AL Navigator

Simplify your AL development workflow:
Create variables and parameters like a pro. Automatically select/insert startup object IDs in your launch.json file. Effortlessly navigate through AL files with intuitive shortcuts. Translate fields on hover and streamline report copying – all in one powerful extension.

🚀 Features

🔥 New: Rename Columns (Variables) in AL and RDLC Files

Effortlessly rename column variables in your AL report files and synchronize changes in associated RDLC files:

Renames columns (variables) both in the AL file and their corresponding definitions in the RDLC file.
Ensures consistency across Field Name and DataField in RDLC datasets.

Example Workflow:

Place your cursor on a variable inside a column definition within a dataitem block in a report.
Trigger the rename functionality via the Command Palette (AL Navigator: Rename report dataitem column).
Watch as the variable is renamed in both the AL file and the associated RDLC file.

🔥 New: Insert Translations into XLIFF Files

Effortlessly insert translations directly into XLIFF files:

Automatically matches translation values with note tags.
Updates the target element for the corresponding source only if the translation exists.
Supports 10 common Business Central languages.

This feature helps you maintain consistency across multilingual projects without altering the structure of your XLIFF documents.

🔥 New: Select Startup Object ID

Easily choose a startup object ID for your launch.json file using a Quick Pick menu. This feature scans your project for Page and Report objects (from .al files and .app packages) and displays:

Name: The name of the object.
ID: The object ID.
Type: Whether it’s a Page or Report.

The selected object is automatically added to startupObjectId and startupObjectType in your launch.json.

Save time with keyboard shortcuts for essential navigation commands:

Shortcut	Command Name	Description
Ctrl+Alt+g	AL Navigator: End of global variables	Moves cursor to the end of your global variables.
Ctrl+Alt+l	AL Navigator: End of local variables	Moves cursor to the end of your local variables.
Ctrl+Alt+k	AL Navigator: Keys	Moves cursor to the keys in your .al table file.
Ctrl+Alt+a	AL Navigator: Next Action	Moves cursor to next action in a page .al file.
Ctrl+Alt+d	AL Navigator: Next DataItem (starting from top)	Moves cursor through data items in your .al report file.
Shift+Alt+d	AL Navigator: Next DataItem (starting from bottom)	Moves cursor through data items in your .al report file.

🌐 Hover Translations

Translate field names and table names effortlessly:

Hover over symbols (field names, table names, etc.) to see translations.
Switch between English ↔ Target Language with a click.

Show Translation On Hover
Show Target Translation
Show English Translation

📑 Copy Reports Including Layout

Duplicate reports and layouts in seconds:

Copy an entire report, including its layout.
Create report extensions with layouts pre-integrated.

Copy reports including layout
Create report extension including layout

🤖 Intelligent Variable and Parameter Creation

Add variables and parameters with a few keystrokes:

Ctrl + . triggers a quick fix lamp for AL0118 errors.
Automatically generate local/global variables or parameters with suggested names.

Examples:

Create local variables:
Create global variables:
Create parameters:

💡 Tips for Using This Feature

Tip	Example
Use Microsoft’s naming conventions for object names.	"Vendor" is recognized as Record "Vendor".
Use the Temp prefix to create temporary record variables.	"TempItem" is recognized as a temporary Record "Item".
Use Microsoft's suggested abbreviations.	"GLSetup" is recognized as Record "General Ledger Setup".
Replace placeholders like "x" with automatically generated variable names.	Replace "x" with "SalesLine" when "Sales Line" is the selected record.
Customize ignored prefixes and suffixes for variable names in settings.	Set `"alNavigator.ignoreALPrefix": "EX"`. For a table named "EX Test Table," the variable "TestTable" will be automatically recognized.

📜 Full Functionality List

Command	Description
AL Navigator: Insert translation from comment into xlf file	Inserts the comment with the translation in the `target` elements in XLIFF files.
AL Navigator: Select Startup Object ID in launch.json	Quickly configure the startup object in `launch.json` using a simple selection menu.
AL Navigator: Rename AL Navigator Variable	Rename variables in AL files and their corresponding RDLC files.
AL Navigator: Next DataItem (starting from top)	Navigate to the next `DataItem` in your AL report file, starting from the top.
AL Navigator: Next DataItem (starting from bottom)	Navigate to the next `DataItem` in your AL report file, starting from the bottom.
AL Navigator: Keys	Quickly move to the keys section in your `.al` table file.
AL Navigator: Next Action	Navigate to the next action in your AL page file.
AL Navigator: End of local variables	Jump directly to the end of the local variables section in your file.
AL Navigator: End of global variables	Jump directly to the end of the global variables section in your file.
AL Navigator: Show Microsoft Translation (English -> Target Language)	Display the translation of a field or symbol from English to the target language.
AL Navigator: Show Microsoft Translation (Target Language -> English)	Display the translation of a field or symbol from the target language to English.
AL Navigator: Show translation and copy to clipboard (English -> Target Language)	Display the translation and copy it directly to your clipboard.
AL Navigator: Create a new report	Easily create new reports, including layouts and necessary definitions.
AL Navigator: Remove unused variables from report dataset	Streamline your reports by automatically removing unused variables.

⚙️ Settings

Setting	Description
`alNavigator.ignoreALPrefix`	Removes prefixes from suggested variable names.
`alNavigator.ignoreALSuffix`	Removes suffixes from suggested variable names.
`alNavigator.translationTargetLanguage`	Defines the target language for translation functionalities.
`alNavigator.maxNoOfShownTranslations`	Sets the maximum number of translations displayed.
`alNavigator.enableHoverProviders`	Enables hover translations for target languages on symbols (field names, etc.). Requires a reload.

📋 Requirements

Extension
AL Language
AZ AL Dev Tools/AL Code Outline

💖 Thanks to

David Feldhoff for his contributions and feedback.
Andrzej Zwierzchowski for providing an awesome API in the AZ AL Dev Tools/AL Code Outline extension.

🔗 Resources

📸 Picture Attribution

Alpaca Icon

AL Navigator

Waldemar Brakowski

AL Navigator

🚀 Features

🔥 New: Rename Columns (Variables) in AL and RDLC Files

🔥 New: Insert Translations into XLIFF Files

🔥 New: Select Startup Object ID

⚡ Shortcuts for Quick Navigation

🌐 Hover Translations

📑 Copy Reports Including Layout

🤖 Intelligent Variable and Parameter Creation

Examples:

💡 Tips for Using This Feature

📜 Full Functionality List

⚙️ Settings

📋 Requirements

💖 Thanks to

🔗 Resources

📸 Picture Attribution