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Dynamics 365 Business Central Glossary: 280 Essential Functional & Technical Terms Explained

Business Central Glossary

Business Central Glossary

Functional Terms

Chart of Accounts (COA)

A structured list of general ledger accounts used to classify transactions for financial reporting.

Dimensions

Tags like Department or Project added to transactions for flexible analysis without inflating COA.

Chart of Accounts (COA)

A structured list of general ledger accounts used to classify transactions for financial reporting.

Dimensions

Tags like Department or Project used to add analytical categories to transactions without expanding the COA.

Posting Groups

Rules that map entities like customers or vendors to the correct general ledger accounts.

Journals

Electronic equivalents of accounting journals used to post transactions like payments, receipts, or general entries.

Master Data

Core records like Customers, Vendors, Items, and Bank Accounts that form the backbone of business processes.

Sales Orders

Documents representing a customer’s commitment to purchase items or services, initiating order fulfillment.

Purchase Orders

Documents issued to vendors indicating intent to buy goods or services, forming the basis of procurement.

Invoices

Documents recording sales or purchases with detailed information on items, quantities, pricing, and payment terms.

Credit Memos

Documents issued to reduce amounts due from customers or amounts owed to vendors, e.g., due to returns.

Debit Memos

Documents issued to increase receivables or payables, e.g., correcting underbilled amounts.

Entries

Ledger-level records (e.g., Customer Ledger Entry) tracking the financial effect of posted documents.

Documents

Business forms like Sales Orders, Invoices, or Purchase Orders used throughout business processes.

G/L Budgets

Tool for planning and comparing budgeted vs. actual amounts in financial periods.

Financial Periods

Fiscal periods used to organize, report, and close financial transactions.

Fixed Assets

Company-owned long-term assets like equipment, machinery, or vehicles tracked for accounting and depreciation.

Depreciation

Systematic reduction of an asset’s value over time due to usage or aging.

Insurance (Fixed Assets)

Tracking insurance policies covering company assets, including premiums and insured values.

Reclassification Journals

Journals used to move assets or amounts between accounts, categories, or dimensions.

VAT

Value-Added Tax applied to transactions according to jurisdictional rules.

Tax Jurisdictions

Defined geographic regions with distinct tax rules applied to sales and purchases.

Tax Groups

Sets of tax codes applied to items or services to determine applicable rates.

Payment Terms

Conditions defining when payments for invoices are due, e.g., Net 30 days.

Reminder Terms

Rules determining timing and frequency for sending reminders on overdue invoices.

Finance Charge Terms

Rules for calculating late payment charges or interest on overdue invoices.

Cash Receipts

Recording incoming payments from customers against outstanding invoices.

Payments

Recording money paid to vendors or other parties for purchases or services.

Bank Accounts

Master records representing each company bank account used in transactions.

Bank Reconciliation

Process matching bank statement transactions with those recorded in Business Central.

Check Ledger Entries

Tracking issuance and clearance of checks in the system.

Item Ledger Entries

Detailed records tracking inventory increases and decreases from purchases, sales, or adjustments.

Value Entries

Records capturing cost, valuation, and adjustments for inventory transactions.

Sales Prices

Lists defining selling prices for items or services, including customer-specific pricing.

Sales Discounts

Reductions offered on sales prices under certain conditions like order amount thresholds.

Customer Pricing

Pricing rules tailored to specific customers or groups for competitive differentiation.

Customer Discounts

Discount percentages or amounts applied to customer transactions.

Vendor Pricing

Special purchase prices negotiated with vendors, stored for procurement efficiency.

Vendor Discounts

Conditional discounts from vendors, e.g., early payment or bulk discounts.

Purchase Quotes

Requests sent to vendors asking for pricing and availability before ordering.

Purchase Invoices

Documents recording goods or services received and payable amounts owed to vendors.

Purchase Credit Memos

Documents reversing or reducing previously recorded purchases due to returns or errors.

Blanket Sales Orders

Long-term agreements for selling items/services with multiple deliveries over a period.

Blanket Purchase Orders

Long-term purchase agreements enabling multiple releases/deliveries over time.

