0. Other indexers in C/AL start at 1.

Operators for Comparing .NET Framework Objects


.NET Framework interoperability does not support direct use of operators to compare two DotNet
variables. For example, the following scenario is not supported:
IF dnVersion1 <= dnVersion2 THEN
If you want to compare two DotNet variables, then you can use the Equals function on the DotNet
variables as shown in the following example:
IF dnVersion1.Equals(dnVersion2) THEN
You can perform comparisons by using .NET Framework methods and properties that return compatible
C/AL types because these objects are implicitly converted to C/AL types before the comparison takes
place. For example, the following C/AL code includes three DotNet variables for the
System.Collections.Generic.List class: dotNetList1, dotNetList2, and dotNetList3. You cannot compare
the DotNet variables directly because they do not return C/AL types. You can perform comparisons on
the List.Capacity property because the List.Capacity property is a NET Framework integer type that
returns a C/AL integer type. For more information about conversion between .NET Framework and C/AL
types, see .NET Framework Type Conversion.

dotNetList1 := dotNetList1.List(5);

dotNetList2 := dotNetList2.List(10);

dotNetList3 := dotNetList3.List(5);

IF dotNetList1.Capacity <> dotNetList3.Capacity THEN

ERROR('List1 and List3 should have the same capacity.');

IF dotNetList1.Capacity = dotNetList2.Capacity THEN

ERROR('List1 and List2 should not have the same capacity.');

IF dotNetList1.ToString() <> dotNetList2.ToString() THEN

ERROR('List1 and List2 should have the same ToString output.');

Events and Public Fields


Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 does not support events and public fields in the .NET Framework.

Long Member Names


There is a limit of 30 characters on member names. To call a constructor that is longer than 30
characters, use the C/AL Symbol Menu because the constructor names are automatically truncated to
30 characters. You cannot directly call methods and properties that are more than 30 characters long
because you cannot compile the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object. To resolve this issue, you can create a
method that wraps the original method or property and has a name that is 30 characters or fewer. From
C/AL code, you can then call the new method instead of the original method or property.

16 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Case Sensitivity in Member Names
.NET Framework member names in C/AL code are case-sensitive. If you use the incorrect case when you
call a member, then you get an error when you compile the object. This behavior differs from other C/AL
variables because you can mix cases and still compile the object. For other C/AL variables, the case is
corrected automatically the next time that you open the object.

Local DotNet Variable Limitations


You should not assign a local DotNet variable to global C/AL or .NET Framework objects because the
local DotNet variable is disposed when it goes out of scope. If you use the DotNet variable outside the
scope of its local function, then you should define it as a global DotNet variable.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 17


How to: Call .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
You can call .NET Framework type members, including methods, properties, and constructors, from C/AL
code. To call members, you define a DotNet type variable that references the .NET Framework assembly
type that contains the member and then call the variable from C/AL code of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV
object. A .NET Framework interoperability example is included in this topic.

To create a variable for a .NET Framework type


1. If the assembly that you want to reference is a custom assembly and not installed in the global
assembly cache, then copy the assembly to the Add-ins folder of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV
installation folder.
By default, the path to the installation folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics
NAV\60\Classic.
For more information, see Global Assembly Cache in the MSDN Library.

Tip
You can install the assembly in the global assembly cache with the GAC utility. For
more information, see GAC Utility in the MSDN Library.
2. In the Classic client, open Object Designer, and then open the object that will use .NET
Framework interoperability, such as the page or codeunit.
3. To open the C/AL code for the object, on the View menu, click C/AL Code.
4. To create the variable for .NET Framework interoperability, do one of the following steps:
To create a global variable, on the View menu, click C/AL Globals.
To create a local variable, on the View menu, click C/AL Locals.

