MB-820 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer Questions and Answers

Read Scale-Out:

Read scale-out is a feature in Business Central that allows you to improve performance by distributing read-only queries (such as the ones from the ticketAPI) across multiple read replicas in the cloud database. This reduces the load on the primary database and helps improve the response time for read-intensive operations, like analyzing POS data through the ticketAPI.

Data Access Intent - ReadOnly:

When enabling read scale-out, you can configure the DataAccessIntent property of APIs to be ReadOnly. This directs the system to use read replicas to handle read-only queries, which enhances performance by offloading such queries from the primary database.

Why Not Other Options?

Option A (ODataReadonlyGetEnabled): This parameter is unrelated to read scale-out and primarily affects OData services behavior, not API performance tuning.

Option B (AccessByPermission): Setting the permission to Read does not directly affect the performance. It only controls access based on user permissions.

Option D (DataAccessIntent ReadOnly): While setting this property to ReadOnly helps in read-only operations, enabling read scale-out (option C) ensures the underlying infrastructure is optimized to handle such read operations, which is the fundamental action required.

Reference Documentation:

Read Scale-Out in Business Central

Data Access Intent in AL

For the Install codeunit required for the extension used for installing or updating the Housekeeping app, you should use the following data type and declaration:

Data type for information: ModuleInfo

Start of the declaration of the method or procedure to perform the tasks: local procedure

In AL language, which is used for developing extensions in Business Central, an Install codeunit is a special type of codeunit that is used to handle installation or upgrade logic for an extension.

ModuleInfo is a data type that contains information about the current extension, such as its version. It is typically used within the OnInstallAppPerCompany or OnUpgradePerCompany triggers of an Install codeunit to determine if the app is being installed for the first time or upgraded.

A local procedure within an Install codeunit is a method that is only accessible within the codeunit itself. It is not visible to other objects or extensions. This is suitable for tasks that are internal to the installation process and should not be exposed globally.

These selections align with the requirements of handling installation and update procedures in a controlled and encapsulated manner within Business Central extensions.

To create a query that assigns vendors to items in Business Central, use the following code blocks in sequence:

dataitem(Vendor; Vendor)

dataitem(Item; Item)

DataItemLink = "Vendor No." = Item.Vendor_No;

Creating a query:

In Business Central, a query object is used to combine data from multiple tables. You start by specifying each table as a data item. In this case, you would start with the Vendor table and then the Item table. After specifying the data items, you need to link them together. The DataItemLink property is used to establish a relationship between two data items based on a common field. Here, you are linking the Vendor and Item tables on the "Vendor No." field, which is present in both tables. This link ensures that the query will return a dataset that includes related records from both tables based on the vendor number. The order of the code blocks ensures the logical flow and relationships between tables as required for the query.

For the requirements provided, the appropriate page types should be selected as follows:

Display relevant insights in the Housekeeping Role Center: HeadlinePart

Display the additional information for the Room table: FactBox

Configure the first installation: StandardDialog

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation

In the context of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, page types are crucial for determining how information is presented to the user.

HeadlinePart: This page type is designed to display key data and insights in a concise and visually appealing manner, often used in Role Centers to highlight important information. It is suitable for the Housekeeping Role Center to display relevant insights.

FactBox: This page type is used to display supplementary information related to a selected record in the main part of the page. It's often used to show additional details about a record in a list, card, or document page. In this scenario, it is suitable for showing additional information about a specific Room when viewing the Room table.

StandardDialog: This is a page type that provides a modal dialog for user interaction, commonly used for setup wizards, confirmations, and input forms that require user action before proceeding. This is appropriate for configuring the first installation, where a step-by-step guided interaction is necessary.

Instructions to use for Incident Date and Status fields:

The correct instruction is "Incident Date" := Workdate(); "Status" := Status::Open;. This ensures that when a new record is created, the Incident Date is set to the current work date, and the Status field is initialized to 'Open'. This is essential for ensuring that the incident data is always timestamped and correctly marked upon creation.

Trigger to introduce the function:

The correct trigger is Trigger OnModify. This trigger ensures that when a record is modified, such as when an update to the status is made (e.g., from Open to Closed), the necessary logic will be executed to handle the update of fields like Incident Date and Status.