Return Orders

Documents initiating returns of goods either from customers or to vendors.

Sales Return Orders

Orders recording items returned by customers and generating credits.

Purchase Return Orders

Orders recording returns of goods back to vendors.

Jobs

Project accounting module for tracking costs, revenues, and progress of work.

Job Planning Lines

Detailed breakdown of job activities, planned hours, and expenses.

Job Journals

Used to post costs, resource usage, or item consumption to jobs, updating job ledger entries.

Job Ledger Entries

Records of transactions affecting jobs, showing posted costs and billings.

Job WIP Methods

Methods determining how Work-in-Progress is calculated and recognized for ongoing jobs.

Resource Groups

Groups combining similar resources like labor or machinery to simplify planning and costing.

Resources

People or equipment tracked for costing, scheduling, and job assignments.

Service Management

Module managing post-sale services, repairs, contracts, and service billing.

Service Orders

Requests for service work, including repairs, maintenance, or warranty tasks.

Service Contracts

Agreements outlining terms for regular service or maintenance of customer items.

Service Items

Registered customer equipment tracked for service history, warranties, and repairs.

Service Ledger Entries

Records capturing posted service transactions, such as parts used and service charges.

Assembly Orders

Orders combining multiple items into finished goods, suitable for light assembly operations.

Assembly BOMs

Bills of Materials listing components required for assembly orders.

Manufacturing Orders

Orders used in manufacturing to produce items from raw materials through routings.

Routing

Defines sequence of production operations, required resources, and their setup/run times.

BOM (Bill of Materials)

Structured list of components required to manufacture or assemble a product.

Production BOM

Specific type of BOM used in manufacturing, defining raw materials needed for a finished good.

Standard Cost Worksheet

Tool for calculating, reviewing, and updating standard costs of items in the system.

Subcontracting

Outsourcing manufacturing steps to external vendors, tracked within production orders.

Capacity Planning

Planning tool ensuring resources have sufficient capacity to meet production schedules.

Item Tracking

Managing inventory by serial or lot numbers to track history and traceability.

Serial Numbers

Unique identifiers assigned to individual items for tracking and service purposes.

Lot Numbers

Identifiers assigned to batches of items produced or received together.

Item Attributes

Customizable properties like color, size, or brand used to classify items.

Item Variants

Different versions of the same item, such as size or color variations, tracked separately.

Stockkeeping Units (SKU)

Records of an item at a specific location or variant, enabling fine-grained inventory control.

Location Codes

Identifiers for warehouses or storage sites where items are kept.

Transfer Orders

Orders for moving items between company locations or warehouses.

Warehouse Shipments

Documents consolidating and processing items picked for delivery.

Warehouse Receipts

Documents for receiving goods into the warehouse, updating inventory levels.

Warehouse Picks

Instructions to warehouse staff for picking items from bins for shipment.

Warehouse Put-aways

Instructions for placing received goods into warehouse bins after receiving.

Warehouse Bins

Specific storage locations in a warehouse, identified with unique bin codes.

Bin Content

Current quantity of an item stored in a specific bin.

Physical Inventory

Periodic process of counting actual stock and reconciling with system records.

Physical Inventory Journals

Used to enter counted quantities during inventory counts for adjustments.

Item Reclassification

Moving items to different locations, bins, or SKUs in the system.

Reservations

Allocating inventory to specific sales or production orders to ensure availability.

Sales & Inventory Forecast

Predicts future sales and required inventory levels based on historical data and trends.

Demand Forecast

Estimate of expected customer demand over a given period for planning purposes.

Supply Planning

Determines quantities and timing of purchases or production to meet demand forecasts.

Requisition Worksheet

Tool generating suggested purchase orders based on inventory needs and planning parameters.

Planning Worksheet

Tool providing suggestions for production and procurement orders, including action messages.

Demand Overview

Summary showing demand from sales, service, and jobs contributing to supply requirements.

Capacity Ledger Entries

Records tracking usage of production capacities, including time and quantities produced.

Shop Calendars

Define working days, holidays, and hours for production resources and facilities.

Shop Floor Control

Management of daily production activities on the shop floor, tracking time, progress, and output.