Important
A local DotNet variable, including any resources that it references, is disposed after
the C/AL function to which it belongs is run.
5. On the Variables tab, in the Name field, type a name for the variable.
6. Set the DataType field to DotNet.
7. In the SubType field, click the AssistEdit button to open the .NET Type List window.
8. In the Assembly field, click the AssistEdit button to open the Assembly List window.
9. If the assembly that you want to reference is in the global assembly cache, then click the .NET
tab. If the assembly is in the Add-ins folder of your Microsoft Dynamics NAV installation, then
click the Dynamics NAV tab.
10. In the list of assemblies, select the assembly, and then click OK to return to the .NET Type List
window.
If you do not see the assembly that you want, then make sure that you have installed it
correctly. For more information, see step 1 of this procedure.
11. In the .NET Type List window, select the type that contains the member that you want to call
from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, and then click OK.
The .NET Type List window displays all available types, including classes, enumerations,
structs, and interfaces, which are available in the selected assembly.
By default, variables are set to run the assembly instance on Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server. If
you want to run the assembly instance on the RoleTailored client, see How to: Run a .NET
Framework Assembly on the RoleTailored Client or Server.

18 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


To call members in a .NET Framework type from C/AL code
1. Open the C/AL code for the object.
2. On the View menu, click C/AL Symbol Menu.
You can use the C/AL Symbol Menu window to help you call constructors, members, and
properties of the .NET Framework type.
3. In your C/AL code, add the following code to call the constructor that creates a new instance of
the type. If you are calling a static method, then a constructor is not required, and you can skip
this step.
MyVariableName.ConstructorName(arguments);
The MyVariableName variable is the name of the .NET Framework variable.
The ConstructorName variable is the same as the type name.
The arguments variable represents any parameters that you must set for the constructor.

Note
Member names are case-sensitive. Also, constructor names that are longer than 30
characters are truncated after 30 characters.
4. Add the following code to call the methods or properties.
MyVariableName.MethodPropertyName(arguments);
The MethodPropertyName variable is the name of the method or property that you want to call,
and the arguments variable represents any arguments of the method or property.

Important
Some types in the System namespace of the .NET Framework class library are
automatically converted to C/AL types. You cannot assign values to .NET Framework
variables for these types. For more information, see .NET Framework Type Conversion.

Note
Methods can be overloaded. Therefore see the description at the bottom of the C/AL
Symbol Menu, which shows the parameter and return types for each method. Also,
method and property names that are longer than 30 characters will be truncated, and
you cannot compile the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object. For more information, see
Calling .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code

Example
Description
The following code example uses .NET Framework interoperability to display headlines from an RSS feed
from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV team blog, which has the following URL:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/MicrosoftDynamicsNavTeamBlog?format=xml.
This example calls members of the System.XML assembly, which is part of the Microsoft .NET
Framework class library and is installed in the global assembly cache.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 19


To implement this example, you create a codeunit that has the following local variables.
Variable name DataType SubType

xml DotNet 'System.Xml, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Xml.XmlDocument

items DotNet 'System.Xml, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Xml.XmlNodeList

i Integer

title DotNet 'System.Xml, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Xml.XmlNode

After you create the codeunit, add the following code to its OnRun trigger.
Code
xml := xml.XmlDocument();

xml.Load('http://feeds.feedburner.com/MicrosoftDynamicsNavTeamBlog?format=xml');

items := xml.SelectNodes('/rss/channel/item');

FOR i := 0 TO items.Count - 1 DO

BEGIN

title := items.Item(i).SelectSingleNode('title/text()');

MESSAGE( title.Value );

END

Comments
To see the example in the RoleTailored client, you can create an action on a page that opens the
codeunit.

See Also
Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Microsoft .NET Framework Interoperability

20 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


How to: Set .NET Framework Types to Target the RoleTailored Client
or Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server
To extend a Microsoft Dynamics NAV object with .NET Framework interoperability, you define a C/AL
variable that calls members of a .NET Framework type in an assembly. When the variable is called from
the C/AL code of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, it creates an instance of the .NET Framework type.
You can set the type instance to target the RoleTailored client or Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server. By
default, an assembly is set to target Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server. However, you can set the type to
target the RoleTailored client.

Important
You cannot set different types of the same variable to target both the RoleTailored client and
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server.

Setting the .NET Framework Type to Target the RoleTailored Client


To set a .NET Framework type instance to target the RoleTailored client, you must complete the following
tasks as described in this topic:
Set the DotNet variable for the .NET Framework type to target the RoleTailored client.
Copy the .NET Framework assembly to the computer running the RoleTailored client.