Step-by-Step References:

Workdate Function in AL

Triggers in AL

When developing an app for Microsoft AppSource, it is essential to use an object range that is specifically designated by Microsoft to avoid conflicts with other apps and the base application. The correct object range to use is:

An object range within the range of 70000000 to 74999999 that is requested from Microsoft (D): This range is reserved for AppSource apps. Developers need to request this range from Microsoft to ensure that the objects used in their extension do not conflict with those used by other extensions or by the base application. Using this reserved range helps maintain the integrity and compatibility of extensions published on AppSource.

It's important to note that the other ranges mentioned (A, B, C, and E) are not suitable for apps intended for AppSource. Ranges 50000 to 59999 and 50000 to 99999 are typically reserved for per-tenant customizations or partner solutions, not for distribution on AppSource. The standard range 1 to 49999 is reserved for the base application objects, and using an object range divided by countries (C) is not a standard practice for AppSource apps.

Specify the value of the post options as Invoice:

Test

Perform calculations and values checking:

Handler

In the context of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central testing, the 'Test' attribute is used to mark a method as a test method. This is where you would specify the action or the behavior you're testing – in this case, setting the post options as Invoice. It's within these test methods that you would simulate setting the posting option to "Invoice" programmatically.

For performing calculations and checking values, you would use 'Handler' methods to handle specific business events or conditions that occur within the system, such as before or after posting a document. These handlers can ensure that calculations are done correctly and that all validation checks pass before the document is posted.

The 'Normal' method would be a standard method that could be involved in the posting process, ensuring that all business logic is correctly applied and that the calculations and value checks are as expected.

In a test codeunit, you would typically have test methods that call these handler and normal methods to verify the business logic in various scenarios, such as posting with different options or checking the results of calculations under different conditions.

KQL Code Segment:

First command (traces):

The query begins with traces to analyze telemetry data logs. The next command determines how the results are filtered or displayed.

take 100: This is the correct option to retrieve the top 100 rows from the traces table.

Command for selecting fields:

project: This command is used to select specific fields from the telemetry data, allowing you to retrieve and display only the fields relevant to the job queue telemetry.

The correct answer is project, as it allows you to choose fields like jobQueueObjectId, jobQueueObjectType, etc., from the customDimensions table.

 No AL command in User Settings:

The correct solution is to Install the AL Language extension.

This issue arises when the AL Language extension is not installed in Visual Studio Code, which is required to work with AL projects in Business Central.

 Error in the Problems tab:

The correct solution is to Download Symbols.

This error typically occurs when the symbols (metadata for pages, tables, etc.) are not downloaded, and Visual Studio Code cannot resolve the reference to the Customer List page. Downloading symbols should fix the problem.

When exporting data from Business Central and the requirement is for the data to be in a non-fixed length and width CSV format, the Format property of the XMLport should be set to VariableText (B). The VariableText format is designed for handling data exports where the fields are separated by a delimiter, such as a comma or tab, which is typical of CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. This format allows for the flexibility needed when dealing with varying field lengths, as it does not enforce a fixed width for each field, making it ideal for CSV data exports. Setting the Format property to FixedText (C) would enforce a fixed width for each field, which is not suitable for CSV files, while the XML format (A) is used for exporting data in an XML structure, which is different from the CSV format requirements.

When updating the base application table using a table extension in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, certain properties of table fields can be modified to meet new requirements, such as regulatory changes. The DecimalPlaces property (B) is one such property that can be adjusted in a table extension. This property determines the number of decimal places that are displayed and stored for decimal fields in the table. Adjusting the DecimalPlaces property can be particularly useful when dealing with financial data and tax calculations that require precision to meet new tax tiers set by a regulator. It's important to note that not all properties can be modified in a table extension; for example, the CalcFormula property (A) cannot be changed as it affects how the field's value is calculated, which could have significant implications on the base application's logic.

In Business Central, when you need to handle the removal of fields and procedures to ensure that other extensions are not affected by these changes, you typically follow a two-step deprecation process. This allows other developers and users to adapt to the changes before they are fully enforced. Here are the steps to handle the removal:

Mark as Obsolete: In the first version where the decision to remove the field or procedure is made, you set the ObsoleteState to Pending and provide an ObsoleteReason. This doesn't remove the feature but indicates to users and developers that it will be removed in the future. This step is crucial for backward compatibility.

