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, modern factbox configuration, 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. OnAfterGetRecRefFail - Handle record reference resolution for attachment factbox (Page::"Doc. Attachment List 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" (UpdatePropagation = Both)
• Modify Links factbox: Control1900383207
• Modify Notes factbox: Control1905767507

Note: The legacy "Document Attachment Factbox" is fully deprecated and must NOT be included.

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

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