Note
You must copy the assembly to each computer running the RoleTailored client. If the
assembly is included in the global assembly cache, then you do not have to do this task.

To set the .NET Framework type to target the RoleTailored client


1. In Object Designer, open the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object that uses .NET Framework
interoperability.
2. Do one of the following steps:
For a global variable, on the View menu, click C/AL Globals.
For a local variable, in the C/AL Editor, select the trigger that uses the DotNet variable, and
then on the View menu, click C/AL Locals.
3. On the Variables tab, select the DotNet variable, and then on the View menu, click Properties.
4. In the Properties window, set the RunOnClient property to Yes.

To copy a .NET Framework assembly to a computer running the RoleTailored client


On the computer running the RoleTailored client, copy the.NET Framework assembly to the
Add-ins folder of the RoleTailored client installation.
By default, the path of this folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\RoleTailored
Client\Add-ins.

Note
You can also put assemblies in a subfolder of the Add-ins folder. This can be useful
when you have multiple versions of the same assemblies and dependencies.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 21


Setting the .NET Framework Type to Target Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server
To set a .NET Framework type instance to target Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server, you must complete the
following tasks as described in this topic:
Set the variable for the NET Framework type to target Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server.
Copy the .NET Framework assembly to the computer running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server.

Note
If the assembly is included in the global assembly cache of the computer running Microsoft
Dynamics NAV Server, then you do not have to do this task.

To set the .NET Framework type to target Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server
1. In Object Designer, open the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object that uses .NET Framework
interoperability.
2. Do one of the following steps:
For a global variable, on the View menu, click C/AL Globals.
For a local variable, in the C/AL Editor, select the trigger that uses the DotNet variable, and
then on the View menu, click C/AL Locals.
3. On the Variables tab, select the NET Framework variable type, and then on the View menu,
click Properties.
4. In the Properties window, set the RunOnClient property to No.

To copy a .NET Framework assembly to the computer running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server
On the computer running Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server, copy the .NET Framework assembly
to the Add-ins folder in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server installation folder.
By default, the path of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Server installation folder is C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\60\Server\Add-ins.

Note
You can also put assemblies in a subfolder of the Add-ins folder. This can be useful
when you have multiple assemblies and dependencies.

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code

22 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


.NET Framework Type Conversion
In C/AL, some .NET Framework data types, such as strings, integers, and decimals, are automatically
converted to C/AL types. Because the types are converted, the .NET Framework versions of these types
are not supported in C/AL. For example, instead of using a .NET Framework integer data type in your
C/AL code, you should use a C/AL integer data type. When the C/AL integer is sent back to a .NET
Framework object, such as through a method call, then the C/AL integer is automatically converted to a
.NET Framework integer.

Conversion Table for .NET Framework and C/AL Types


The following table lists the automatic data type conversions between.NET Framework and C/AL types.
.NET Framework type C/AL type Comments
(range) (range)

System.Byte Char Single unsigned byte that represents a value


(0..255) (0..255) from 0..255.

System.SByte Integer Single signed byte that represents a value


(-128..127) (-128..127) from -128..127.

System.Char Integer Unicode character that is represented


(0..65535) (2,147,483,647) internally as a 16-bit unsigned integer.

System.Int16 Integer
(-32768..32767) (2,147,483,647)

System.Int32 Integer
(-2,147,483,648..2,147,483,647) (2,147,483,647)

System.Int64 BigInteger
(-9,223,372,036,854,775,808.. (9,223,372,036,854,775,807)
9,223,372,036,854,775,807)

System.UInt16 Integer Microsoft Dynamics NAV does not have a


(0..65335) (2,147,483,647) corresponding type, but values can be stored
in an integer.

System.UInt32 BigInteger Microsoft Dynamics NAV does not have a


(0..4,250,000,000) (9,223,372,036,854,775,807) corresponding type, but values can be stored
in a BigInteger.