Removal: In a subsequent version, after users have had time to adapt to the deprecation warning, you can then remove the field or procedure or set the ObsoleteState to Removed.

Based on these guidelines, here are the three actions you should perform in sequence:

Set the Description field as ObsoleteState = Pending and ObsoleteReason = 'Not in use' in version 2.0.0.0.

Set the Clone procedure as ObsoleteState = Pending and ObsoleteReason = 'Not in use' in version 2.0.0.0.

Remove the Description field from the Issue table in version 2.0.0.1.

These steps will ensure that anyone using the Description field or Clone procedure will receive a warning about the pending deprecation before it is actually removed, thereby minimizing the impact on other extensions and providing a clear path for migration.

When handling the removal of fields and procedures in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the process should be carried out in a way that allows other extensions or dependent features to adapt to the changes without causing immediate failures.

Set Obsolete State and Reason for Description Field (Version 2.0.0.0): The first step involves marking the Description field as obsolete by setting the ObsoleteState to 'Pending'. This is a non-breaking change, signaling to other developers and users that the field is planned for removal in a future version. An ObsoleteReason should also be provided to explain why the field is being deprecated.

Set Obsolete State and Reason for Clone Procedure (Version 2.0.0.0): Similarly, the Clone procedure should be marked as obsolete with the ObsoleteState set to 'Pending'. This indicates that the procedure is no longer in use and will be removed in the future. Providing an ObsoleteReason is best practice as it explains the rationale behind the decision.

Remove the Description Field (Version 2.0.0.1): In the subsequent version, after the developers and users have been given time to adapt to the deprecation notice, the Description field can be safely removed from the Issue table. This is considered a breaking change, hence it is done after the field has been marked as obsolete in a previous version.

The reason for not removing the Description field and Clone procedure immediately in version 2.0.0.0 is to avoid causing runtime errors for any extensions or integrations that may depend on these components. By following this sequence, you provide a clear deprecation path that helps maintain the stability of the overall system while evolving the schema.

Using InherentPermissions in an event subscriber with the specified syntax could potentially resolve the permission issues related to MyTable, provided that the permissions specified (in this case, 'R' for Read) align with the minimum necessary for the users to perform their tasks. This approach allows the app to grant permissions dynamically based on the context of the event subscriber, which in this case is involved with inserting data into MyTable. By granting Read permission at the event level, it ensures that users have the necessary permissions to interact with MyTable in the context of the operations facilitated by the event subscriber, without needing to alter existing permission sets or grant broader permissions than necessary. This solution adheres to the principle of least privilege by ensuring that permissions are granted only within the narrow scope needed for specific operations, thereby potentially resolving the reported user issues in a secure and controlled manner.

In the context provided by the case study, when calling an API action from a mobile application, the correct format for a POST request to an action in Business Central typically involves specifying the entity (/issues), the ID of the entity (88122e0e-5796-ec11-bb87-000d3a392eb5), and the action to be called (/Copy). The action name should match the exact name as defined in the AL code, which is case-sensitive.

Option A is incorrect because it uses a non-standard format for the action call.

Option B uses the PATCH method, which is generally used for update operations, not for calling actions.

Option C is correct as it uses the POST method, which is appropriate for calling actions, and correctly specifies the entity, ID, and action name.

Option D is incorrect because the action name /copy is in lowercase, while AL is case-sensitive, and it should match the case exactly as defined in the code.

Option E incorrectly adds 'MicrosoftNAV' before the action name, which is not standard for calling actions in Business Central APIs.

Hence, the correct action to use when calling the Issue API action from the mobile application is given in Option C.

 Verbosity::Critical: This ensures that the telemetry logs the failure as a critical event.

 DataClassification::CustomerContent: This helps classify the error as related to customer data.

 TelemetryScope::All: This ensures that the error is visible across all relevant telemetry scopes, making it easier to monitor the issue in real-time.

