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BC Attachments, Links & Notes Generator

Automates BC standard document attachment functionality on custom tables.

Overview​

Generates complete attachment, link, and notes implementation for custom BC tables following Microsoft patterns. Creates 3 event subscribers, lifecycle triggers, factbox configurations, and setup controls.

Complete code templates available in: references/code-templates.md

Prerequisites​

  • AL workspace with custom table
  • Setup table (or will create one)
  • Card and List pages for entity

Workflow​

Step 1: Gather Information​

Collect from user:

  • Entity name (e.g., "Statistical Account")
  • Table name and ID
  • Prefix (e.g., "BCS")
  • Primary key field (usually "No.")
  • Setup table name
  • Card and list page names

Step 2: Update Setup Table​

Add 3 boolean fields to setup table:

  • "Enable Attachments" (InitValue = true)
  • "Enable Links" (InitValue = true)
  • "Enable Notes" (InitValue = true)

Location: src/Table/[Prefix][SetupName].Table.al

See code-templates.md for complete code.

Step 3: Update Setup Page​

Add 3 fields to setup page layout in General group.

Location: src/Page/[Prefix][SetupName].Page.al

See code-templates.md for complete code.

Step 4: Create Enum Extension​

Extend "Attachment Document Type" enum with custom value.

Location: src/Enum Extension/[Prefix]AttachmentDocType.EnumExt.al

enumextension [ID] "[Prefix] Attachment Doc Type" extends "Attachment Document Type"
{
  value([ID]; [Prefix][Entity])  // Remove spaces: "Statistical Account" → "BCSStatisticalAccount"
  {
    Caption = '[Entity]';
  }
}

Step 5: Create Attachment Management Codeunit​

Create codeunit with 3 event subscribers + 5 procedures.

Location: src/Codeunit/[Prefix]AttachmentManagement.Codeunit.al

Event Subscribers:

  1. OnBeforeDrillDown - Handle obsolete factbox drill-down (Page::"Document Attachment Factbox")
  2. OnAfterOpenForRecRef - Filter attachments when opening details (Page::"Document Attachment Details")
  3. OnAfterInitFieldsFromRecRef - Initialize attachment from record (Table::"Document Attachment")

Procedures:

  1. EntityEnabledAttachments(TableId) - Check if attachments enabled
  2. EntityEnabledLinks(TableId) - Check if links enabled
  3. EntityEnabledNotes(TableId) - Check if notes enabled
  4. DeleteRelatedDocumentAttachments(No) - Delete attachments on record delete
  5. CopyRelatedDocumentAttachments(OldNo, NewNo) - Copy attachments on rename

See code-templates.md for complete code.

Step 6: Add Table Lifecycle Triggers​

Extend table with:

  • OnBeforeRename() - Copy attachments to new No., delete old ones
  • OnBeforeDelete() - Delete related attachments to prevent orphans

Location: Update existing table extension

See code-templates.md for complete code.

Step 7: Extend Card Page​

Add factboxes section with:

  • Modern factbox: "Doc. Attachment List Factbox" (BC 25.0+, UpdatePropagation = Both)
  • Legacy factbox: "Document Attachment Factbox" (Obsolete, Visible = false)
  • Modify Links factbox: Control1900383207
  • Modify Notes factbox: Control1905767507

Add OnOpenPage() trigger to set visibility variables.

Location: src/Page Extension/[Prefix][Entity]Card.PageExt.al

SubPageLink configuration:

SubPageLink = "Table ID" = const(Database::"[Base Table]"),
              "No." = field("No.");

See code-templates.md for complete code.

Control ID Note: If modify fails (e.g., "Control not found"), inspect base page to find actual IDs. They may vary between BC versions.

Step 8: Extend List Page​

Repeat Step 7 for list page.

