default index for a table in AX / X++

Question: What is the default index for a table ?

Microsoft Dynamics AX requires a unique index on each table. If there are no indexes on a table or all the indexes are disabled, a system index is automatically created. The system index is created on the RecId and DataAreaId fields if the DataAreaId field exists. Otherwise, the system index is created on the RecId field. You can see system indexes in the database, but they aren't visible in the AOT.

get values of base enums using code in x++

Question: How to get  values of base enums using code in x++

static void getEnumValues(Args _args)

{

    EnumId   enumId   = enumNum(LedgerDimensionType);

    DictEnum dictEnum = new DictEnum(enumId);

    int      count  = dictEnum.values();

    int      counter 

    for(counter = 0; counter < count; counter ++)

    {

        // You can use the number of method exposed by DictEnum class

// dictEnum.name(counter)

// dictEnum.index2Value(counter)

// dictEnum.index2Symbol(counter)             

// dictEnum.index2Label(counter)

    }

}

List in X++ / Dynamics AX

List is a type of data structure and collections, it can contain unlimited items, in x++, list can be created of several Types(specified in the Types base enum), the type must be specified on the declaration and it cannot be changed after the initialization.

There are some classes exists to enumerated and iterate the list object. ListIterator object has methods that can insert and deleted items from list,  ListEnumeration cannot modify the list content

Example:

    List           myList       = new List(Types::Integer);

    List           myListString = new List(Types::String);

    ListIterator   literator  

    // add the element at the end of the list

    myList.addEnd(2); 

    // add the element at the start of the list

    myList.addStart(3); 

    myList.addEnd(7); 

    myListString.addEnd ("Second");

    myListString.addStart ("First"); 

    // If you want to insert the data at some specific index, then you need to make use of the listIterator class 

    // Iterator performs a midpoint 

    // insert at current position.

    literator = new ListIterator(myListString);

    while (literator.more())

    {

        // can provide some condition, i.e. if check etc

        if (literator.value() == "First")

        {

            listIterator.insert ("Between first and second");

        }

    } 

Comparison between X++ and C# List

How to implement Number sequence in AX 2012

I have read an article for creating number sequence in existing and new module of AX 2012, written by a friend Amir nazim also lso there is a white paper published by microsoft for the developers.

Amir's article link

Download the paper.

Edit Methods versus Display Methods

Display Methods:

In some scenarios, we need to display some values derived from other columns and those are not associated directly with the database, like Amount fields (Unit*Price). In that case there are display methods that perform that functionality.

 display Amount amount()

{

    AmountMST  amount; 

    amount = this.unitprice * this.quantity; 

    return amount;

} 

For Further reading

Edit Methods:

In AX 2009, when reference controls were not available, in table if there is a relation created on the basis of recId i.e. there is a child table and it contains the record Id of the parent Table. When that child table binds to form, (to display and select the user friendly information from the parent table, lookup controls were used). The record Id of the user friendly value is saved on the table with the help of the edit methods.

To give an example of an edit method, we will create a new field in the CarTable to hold the mileage of the car and have an edit method in RentalTable that enables the users to be in the RentalTable form and still edit the field in CarTable.

We'll create an extended data type of type integer for the new field and call it Mileage. Then we'll dd the field to the CarTable.

The edit method in RentalTable will then look like this: 

//This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by ALESSANDRO CAROLLO on 18th December, Chapter 4 [ 105 ]

edit Mileage mileage(boolean _set, Mileage value)

{
    CarTable carTable;

    Mileage  ret;

    // find the car records from the car table with update = true

    carTable = CarTable::find(this.CarId, _set);

    if (_set)

    {
        ttsbegin; 

        carTable.Mileage = value;

        carTable.update();

        ttscommit;

    }

    else

    {

        ret = carTable.Mileage;

    }

    return ret;

} 

For Further reading 

How to use the regular expression to validate the name in X++ AX

How to use the regular expression to validate the name

public bool validateName(str _name)
{

    System.Text.RegularExpressions.Match regExMatch;

    bool                                 isValid;

    // verify that Name doesn’t contain bad special character like <>:”/\|?*

    // other characters used in the regular expression are part of regex syntax. 

    regExMatch = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex::Match(_name, @’^[^<>:"/\\|?*]*$’);

   

    // return true if name matches the criteria otherwise return false

    isValid = regExMatch.get_Success();   

    return isValid;

}

Data model of the dimension in AX 2012

In this post I will describes the data model of the ledger dimensions and we will a scenarios that how the data is stored on the these tables

Data Model

Scenario: How an offset account (10110-D10-CC2) in the Lines Journal saved in the dimension.

Segmented control works with the DimensionStorage class to create the combination

So; we break apart the combination into each structure[10110 - D1] [CC2}. We first save the Account Structure portion of the combination.  Then we save the Account/Advanced Rule structure portion (as there could be multiples added thru multiple rules). In the end, this is what that combination will look like across all 4 tables shown in the combination storage block in the Data model bound to the LedgerDimension.

 

Configure an account structure that looks likethis:Main Account + Department

Create an advanced rule attached to account structureto say that when you enter 10110 - D1 you also need to specify a CostCenter.

1.       An Segmented entry control will look like this

2.       As account structure configure there are 2 segments that must be filled.

3.       Type 10110 and tabit looks like this:10110 -

4.       Type D1 in the second segment and tab

5.       As tab press we pick up the fact that a rule is attached and a 3rd dimension must be added to the combinationso it looks like this:10110 - D1 -

6.       Now the user enters CC2and tabs from the control 10110 - D1 - CC2 

DimensionAttributeValueCombination:

 DisplayValue:   "10110 - D1 – CC2"
 RecId: 400 

DimensionAttributeValueGroupCombination:

 DimensionAttributeValueCombination: 400
 DimensionAttributeValueGroup: 500
 RecID: 201

DimensionAttributeValueGroupCombination:

DimensionAttributeValueCombination: 400
DimensionAttributeValueGroup: 501
RecID: 202

DimensionAttributeValueGroup:

  DimensionHierarchy: AccountStructure(MA+DEPT)
  RecID: 500

DimensionAttributeValueGroup:

  DimensionHierarchy: AdavancedRule (CC)
  RecID: 501
 

DimensionAttributeLevelValue:
                DimensionAttributeValueGroup: 500
                Ordinal: 1
                DimensionAttributeValue->10110
                RecId: 601

DimensionAttributeLevelValue:
                DimensionAttributeValueGroup: 500
                Ordinal: 2
                DimensionAttributeValue->D1
                RecId: 602

DimensionAttributeLevelValue:
                DimensionAttributeValueGroup: 501
                Ordinal: 1
                DimensionAttributeValue->CC2
                RecId: 602

To insert: [10110 - D1] [CC2] we need to insert above all records as summarized below.

·         1 record in DAVC
2 Records in DAVGC (to link the full combination to each sub-group)

·         2 records in DAVG (one for each grouping)

·         3 records in DALV (one for each segment)