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Correct security and privacy knowledge guidance (#92)

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* Correct security and privacy guidance

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 9c2eebc4-dcd5-4b85-8113-90772d818900

* Address security privacy review findings

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 9c2eebc4-dcd5-4b85-8113-90772d818900

---------

Co-authored-by: Jesper Schulz-Wedde <jesper.schulzwedde@microsoft.com>
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10
microsoft/knowledge/privacy/avoid-strsubstno-prebuild-before-error.md
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@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
---
bc-version: [all]
bc-version: [20..]
domain: privacy
keywords: [strsubstno, error, telemetry, pii, prebuild, text-variable]
technologies: [al]
@ -7,20 +7,20 @@ countries: [w1]
application-area: [all]
---
# Do not pre-build an error string with `StrSubstNo` before calling `Error()`
# Pass a Label directly as the first Error argument
## Description
`StrSubstNo` returns a plain `Text` value with the substitutions already performed. When that result is then passed to `Error()`, the platform sees a single plain-text parameter with no field references left to inspect, so it cannot apply `DataClassification` to anything inside it. Whatever PII the `StrSubstNo` call interpolated — customer name, e-mail, address, error text — is logged verbatim to telemetry. This is the canonical way to accidentally leak customer data through error telemetry, and it is the only `Error()` shape that needs to be flagged.
Error method trace telemetry includes the AL error string only when the first `Error` argument is a `Label` or `TextConst`. Wrapping a label in `StrSubstNo`, or concatenating labels or text, produces a dynamic `Text` first argument. In that case the actual string is not emitted as the telemetry message; the platform emits its generic guidance instead. CodeCop AA0231 flags both shapes because the label identity and data-classification context are lost.
## Best Practice
Call `Error()` directly with the format string and the substitution parameters. The platform classifies each parameter individually and handles telemetry correctly even when the parameters are PII fields (see `error-direct-substitution-safe-for-telemetry.md`). If the message text needs to be a `Label`, pass the `Label` and the parameters to `Error()` — do not pre-render via `StrSubstNo`.
Declare the complete message as a `Label` or `TextConst` and pass it directly to `Error`, followed by substitution values. The client receives the formatted message while telemetry can retain the static message template without using the dynamic values as its message. See `error-direct-substitution-safe-for-telemetry.md`.
See sample: `avoid-strsubstno-prebuild-before-error.good.al`.
## Anti Pattern
Assigning `StrSubstNo('Customer %1 (%2) ...', Customer.Name, Customer."E-Mail")` to a `Text` variable and then calling `Error(ErrorMsg)`. The platform has nothing to classify by the time `Error` runs — the PII is baked into the string and goes straight to telemetry. Detection signal for a reviewer: any `Text` variable assigned from `StrSubstNo` and later passed as the *only* parameter to `Error()`.
`Error(StrSubstNo(CustomerInvalidErr, Customer."No."))` and `Error(HeaderErr + DetailErr)` both make the first argument dynamic. They reduce error telemetry quality; they do not cause that composed string to be logged verbatim as the telemetry message.
See sample: `avoid-strsubstno-prebuild-before-error.bad.al`.