System.UInt64 Decimal Microsoft Dynamics NAV does not have a


(0..18,446,744,073,709,551,615) ( 0.. corresponding type, but values can be stored
18,446,744,073,709,551,615) in a decimal.

System.Single Decimal
(3.402823e38) (3.402823e38)

System.Double Decimal
(1.79769313486232e308) (1.79769313486232e308)

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 23


.NET Framework type C/AL type Comments
(range) (range)

System.Decimal Decimal An internal range that is not persisted to a


(79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543, (-999,999,999,999,999.99.. field but is the types native value range.
950,335) 999,999,999,999,999.99)

System.Int32 Option Option values can be freely converted to


(2,147,483,647) (2,147,483,647) numeric values. The range is the same as an
integer.

System.Enum Integer An enumeration is a named constant whose


(-32768..32767) (2,147,483,647) underlying type is any integer type except
Char. If no underlying type is explicitly
declared, then Int32 is used. Microsoft
Dynamics NAV has no knowledge about the
constants name but only knows the value.

System.Bool Boolean
(TRUE, FALSE) (TRUE, FALSE)

System.String Text Denotes a text string with a maximum length


(0 to 1024 bytes) (0 to 1024 bytes) of 1024 characters. Text strings are single-
byte only.
BigText
(up to 2 gigabytes)

System.String Code Denotes an alphanumeric string with


(0 to 1024 bytes) (0 to 1024 bytes.) maximum length of 1024 characters. The
value is stored in uppercase.

System.DateTime Date The common language runtime only


3 January year 1 .. 31 December 1 January year 1753 .. 31 supports DateTime. In Microsoft Dynamics
9999 December 9999 NAV, Date must be converted to a DateTime
value type when passing as a parameter,
such as for CREATEDATETIME(d,
000000T);.

System.DateTime Time The common language runtime only


(00:00:00..23:59:59.999) supports DateTime. In Microsoft Dynamics
NAV, Date must be converted to a DateTime
value type when passing it as a parameter,
such as for CREATEDATETIME( 0D, t);.
The common language runtime DateTime
object that will be used for storing a Microsoft
Dynamics NAV Time value must handle
daylight saving time and time zone. The time
value does not change.

System.DateTime DateTime The common language runtime DateTime


(January 1, 1753, value type represents dates and times with
00:00:00.000 to December 31, values ranging from 12:00:00 midnight,
9999, 23:59:59.999) January 1, 1753 Common Era (CE) through
11:59:59 P.M., December 31, 9999 CE.

24 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


.NET Framework type C/AL type Comments
(range) (range)

TimeSpan Duration A time interval is the duration of time or


(Resolution is 100 nanoseconds) (Resolution is 1 millisecond) elapsed time that is measured as a positive
or negative number of days, hours, minutes,
seconds, and fractions of a second. Duration
is internally represented as a 64-bit integer.

System.Guid GUID
(128-bit number) (128-bit number)

System.IO.Stream InStream Streams require a context specific


conversion and specialized stream types
such as {Stream,String,Text}{Reader,Writer}
classes. BLOB-related streams should
typically use MemoryStreams.

System.IO.Stream OutStream

See Also
Extending Microsoft Dynamics NAV Using Microsoft .NET Framework Interoperability

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 25


Using .NET Framework Arrays
An array is a data structure that contains several variables of the same type. The variables are treated as
a single collection. Although you can already create arrays in C/AL, you can now use arrays from the
.NET Framework. Choosing whether to use a C/AL array or a .NET Framework array depends on how
you intend to use the data.
For this scenario Use this array type

Your C/AL code uses .NET Framework interoperability extensively, and you .NET Framework array
must share an array among many methods.

Your C/AL code mostly uses basic C/AL types and does not interoperate with C/AL array
the .NET Framework.

To use a .NET Framework array in C/AL, you must use the System.Array class in the .NET Framework
class library, which is the class from which all arrays inherit. When interfacing with an array in C/AL, you
must use the following methods of the System.Array class to create and access elements in the array.
Method Description

CreateInstance Creates a new array instance that is passed to a method or property.

SetValue Sets a value in an array element.