The correct sequence of actions to configure telemetry for the SaaS tenant and test whether the ingested signals are displayed would be:

Create an Azure Application Insights instance by using the Azure Portal in the Customer's subscription.

Select the environment in the Admin Center and place the connection string in the Application Insights Connection String field.

Select the Application Insights instance, select Logs and then inspect the Traces table.

To set up telemetry for a SaaS tenant using Azure Application Insights, you need to follow these steps:

Create an Azure Application Insights instance: This is the first step where you create an instance in Azure that will collect the telemetry data. This should be done in the customer's Azure subscription because it's their data that you're monitoring.

Configure the SaaS tenant to use the created Application Insights instance: This involves entering the correct connection string in the Business Central Admin Center so that telemetry data from the tenant is sent to the Application Insights instance.

Verify that telemetry is being collected: After configuring, you would check if the telemetry is arriving as expected by inspecting the Traces table in the Azure Application Insights instance. The 'Traces' table holds the telemetry data, which you can query to verify that the correct signals are being ingested.

Code Segment Analysis:

The AL code is trying to read JSON data from a response and process it to extract subcontracting order numbers. It uses JsonToken, JsonObject, and JsonArray to work with the JSON data.

JToken.ReadFrom(Data): This line reads the incoming JSON data and converts it into a token. It processes the full JSON body so you can start working with it.

JToken.SelectToken("results"): This line selects the part of the JSON containing the results array. The key "results" is where the JSON response data is expected to be found.

JsonArray: Once the results are extracted, they are stored as an array, and each element in the array (which is expected to contain subcontracting order numbers) is processed.

SubcontractingOrderNo: The extracted order_no from the JSON is stored in this variable.

Breakdown of Steps:

JToken.ReadFrom(Data): This step reads the entire JSON response.

JToken.SelectToken("results"): This step selects the results array from the JSON response.

JArray.AsArray(): This step converts the selected results token into a JSON array that can be iterated over.

GetValueAsText(JToken, 'order_no'): This step retrieves the order_no from each element in the array.

Correct Code Completion:

JToken.ReadFrom(Data): This is the correct method to read the incoming JSON response, as it will convert the string into a JsonToken that can be further processed.

JToken.SelectToken("results"): This is the correct method to extract the results array from the token. This method looks for the key "results" in the JSON and retrieves the relevant array.

Final Code Segment:

al

Copy code

procedure ReadJsonData(Data: text)

var

JToken: JsonToken;

JObject: JsonObject;

JArray: JsonArray;

SubcontractingOrderNo: Code[20];

begin

if Data = '' then

exit;

JToken := JToken.ReadFrom(Data); // Step 1: Read the JSON response data.

JToken := JToken.SelectToken('results'); // Step 2: Select the "results" array.

JArray := JToken.AsArray(); // Convert the token into a JSON array.

foreach JToken in JArray do begin

SubcontractingOrderNo := GetValueAsText(JToken, 'order_no'); // Retrieve the order number.

end;

end;

JToken.ReadFrom(Data): This reads the raw JSON data string and converts it into a JSON token that can be processed.

JToken.SelectToken("results"): This extracts the results array from the JSON data.

JArray.AsArray(): Converts the token into an array so we can iterate over it.

GetValueAsText(JToken, 'order_no'): Extracts the order_no value from each item in the array.

Here is the most logical sequence of actions for implementing the Issue Management module in Business Central and exposing the PostIssue method:

Correct Order:

Create a codeunit named "Issue Management Impl." and set the value of Access property to Internal.

This is the first step because Issue Management Impl. is the implementation layer where the actual business logic resides, and setting it to Internal ensures that it is only accessible from within the module, following best practices in encapsulation.

Create a local procedure named PostIssueImpl in the "Issue Management Impl." codeunit.

This step adds the actual PostIssueImpl method, which contains the core logic of posting an issue.

Create a codeunit named "Issue Management" and set the value of Access property to Public.

After defining the implementation logic, you need to create a public-facing Issue Management codeunit to expose the service externally.

Create a PostIssue procedure in the "Issue Management" codeunit, and in it call the PostIssueImpl method.

Lastly, expose the PostIssue method in the Issue Management codeunit, which will internally call the PostIssueImpl method, completing the chain.