Location: src/Page Extension/[Prefix][Entity]List.PageExt.al

Step 9: Update Permissions​

Add to permission set:

codeunit "[Prefix] Attachment Management" = X;

Step 10: Test​

Critical tests:

  1. Upload attachment → verify appears in factbox
  2. Delete record → verify attachments deleted
  3. Rename record → verify attachments follow (copied to new No.)
  4. Navigate between records → verify factbox refreshes
  5. Toggle setup fields → verify factboxes hide/show

Troubleshooting​

Factboxes Not Appearing​

  • Check setup page: ensure "Enable Attachments/Links/Notes" checked
  • Verify OnOpenPage() trigger runs and sets variables
  • Confirm DATABASE::"[Table]" matches exactly (case-sensitive)

Attachments Not Filtering​

  • Verify enum extension exists and builds first
  • Check SubPageLink includes correct "Table ID" and "No." field
  • Confirm OnAfterInitFieldsFromRecRef sets "Document Type" correctly

Orphan Attachments After Delete/Rename​

  • Missing OnBeforeDelete trigger → Add and call DeleteRelatedDocumentAttachments()
  • Missing OnBeforeRename trigger → Add RenameAttachments() procedure

Links/Notes Factbox Visibility Not Working​

  • Wrong control IDs → Inspect base page to find actual IDs
  • Common IDs: 1900383207 (Links), 1905767507 (Notes)
  • Base page may not have these factboxes

Factbox Not Refreshing on Navigation​

  • Missing UpdatePropagation = Both on modern factbox
  • Add to "Doc. Attachment List Factbox" part

Multi-Entity Pattern​

When adding attachments to multiple tables in one extension, use case statements in all event subscribers and procedures.

See code-templates.md for complete example.

Storage Best Practice​

BC has database storage limits. Recommend:

  • Small files in BC attachments (< 1 MB)
  • Large files in SharePoint/OneDrive
  • Use Links factbox for SharePoint URLs

Quick Reference​

Required Objects:

  • Setup fields (3 booleans)
  • Enum extension
  • Attachment management codeunit (3 event subscribers, 5 procedures)
  • Table triggers (OnBeforeDelete, OnBeforeRename)
  • Page factboxes (card and list)

Event Subscribers:

  • OnBeforeDrillDown (obsolete factbox)
  • OnAfterOpenForRecRef (details page)
  • OnAfterInitFieldsFromRecRef (initialization)

Factbox Control IDs:

  • Links: Control1900383207
  • Notes: Control1905767507
  • May vary by BC version

Real-world example: BC Scout Statistical Accounts

  1. Rename record → verify attachments follow (copied to new No.)
  2. Navigate between records → verify factbox refreshes
  3. Toggle setup fields → verify factboxes hide/show

Troubleshooting​

Factboxes Not Appearing​

  • Check setup page: ensure "Enable Attachments/Links/Notes" checked
  • Verify OnOpenPage() trigger runs and sets variables
  • Confirm DATABASE::"[Table]" matches exactly (case-sensitive)

Attachments Not Filtering​

  • Verify enum extension exists and builds first
  • Check SubPageLink includes correct "Table ID" and "No." field
  • Confirm OnAfterInitFieldsFromRecRef sets "Document Type" correctly

Orphan Attachments After Delete/Rename​

  • Missing OnBeforeDelete trigger → Add and call DeleteRelatedDocumentAttachments()
  • Missing OnBeforeRename trigger → Add RenameAttachments() procedure

Links/Notes Factbox Visibility Not Working​

  • Wrong control IDs → Inspect base page to find actual IDs
  • Common IDs: 1900383207 (Links), 1905767507 (Notes)
  • Base page may not have these factboxes

Factbox Not Refreshing on Navigation​

  • Missing UpdatePropagation = Both on modern factbox
  • Add to "Doc. Attachment List Factbox" part

Multi-Entity Pattern​

When adding attachments to multiple tables in one extension, use case statements in all event subscribers and procedures.

See code-templates.md for complete example.

Storage Best Practice​

BC has database storage limits. Recommend:

  • Small files in BC attachments (< 1 MB)
  • Large files in SharePoint/OneDrive
  • Use Links factbox for SharePoint URLs

Quick Reference​

Required Objects:

  • Setup fields (3 booleans)
  • Enum extension
  • Attachment management codeunit (3 event subscribers, 5 procedures)
  • Table triggers (OnBeforeDelete, OnBeforeRename)
  • Page factboxes (card and list)

Event Subscribers:

  • OnBeforeDrillDown (obsolete factbox)
  • OnAfterOpenForRecRef (details page)
  • OnAfterInitFieldsFromRecRef (initialization)

Factbox Control IDs:

  • Links: Control1900383207
  • Notes: Control1905767507
  • May vary by BC version

Real-world example: BC Scout Statistical Accounts