GetValue Gets a value from an array element

Many .NET Framework classes implement these methods. Therefore, they are available for you to use in
C/AL code. If you are writing your own .NET Framework code and want to use it in Microsoft Dynamics
NAV, then you must implement these methods yourself.
In C/AL, some .NET Framework data types, such as strings, integers, and decimals, are automatically
converted to C/AL types. If a .NET Framework array contains these data types, then you create an
assembly that contains methods that return the information about the data types and then reference the
assembly in the C/AL code. This concept is illustrated in the following examples.

Example: Using Native C/AL Data Types in a .NET Framework Array


The following example shows how you can use a .NET Framework array for an integer data type.
1. In Visual Studio, create a C# class library project called NavInteropHelper that contains a method that
returns the information about the integer type as follows:
namespace Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.NavInteropHelper;

public class WrapInt32

public static Type GetTypeOfInt32()

return typeof(Int32);

}
}

26 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


2. Build the project, and then copy the assembly to the Add-ins folder of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV
installation folder. By default, the path of the installation folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Dynamics NAV\60\Classic.
3. In the Classic client, open a Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, open the C/AL code, and then create
the following C/AL variables.
Variable DataType SubType
name

varDotNet DotNet 'NavInteropHelper, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=null'.Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.NavInteropHelper.WrapInt32

varArray DotNet 'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Array

arraySize Integer

i Integer

alData Integer

4. On a trigger of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, add the following C/AL code to create, fill, and
implement the array.
// Sets the number of elements in the .NET Framework array.

arraySize := 10;

// Creates an instance of the .NET Framework array that contains the Int32 type.

varArray := varArray.CreateInstance(varDotNet.GetTypeOfInt32(), arraySize);

// Clears the object instance because it is no longer used.

clear(varDotNet);

// Sets the data in the array.

FOR i := 0 TO (arraySize -1) DO


varArray.SetValue(i+100,i);

// Gets the array data and validates the content. The object that is returned by

// GetValue is automatically converted into a C/AL integer in the assignment.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 27


FOR i := 0 TO (arraySize -1) DO

BEGIN

alData := varArray.GetValue(i);

if alData <> (i+100) then

error('Invalid array data in element %1, expected %2, actual %3', i, i+100,

alData);

END;

Example: Using User-Defined Classes in a .NET Framework Array


This example shows how you can use a .NET Framework array that includes user-defined classes.
1. In Visual Studio, create a C# class library project called NavInteropHelper that contains methods that
return the information about the types as follows.
namespace Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.NavInteropHelper;

public class WrapInt32

public int Data { get; set; }

public WrapInt32(Int32 value)

Data = value;

}
2. Build the project, and then copy the assembly to the Add-ins folder of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV
installation folder. By default, the path of the installation folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Dynamics NAV\60\Classic.
3. In the Classic client, open a Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, open the C/AL code, and then create
the following C/AL variables.
Variable name DataType SubType

varDotNet DotNet 'NavInteropHelper, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=null'.Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.NavInteropHelper.WrapInt32

varArray DotNet 'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Array

arraySize Integer

i Integer

alData Integer

4. On a trigger of the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, add the following C/AL code to create, fill, and
implement the array.

28 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


// Sets the number of elements in the .NET Framework array.

arraySize := 10;

// Creates an instance of the .NET Framework object so the type information

// can be retrieved.

varDotNet := varDotNet.WrapInt32(1);

// Creates an instance of the .NET Framework array that contains the

// user-defined type.

varArray := varArray.CreateInstance(varDotNet.GetType(), arraySize);

// Clears the object instance because it is no longer used.

clear(varDotNet);

// Sets data in the array.

FOR i := 0 TO (arraySize -1) DO

BEGIN

varDotNet := varDotNet.WrapInt32(i+100);

varArray.SetValue(varDotNet,i);

END;

// Gets array data and validates content.