In the context of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, an extension may not appear in the tenant for several reasons, particularly after an upgrade to a new major version.

Option A suggests that the extension was published as a DEV extension, which typically would not cause it to disappear after an upgrade because DEV extensions are intended for development and testing within sandbox environments.

Option B indicates that the extension was not compatible with the new version within 60 days of the first notification. This is a likely reason because Microsoft enforces compatibility rules, and extensions that are not made compatible within the specified timeframe might be removed or disabled.

Option C refers to the extension being published as a PTE (Per-Tenant Extension) and mentions the Platform parameter not being updated. This could cause issues, but not specifically the disappearance of the extension after an upgrade.

Option D expands on Option C by adding that both the Platform and Runtime parameters were not updated in the application file. This is a critical aspect because if these parameters are not correctly set to indicate compatibility with the new version of Business Central, the extension could be disabled or removed.

Option E is similar to Option B but mentions a 90-day period. This option does not align with standard Business Central practices for version compatibility requirements.

Therefore, the two possible reasons for the disappearance of the extension in the tenant after an upgrade are that the extension was not compatible with the new version within the required timeframe (Option B) and that the extension was published as a PTE without the Platform and Runtime parameters being updated (Option D).

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, when configuring snapshot debugging, it is crucial that the parameters in the configuration file are correctly set. From the options provided, the issue with the debugger not starting correctly is most likely due to an incorrect "userId" parameter.

Option A is the cause of the problem. The "userId" parameter must be the GUID of the user, not the username. The snapshot debugger needs the exact GUID to attach to the right session for debugging.

Option B is incorrect because "breakOnNext" set to "WebClient" is a valid setting. This tells the debugger to break on the next client action in the web client, which is a typical scenario.

Option C is not the cause of the problem. The "userId" parameter is meant to specify which user session to debug, and this works in conjunction with the "breakOnNext" parameter.

Option D is incorrect as the "executionContext" parameter does not need to be set to "Debug" for snapshot debugging to work. "DebugAndProfile" is a valid value for the "executionContext" parameter, as it allows for debugging and collecting performance information.

Therefore, the reason why the debugger does not start correctly is due to Option A: The "userId" parameter must have the GUID of the user specified, not the username.

In Business Central development using AL (the language for Business Central extensions), the use of access modifiers defines how variables and procedures are accessed within and outside of an object or codeunit.

Access Modifiers in AL:

Public: A public variable can be accessed from any object or codeunit within the same module or extension.

Protected: This restricts access to the current object and objects that inherit from the current object. However, in AL (at least in versions used for Business Central), the Protected access modifier is used with methods but not variables.

Internal: This modifier restricts the visibility to the current extension. This means that variables or methods declared as internal can only be accessed from within the same extension. This is appropriate when you want to provide functionality that is shared within the extension but not exposed externally.

Local: This restricts the variable or method to the current object or method where it is declared. It cannot be accessed from anywhere else, even within the same extension.

Scenario Justification:

In the scenario for Contoso, Ltd., IssueTotal is a global variable in the ISSUE BASE extension, and the ISSUE EXT extension needs to access it. Therefore, the variable cannot be declared as Local, because this would restrict access to just the current object (or method).

Using Public would expose the variable outside of the extension, which is unnecessary because you only want other parts of the extension (specifically the ISSUE EXT extension) to have access.

The best choice in this case is Internal because it restricts access to the variable to within the same extension, which includes the base extension and any dependent extensions like ISSUE EXT. It strikes the right balance between visibility and encapsulation.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer References:

Access Modifiers in AL: Microsoft's documentation on AL provides the details on access modifiers, where it is specified that internal variables can be accessed within the extension, and the public variable is accessible across all extensions【source: Microsoft Learn on AL Programming】.

Best Practices for AL Development: Business Central development best practices suggest keeping variables internal unless they need to be accessed outside of the current extension【source: Microsoft Learn on AL development guidelines】.

codeunit 52102 "POS API Management"

{

Access = Public;

Permissions = TableData "POS Information" = rwdx;

trigger OnRun()

begin

readAPI();

end;

procedure readAPI()

begin

// Your code here to read from the POS API

end;

}