Glossary
Key terms and acronyms used throughout the BC extension documentation.
Business Central Concepts
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AL | The programming language used to develop Business Central extensions. Similar to Pascal. |
| Extension | A self-contained package of custom code that adds or modifies functionality in BC without changing the base application. Deployed as .app files. |
| Codeunit | An AL object that contains business logic (functions and procedures). The primary unit for organizing code in BC extensions. |
| Page | An AL object that defines a user interface screen. Pages display data from tables and provide actions for users. |
| Table | An AL object that defines a database table structure. Tables store business data (customers, orders, items, etc.). |
| FlowField | A calculated field on a BC table that computes its value from other table data at read time (e.g., summing all invoice lines for a customer). Not stored in the database. |
| SetLoadFields | An AL method that limits which fields are loaded from the database when reading records. Reduces SQL projection size and improves performance. |
| CALCFIELDS | An AL method that triggers computation of FlowFields. Must be called explicitly before reading a FlowField's value. |
| OnInsert / OnModify / OnDelete | Trigger events that fire when a record is inserted, modified, or deleted. Used to add custom business logic to data operations. |
| OnValidate | A trigger that fires when a field value is changed by a user. Used for input validation and cascading updates. |
| Job Queue | BC's built-in scheduler for running background tasks on a recurring basis (e.g., syncing data, sending emails, processing logs). |
| Isolated Storage | A secure key-value store in BC for storing sensitive data (API keys, credentials) per-extension. Encrypted at rest. |
| Permission Set | A named collection of permissions (read, write, execute) on specific BC objects. Assigned to users or security groups to control access. |
| Extension Management | The BC admin page for installing, updating, and removing extensions. |
| Test Tool | BC's built-in page (130401) for running automated AL test codeunits within a BC environment. |
| Record Link | A BC feature that attaches URLs or file references to any record (e.g., attaching a document URL to a Service Order). |
| Upgrade Codeunit | A special codeunit that runs automatically when an extension is upgraded to a new version. Used for data migration and permission setup. |
Bestway-Specific Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| INVC-prefixed | Custom objects (tables, pages, fields) created by Innovia Consulting as part of the BestwayUSA core extension. The INVC prefix identifies Innovia-developed objects. |
| BW-CS-SERVICE | A BC permission set granting CS agents access to Service Order Lockout functionality. |
| BW-CS-MANAGERS | A BC permission set for CS supervisors, granting elevated permissions like releasing stuck service order locks. |
| BW-ASSIGNSVCORD | A BC permission set that controls access to the Service Order assignment page. Used as a gate for Service Order Lockout. |
| NextivaConfig | A BC table storing Nextiva API credentials and configuration for the BC Dialing Application. |
| Customer Template | A BC configuration that pre-populates fields when creating new Customer records. Templates define default values for posting groups, payment terms, etc. |
Infrastructure and Integration
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| OData v4 | The REST API protocol used by BC for external data access. Extensions can expose custom API pages as OData endpoints. |
| Azure Application Insights | Microsoft's telemetry service used to monitor BC extension health. Captures errors, performance metrics, and custom events. |
| Entra ID (Azure AD) | Microsoft's identity and access management service. Used for BC authentication and for securing this documentation site. |
| Dynamic Ship | A third-party BC extension by Insight Works for warehouse shipping operations. The carrier label extensions depend on it. |
| Versapay | A third-party payment processing integration installed in the Bestway BC environment. |
| CSM | Customer Service Management -- the external system that integrates with BC via the CSM API Toolkit for service order data. |
Document Types
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| CHANGELOG.md | A summary index of all versions for an extension, with categorized bullet points per release. |
| CHANGE-v{version}.md | A detailed narrative document covering the background, root cause, changes, deployment notes, and known limitations for a specific version. |
| UAT Test Plan | A structured manual testing document generated as a Word document for stakeholder and QA sign-off before Production deployment. |