FOR i := 0 TO (arraySize -1) DO

BEGIN

varDotNet := varArray.GetValue(i);

// Gets the integer value from the .NET Framework object using the Data property.
alData := varDotNEt.Data;

if alData <> (i+100) then

error('Invalid array data in element %1, expected %2, actual %3', i, i+100,

alData);

END;

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code
.NET Framework Type Conversion

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 29


Using .NET Framework Collections
In Microsoft Dynamics NAV, a common development task is to write code that loops through a set of
records and performs an operation on each record in the set. You can do the same task in the .NET
Framework with a collection, which is a .NET Framework object that you can iterate over. To loop through
a collection in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the .NET Framework object must support the System.Collections
interface. Many types in the .NET Framework and assemblies that inherit from .NET Framework types
support the System.Collections interface. The following example shows how you can write C/AL code to
handle collections for a type that supports the System.Collections interface.

Example
The following example implements the System.Collections.ArrayList interface and uses the
GetProcesses method from the System.Diagnostics.Process type to display a list of process IDs in
message boxes. Although this is not a typical example for an ERP product such as Microsoft Dynamics
NAV, it shows the flexibility that you get with the .NET Framework.
The example requires that you define the following C/AL variables.
Variable name DataType SubType

MyProcessList DotNet 'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Array

Process DotNet 'System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Diagnostics.Process

I Integer

MyProcessList := Process.GetProcesses();

FOR I:=0 TO (MyProcessList.Length()-1) DO

BEGIN

Process := MyProcessList.GetValue(I);

MESSAGE(FORMAT(Process.Id));

END;

See Also
.NET Framework Type Conversion
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code

30 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Using .NET Framework Enumerations
In the .NET Framework, an enumeration commonly represents constant values as symbolic or literal
names. For example, if you have the type Color, then instead of using the values 0, 1, and 2, you can use
Red, Green, and Blue. In C/AL, you must assign an enumeration to an Integer data type, so you must
convert symbolic names in the .NET Framework to integers in C/AL.

Example
This example shows how to use an enumeration in integer expressions in C/AL and then convert the text
string back to an integer to store it in the enumeration variable. In the following C# example, the
enumeration is contained in the Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.EnumSample assembly.
namespace Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.EnumSample;

public class DataTypes

public enum ItemEnum

Item1,

Item2,

Item3,

Item4

};

}
In the Microsoft Dynamics NAV object, define the following C/AL variables.
Variable name DataType SubType Length

varDotNet DotNet 'Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.EnumSample, Version=1.0.0.0,


Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=18cff5e0dac2f853'.
Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.EnumSample.DataTypes.ItemEnum

formatResult Text 30

alInteger Integer

To handle the enumerator type, add the following code to a C/AL function.
// Assign an integer to the .NET Framework enumeration.

// This assigns Item3 because enum values are zero-based.

varDotNet := 2;

// Convert the enum object to a text string, which is equivalent to the

// .NET Framework ToString method.

formatResult := format(varDotNet);
if formatResult <> 'Item3' then

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 31


error('Wrong enumeration value. Expected %1, but actual was %2.', 'Item3', formatResult);

// Assuming that the enum value is stored as a text string, convert it back to the

// proper enum value.

varDotNet := varDotNet.Parse(varDotNet.GetType(), 'Item4');

// The varDotNet enum should now contain the integer value 3 and the enum 'Item4'.

alInteger := varDotNet;

if alInteger <> 3 then

error('Wrong enumeration integer value. Expected %1, but actual was %2.', 3, alInteger);

formatResult := format(varDotNet);

if formatResult <> 'Item4' then

error('Wrong enumeration value. Expected %1, actual was %2.', 'Item4', formatResult);

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code
.NET Framework Type Conversion

32 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Using .NET Framework Generics
In the .NET Framework, you can use generics to customize a method, class, structure, or interface
according to the data type that it acts upon. Instead of writing a method, class, structure, or interface for a
particular type, you can write it to use any type. When a generic is instantiated, the type is specified. For
example, if you use the generic type parameter T, then you can write a List<T> class that is instantiated
as either List<int>, List<string>, or List<MyClass>.
With .NET Framework interoperability, you can define DotNet variables for generics. You cannot specify
generic type names in C/AL. When a generic is instantiated by a constructor in C/AL, all type names are
set to the System.Object type. For example, if you have a mylist DotNet variable for the System.List<T>
generic, you create an instance of mylist in C/AL as shown. mylist is instantiated as a List<Object> type.
mylist := mylist.List();
If a method returns an instance of a generic whose type name is defined, then the type name is applied.
In the following example, the method returns a List<String> instance, and mylist is instantiated as a
List<String> type.
mylist := x.GetAStringList();

Example
The following example constructs a string list, fills the list with data, and then uses the Item method to
validate whether the list contains the expected data. The Item method is equivalent to a C# index
operator.