Production Schedules

Timelines detailing when production orders start and finish to meet demand.

Routing Versions

Alternate routings defining different sequences or methods for producing the same item.

Production Versions

Different combinations of BOMs and routings for the same item, supporting multiple production scenarios.

Cost Adjustments

Manual or automatic updates to recalculate inventory costs based on new information or corrections.

Adjust Cost – Item Entries

Batch process recalculating costs of item ledger entries after cost changes or postings.

Standard Cost Updates

Tool for updating standard costs in bulk, reflecting new expected material or labor costs.

Cost Shares

Breakdown showing how material, labor, overhead, and subcontracting contribute to item costs.

Intercompany Transactions

Transactions processed between different legal entities in the same corporate group.

Consolidation

Combining financial data from multiple companies into a single set of consolidated reports.

Multi-currency Transactions

Managing transactions in currencies different from the local currency of the company.

Exchange Rate Adjustments

Periodic process of updating balances based on current exchange rates.

Bank Export/Import (SEPA)

File-based electronic exchange of payment data between Business Central and banks using SEPA standards.

Electronic Payments

Payments processed digitally to vendors using bank integration features.

Direct Debit Collections

Collecting payments automatically from customer bank accounts using direct debit agreements.

Cash Flow Forecasts

Predictions of expected future cash inflows and outflows for liquidity planning.

Budget by Dimension

Creating budgets for G/L accounts with breakdowns by dimensions such as department or project.

Analysis Views

Data cubes enabling analysis of transactions by dimensions and time periods.

Analysis by Dimensions

Flexible reports analyzing transactions with dimension filters to gain insights into business performance.

Account Schedules

Design custom financial reports such as income statements, balance sheets, or KPI reports.

Account Categories

Grouping G/L accounts into meaningful categories for financial reports and analysis.

Financial Reports (Account Schedules)

Reports generated using account schedules, showing financial performance like P&L or Balance Sheet.

KPI Reports

Reports highlighting key performance indicators critical for tracking business health.

Approval Workflows

Automated processes requiring approvals for transactions or documents before posting.

Notification Schedules

Configurations determining timing and frequency of automatic email or system notifications.

Document Attachments

Feature allowing files such as PDFs or images to be attached to transactions or master records.

Document Sending Profiles

Rules defining how documents like invoices are sent to customers (email, print, etc.).

Email Scenarios

Predefined templates and settings for sending standardized emails related to transactions.

Payment Reconciliation Journals

Tool to match imported bank payments with outstanding customer or vendor entries.

Contact Management

Tracking individuals and organizations beyond customers or vendors for CRM purposes.

Segments (CRM)

Groups of contacts created for targeted campaigns or analysis.

Campaigns

Marketing activities planned and executed using contact segments and interaction tracking.

Opportunities

Tracking potential sales deals, including status, estimated revenue, and expected closing dates.

Interaction Log Entries

Detailed records of phone calls, emails, or meetings with contacts.

Salespeople/Purchasers

Employees assigned to manage sales or purchasing transactions.

Responsibility Centers

Organizational units assigned responsibility for transactions and performance in specific regions or departments.

Customer Templates

Predefined setups for quickly creating new customer records with consistent data.

Vendor Templates

Predefined setups for creating new vendor records efficiently.

Item Templates

Templates to streamline new item creation with preset values.

Recurring Journals

Journals used for repeated entries such as rent, utilities, or salaries.

Accrual Schedules

Spreading revenue or expenses across multiple periods for accurate financial reporting.

Deferral Templates

Templates automating the deferral of revenues or expenses in journals and documents.

Sales Order Archiving

Saving historical versions of sales orders for tracking changes over time.

Purchase Order Archiving

Maintaining history of purchase orders to track modifications and approvals.

Document Approval Entries

Records documenting approvals given for transactions or documents.

Document Approval Limits

Maximum amounts each user or role is allowed to approve without escalation.

Item Substitutions

Alternative items offered when the requested item is unavailable or discontinued.

Service Item Components

Parts or assemblies belonging to a registered service item, tracked for repairs and replacements.

