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SetData / GetData Index Guide

How SetData and GetData work​

Business Central RDLC reports use a SetData / GetData pattern implemented in the RDLC's embedded VB.NET code block.

  • SetData(value, groupNumber) stores a delimited string of field values for a given group.
  • GetData(index, groupNumber) retrieves a single field value by its 1-based sequential position in that string.

The delimiter between fields is Chr(177) (the ± character, unlikely to appear in real data).

Index Corruption Risk​

Because indices are positional, inserting a new field anywhere except the end silently shifts all subsequent indices. The RDLC textboxes that reference GetData(N, group) will start returning the wrong field — no compile error, no runtime error, just wrong data on the printed report.

Step-by-Step: Adding a New Field Safely​

1. Locate the SetData expression​

Find the expression that builds the delimited string, typically inside a Textbox that is invisible (Hidden = true), often named SetDataGroup2 or similar.

2. Count the existing fields​

Fields!Field1.Value + Chr(177) +   ' 1
Fields!Field2.Value + Chr(177) +   ' 2
Fields!Field3.Value                ' 3  ← N = 3

3. Append at the end​

Fields!Field1.Value + Chr(177) +   ' 1
Fields!Field2.Value + Chr(177) +   ' 2
Fields!Field3.Value + Chr(177) +   ' 3 (add Chr(177) after last existing field)
Fields!NewLabel.Value + Chr(177) + ' 4 ← new
Fields!NewValue.Value              ' 5 ← new

4. Update the index comment block​

Always maintain an XML comment immediately before or after the SetData textbox:

<!--
  SetData Group 2 — Field Index Map
  1:  CustomerName
  2:  CustomerAddress
  3:  DocumentDate
  4:  NewLabel      (added 2026-04-30)
  5:  NewValue      (added 2026-04-30)
-->

5. Add textboxes using the new indices​

<Textbox Name="NewLabelBox">
  <Value>=Code.GetData(4, 2)</Value>
</Textbox>
<Textbox Name="NewValueBox">
  <Value>=Code.GetData(5, 2)</Value>
</Textbox>

Quick Verification Checklist​

  • Counted existing fields before making changes
  • New fields appended after the last Chr(177) separator
  • Index comment block updated with new entries and date
  • New textboxes reference correct GetData(N+x, group) indices
  • Existing textboxes not modified (their indices are unchanged)
  • Report tested: all existing fields still display correct data