Variable Data Type SubType Length


name

varDotNet DotNet 'mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.Collections.Generic.
List`1

textResult Text 30

i Integer

capacity Integer

capacity := 5;
varDotNet := varDotNet.List(capacity);

FOR i:= 0 TO (capacity-1) DO


varDotNet.Add(FORMAT(i));

IF varDotNet.Count <> capacity THEN


ERROR('Wrong list count, expected {0}, actual {1}', capacity,
varDotNet.Count);

FOR i:= 0 TO (capacity-1) DO


BEGIN

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 33


textResult := varDotNet.Item(i);
IF textResult <> FORMAT(i) THEN
ERROR('List index [%1] contains the wrong data, expected %2, actual
%3', i, FORMAT(i), textResult);
END;

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code

34 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Using .NET Framework Interfaces
With .NET Framework interoperability in C/AL, you can define variables for .NET Framework interface
types. This is useful when you have a class that explicitly implements an interface. In the .NET
Framework, when an interface is explicitly implemented, you cannot call methods that belong to the
interface directly from the class instance. To call a method, you must cast to the interface. This condition
is similar in C/AL except that C/AL does not have a cast operation. In C/AL, you cannot call a method of
an explicitly implemented interface directly on the DotNet variable for the class. Instead, you do the
following steps:
1. Create a DotNet variable for the interface.
2. Assign the class variable to the interface.
3. Call the interface methods on the DotNet variable for the interface.

Example
In the following C# example, you have the Sample class that explicitly implements the ISample interface.
class Sample : ISample

...

string ISample.Name()

...

}
To call the ISample.Name method from C/AL code, you create the following variables.
Variable name DataType SubType (simplified)

cvar DotNet Sample

ivar DotNet ISample

After you create the variables, add the following code that assigns the class variable to the interface
variable and then calls the interfaces method.
// Assigns the class variable to the interface variable.

ivar := cvar;

...

// Calls the method of the interface.

ivar.Name();

...

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 35


Calling External Web Services with Windows Communication
Foundation
In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, you can use the Windows Communication Foundation, which
provides a set of reliable objects for calling web services to use with .NET Framework interoperability.
Example
The following code example uses a proxy web service class and calls a Read method from the Microsoft
Dynamics NAV web service. To set up this example, you expose page 42 as a web service in the Web
Service table and then generate and compile the proxy class. For more information, see Working with
Web Services in the MSDN Library.
The example requires the following variables.
Variable name DataType SubType Length

navBinding DotNet 'System.ServiceModel, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpB
inding

address text 256

salesOrderService DotNet 'SalesOrderService, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=null'.NAV.SalesOrderService.SalesOrder_PortClient

endpointAddress DotNet 'System.ServiceModel, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'.System.ServiceModel.EndpointA
ddress

salesOrder DotNet 'SalesOrderService, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,


PublicKeyToken=null'.NAV.SalesOrderService.SalesOrder

navBinding := navBinding.BasicHttpBinding;

// Set security mode to BasicHttpSecurityMode.TransportCredentialOnly

navBinding.Security.Mode := 4;

address :=

'http://localhost:7047/DynamicsNAV/WS/CRONUS%20International%20Ltd./Page/SalesOrder';

// Set client credential type to HttpClientCredentialType.Windows

navBinding.Security.Transport.ClientCredentialType := 4; //

salesOrderService := salesOrderService.SalesOrder_PortClient(navBinding,

endpointAddress.EndpointAddress(address);

// Set impersonation level to System.Security.Principal.TokenImpersonationLevel.Delegation

salesOrderService.ClientCredentials.Windows.AllowedImpersonationLevel := 4;

36 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


// Include the sales order ID to be read.

salesOrder := salesOrderService.Read('10000');

See Also
Calling .NET Framework Members from C/AL Code
How to: Call .NET Framework Members From C/AL Code

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 37


How to: Add a FactBox on a Page Using the Wizard
In Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, you can use the Page Wizard to add a FactBox to a new page. A
FactBox is an area that is located on the right side of a page, and you can use FactBoxes to display other
pages, charts, or system parts.