Technical Terms

AL Language

The programming language used to customize Business Central by defining tables, pages, codeunits, and more.

Tables

Data structures storing records such as Customers, Items, or custom entities defined by developers.

AL Language

The programming language used to customize Business Central by defining objects like tables, pages, and codeunits.

Tables

Data structures storing records such as customers, items, or custom entities defined by developers.

Table Extensions

Mechanism to add new fields or keys to existing tables without modifying base application code.

Pages

User interface elements where users interact with data, including list, card, document, and worksheet pages.

Page Extensions

Allow adding fields, actions, or modifying layouts of existing pages without changing standard objects.

Reports

Define layouts for outputting data in printable or exportable formats, including invoices and statements.

Report Extensions

Extend existing reports by adding new data fields or modifying layout sections.

Codeunits

AL objects containing reusable procedures or business logic executed in processes or events.

Queries

AL objects used to retrieve and aggregate data efficiently, useful in reports and integrations.

XMLports

Objects defining structures for importing or exporting data in XML or text formats.

Enum

AL objects defining a list of predefined options for fields, such as order statuses.

Enum Extensions

Extend existing enums by adding additional values without changing the original enum object.

Interfaces

AL constructs defining contracts of methods that can be implemented by multiple objects.

Permissions

Rules controlling which objects users can access or modify in the application.

Permission Sets

Collections of permissions that can be assigned to users or user groups for efficient security management.

Permissions.xml

XML file defining the permissions required by an AL extension, automatically generated during build.

Events

Hooks triggered during processes that developers can subscribe to for custom logic.

Event Subscribers

Code listening to events and executing when the subscribed event occurs.

Publishers

Objects that expose events, allowing other codeunits or extensions to subscribe to them.

Triggers

Built-in AL methods executing when actions like inserting, modifying, or deleting records happen.

Procedures

Reusable functions declared in AL to perform tasks or calculations.

Functions

Another term for procedures; blocks of reusable AL code performing specific logic.

Record Variables

Variables representing tables, allowing developers to work with database records.

Temporary Tables

Record variables declared with Temporary=true, storing data in memory without affecting the database.

SingleInstance Codeunits

Codeunits that maintain state across multiple calls during the same session.

Install Codeunits

Codeunits designed to execute code during the installation or reinstallation of an app.

Upgrade Codeunits

Codeunits executed during app upgrades to handle data transformations or migrations.

Test Codeunits

Codeunits containing automated AL test methods to validate functionality of extensions.

Profiles

Definitions of user roles specifying which Role Center and UI experience users see.

Role Centers

Dashboard-like pages providing tailored overviews and tasks for specific user roles.

FactBoxes

Side panels in pages showing related data like balances or statistics.

Action Groups

Organizational structures grouping related actions in pages for better usability.

Page Actions

Buttons or menu items on pages triggering business logic or navigation.

Page Parts

Embedded pages displayed within other pages, such as line items in orders.

Card Pages

Pages designed to view or edit single records like customers or vendors.

List Pages

Pages displaying multiple records in tabular format, supporting filtering and sorting.

Document Pages

Pages used for documents like sales orders, combining headers and lines.

Worksheet Pages

Pages supporting batch processing of entries, e.g., journals and planning worksheets.

Confirmation Dialogs

Pop-ups asking users to confirm an action before proceeding.

Message Dialogs

Pop-ups displaying information or warnings to users.

Notifications

Non-blocking messages alerting users of events or status updates.

Tooltips

Small descriptive texts appearing when users hover over fields, providing explanations.

Field Groups

Define alternate ways of displaying fields, such as drop-down suggestions in lookups.

Field Classifications

Metadata classifying fields as sensitive or personal data for GDPR compliance and security.

Data Per Company

Determines whether table data is company-specific or shared across all companies in the environment.

Global Variables

Variables declared at object level in AL, accessible by all procedures within that object.

Local Variables

Variables declared inside procedures or functions, limited in scope to that procedure.

DotNet Interop

Feature allowing Business Central On-Premises to use .NET assemblies in AL code (not supported in SaaS).

Control Add-ins

Custom HTML/JavaScript components embedded into Business Central pages to extend the user interface.