You typically use a FactBox to display information that is related to an item on the main content page. For
example, on a page that shows a sales order list, you can use a FactBox to show customer details for a
selected sales order in the list.
A FactBox is divided into one or more parts that are arranged vertically. Each part can contain one of the
following objects:
Page of the CardPart or ListPart type.
Chart.
System part, including Microsoft Outlook, Notes, MyNotes, or RecordLinks.
Using the wizard, you can add a FactBox on the following page types:
Card
Document

38 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


List
ListPlus
Navigate
Worksheet

Note
If you want to add a FactBox without using the wizard, see Walkthrough: Adding a FactBox to the
Customer List Page in the MSDN Library.

To add a FactBox to a page using the wizard


1. In the Classic client, on the Tools menu, click Object Designer.
2. In Object Designer, click Page, and then click New.
3. In the New Page dialog box, click Create page using wizard, and then select one of the
following page types from the list:
Card
Document
List
ListPlus
Navigate
Worksheet
4. To associate a table with the page, in the Table text box, click the AssistButton, select a table,
and then click OK.
5. Click OK to go to the next step in the wizard.
6. Continue the wizard until you get to the step that asks you about which FactBoxes to include on
the page.
7. Depending on what part you want to add, click either the Page, System, or Chart tab.
8. Select the part from the list, and then click the > arrow to add it to the Part Order list on the
right.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 to add more parts.
The parts vertical position in the Part Order list determines its vertical position in the FactBox
on the page.
10. To remove a part, click the Page, System, or Chart tab based on the part type, select the part
from the Part Order list, and then click the < arrow.
11. Finish the steps in the wizard.
For more information about the wizard and creating pages, see How to: Create a Page in the
MSDN Library.

DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2 39


How to: Use the System Indicator
You can enable the system indicator when you are working with different instances of Microsoft Dynamics
NAV 2009 R2. For example, you can differentiate between a production environment and a test
environment or see when you are in configuration mode. In this procedure, you enable and set up the
system indicator.
If you are in configuration mode, then the system indicator is automatically displayed, and you cannot
turn it off.
If you are in any other mode, then you must first set up the system indicator in the Company
Information window. It is then shown according to your preferences on every page.

To enable the system indicator


1. In the RoleTailored client, in the navigation pane, click Departments, click Administration,
click General, and then click Company Information.
2. Expand the System Indicator FastTab.
3. In the System Indicator field, select one of the following options.

System indicator type Description

None No text is shown.

Note
When you are in configuration mode, the
Configuration status is always displayed. You
cannot turn this text off.

Custom Text Shows text that you enter in the System Indicator Text field.

Company Information Shows text that you enter in the Name field.

Company Shows the company name.

Database Shows the middle-tier host name and database name.

Company+Database Shows the company name, the middle-tier host name, and the
database name.

4. In the System Indicator Style field, select from the Standard and Accent1 through Accent9
options to add a certain style to the system indicator.
5. In the System Indicator Text field, enter custom text to show. To show the text, you must
select the Custom Text option in the System Indicator field.
6. Click OK, and then exit and open the RoleTailored client to see the changes.

40 DEVELOPER UPDATES FOR MICROSOFT DYNAMICS NAV 2009 R2


Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and
your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like and with
familiar Microsoft software, automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship, and supply chain
processes in a way that helps you drive business success.

U.S. and Canada Toll Free (888) 477-7989


Worldwide (1) (701) 281-6500
www.microsoft.com/dynamics

The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed
as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, this document should not be
interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information
presented after the date of publication.
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no
part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express
written permission of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering
subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the
furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property.

2010 Microsoft. All rights reserved.

You might also like