JavaScript Control Add-ins

Web-based control add-ins written in JavaScript for enhanced UI experiences in pages.

Media

Field type storing binary data like images or documents associated with a record.

MediaSet

Field type allowing storage of multiple media files on a single record.

API Pages

Page type exposing data entities through REST APIs for integrations with external applications.

API Queries

Queries exposed as REST API endpoints providing aggregated or filtered data.

OData Web Services

Expose data as OData feeds enabling consumption by external systems like Power BI or Excel.

SOAP Web Services

Expose pages and codeunits as SOAP-based web services for legacy integrations.

REST APIs

Modern web services enabling CRUD operations on Business Central data via HTTP.

OAuth 2.0 Authentication

Secure standard for granting external applications access to Business Central APIs.

Azure Active Directory (AAD)

Cloud-based identity provider managing user authentication for Business Central online.

AL Packages

Compiled .app files containing AL code and metadata for deployment as extensions.

AppSource Apps

Extensions published to Microsoft AppSource marketplace, installable by customers worldwide.

Extensions v2

Second generation of Business Central extensions based on AL language, enabling safer upgrades and modular apps.

App Manifest (app.json)

JSON file defining extension properties like ID, name, publisher, dependencies, and permissions.

Dependencies in app.json

Specify other apps your extension depends on to function correctly, ensuring correct loading order.

Permissions in app.json

Declare required permissions for extension objects, restricting or granting user access.

Translation Files (.xlf)

XML-based localization files containing multilingual captions for AL objects.

Translation Captions

Text displayed in different languages for fields, actions, and messages in AL objects.

Multilanguage Labels

AL properties allowing defining translations for labels used in UI elements.

Table Keys

Indexes defining how records are uniquely identified and retrieved efficiently.

Primary Keys

Mandatory keys uniquely identifying each record in a table.

Secondary Keys

Additional indexes to improve search speed on non-primary fields.

Indexes

Database structures enabling faster searches, filtering, and sorting of table records.

SIFT Indexes

Sum Index Fields enabling fast aggregation of numeric fields in large datasets.

Composite Keys

Primary keys combining multiple fields to uniquely identify records.

FlowFields

Calculated fields aggregating related data on-the-fly, e.g., Balance on Customer Card.

FlowFilters

Runtime filters applied to FlowFields, enabling dynamic calculations based on context.

Recursion

Programming concept where a function calls itself, used carefully in AL due to performance considerations.

Filter Expressions

AL expressions applying filters to record variables for precise data selection.

FilterGroups

Mechanism defining the priority of different filters on a record variable.

SETRANGE Function

AL function setting filters on a field with a single value or range for precise filtering.

SETFILTER Function

AL function applying advanced filter strings to a field on a record variable.

GET Function

Loads a record based on primary key values, throwing an error if the record doesn’t exist.

FIND Function

Navigates through records in a table matching a filter, e.g., FIND(‘-‘) to get the first record.

NEXT Function

Moves the record pointer to the next or previous record in the filtered dataset.

CALCFIELDS Function

Calculates FlowFields for a record, making their current value available in AL code.

CALCSUMS Function

Calculates totals for numeric FlowFields over a set of records matching a filter.

MODIFY Function

Saves changes made to a record to the database.

INSERT Function

Adds a new record to the database table with specified field values.

DELETE Function

Removes a record from the database based on current filter or key.

MODIFYALL Function

Updates the same field on all records matching current filters in a single operation.

FieldRef

AL data type referencing fields dynamically, enabling generic operations on fields without knowing their names at design time.

RecordRef

AL data type referencing tables dynamically, enabling operations on unknown tables at runtime.

Blob Fields

Binary Large Object fields used to store large binary data like documents or images in tables.

GUIDs

Globally Unique Identifiers assigned to records or used for correlation in integrations.

Base64 Encoding

Encoding method converting binary data to text for storage or transmission in JSON or XML.

JSON Functions

AL functions for parsing, creating, and manipulating JSON objects and arrays.

HTTP Client

AL object allowing HTTP requests to external APIs or web services for integrations.

HttpRequestMessage

AL object representing HTTP request details like headers, method, and body.

HttpResponseMessage

AL object representing HTTP responses including status codes and returned content.

Web Service URL

Endpoint URL used for accessing Business Central SOAP or OData services.

SOAP Action

Specific operation called on a SOAP web service, defined by an action URL or namespace.

XML DOM

Document Object Model representing XML documents in AL for reading and writing structured XML.

JSON Data Types

AL types representing JSON objects, arrays, values, and tokens for parsing or building JSON structures.

DotNet Streams

.NET objects used in On-Prem AL for reading/writing files or data streams (deprecated in SaaS).

AL File Structure

Organization of AL projects into folders and .al files, affecting maintainability and clarity.

AL Snippets

Code templates available in VS Code for quickly generating AL code constructs.

Visual Studio Code AL Extension

VS Code plugin providing syntax highlighting, compilation, deployment, and debugging tools for AL.

launch.json

Configuration file in AL projects defining how VS Code launches Business Central for debugging or publishing.

App Symbols

Metadata describing objects in Business Central apps, required for compiling AL code referencing those objects.

Symbol References

Links in AL projects to symbols of base or dependent apps, enabling referencing their objects.

Snapshot Debugging

Debugging technique capturing execution data from a live environment to replay issues offline.

Event Recorder

Tool capturing raised events during user actions to identify events for subscribing in customizations.

Telemetry

Collection of runtime metrics and logs from Business Central, often sent to Azure Application Insights.

Diagnostic Logs

Logs capturing errors, warnings, and runtime events for troubleshooting purposes.

System Application

Microsoft app providing essential platform-level features for Business Central, referenced by other apps.

Base Application

Core Business Central app providing standard business functionality like finance, sales, and purchasing.

System Tables

Tables used internally by Business Central to store data like companies, users, and permissions.

Upgrade Tags

Markers tracking whether upgrade steps have been executed in Upgrade Codeunits.

Table Synch Issues

Problems arising during table schema synchronization, e.g., conflicting field types or missing keys.

Data Migration Wizard

Tool simplifying the import of master and transactional data from legacy systems into Business Central.

RapidStart Packages

Configuration packages designed to import/export setup data quickly during implementations.

Configuration Packages

Groups of table data prepared for mass import, export, or migration of configuration and master records.

Power Automate Connectors

Prebuilt connections integrating Business Central with other systems using Microsoft Power Automate.

Embedded Power BI

Embedding Power BI reports or dashboards directly inside Business Central pages for advanced analytics.

Power Apps Integration

Connecting Business Central data with custom apps built using Microsoft Power Apps.

Data Entities

Data structures exposed by API Pages or Queries representing business objects for integrations.

API Rate Limits

Limits controlling the maximum number of API requests per minute/hour to ensure fair use and stability.

HTTP Error Codes

Status codes like 200, 400, or 500 returned by APIs indicating success or specific errors.

JSON Parsing Errors

Errors occurring when invalid JSON structures are read or written in AL code.

AL Try-Catch Constructs

AL error handling pattern using try blocks to catch and handle exceptions at runtime.

AL Assertions (Tests)

Statements validating conditions in test codeunits, ensuring expected outcomes in unit tests.

App Signing

Digitally signing an AL package before deployment to verify authenticity and integrity.

ISV License Files

License files generated by Independent Software Vendors controlling access to paid extensions.

Docker Containers for BC

Isolated environments for running Business Central locally for development or testing.

BC OnPrem Configuration Files

Files like navsettings.json configuring server settings for On-Premises deployments.

BC Admin Shell (PowerShell Cmdlets)

PowerShell module for automating administrative tasks in Business Central On-Premises or cloud environments.

AL Symbols Download

Process in Visual Studio Code for downloading symbols of dependent apps or base application for compiling code.

AL Package Publishing

Deploying compiled AL extensions to Business Central environments via publish commands or pipelines.

AL CodeCop Rules

Static analysis rules enforcing coding best practices and standards in AL projects.

AL Analyzer Diagnostics

Reports produced by analyzers in VS Code identifying issues, warnings, or suggestions in AL code.

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