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Merge pull request #50 from Curabis/rule/intrinsic-al-functions-must-use-modern-casing

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[BCQuality] Intrinsic AL function calls use modern casing, not ALL-CAPS
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Michael Dieringer 2026-08-13 06:09:02 +02:00 • committed by GitHub
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---
bc-version: [all]
domain: style
keywords: [casing, intrinsic-function, built-in-function, message, error, confirm, strsubstno, legacy, c-al, pascalcase]
technologies: [al]
countries: [w1]
application-area: [all]
---
# Intrinsic AL function calls use modern casing, not legacy ALL-CAPS
## Description
AL is case-insensitive, so `MESSAGE(...)`, `ERROR(...)`, `CONFIRM(...)`, and
`STRSUBSTNO(...)` compile and run identically to `Message(...)`, `Error(...)`,
`Confirm(...)`, and `StrSubstNo(...)`. Modern AL — the VS Code tooling's
default formatter output, Microsoft's own current samples, and the BCApps
codebase — writes intrinsic/built-in function calls in the casing Microsoft
assigns to the function's declared name (typically PascalCase). ALL-CAPS
calls are a holdover from classic C/AL (C/SIDE) and signal code that has not
been modernized, even though it compiles and runs correctly.
This is a distinct concern from CodeCop AA0241
([[lowercase-reserved-keywords]]), which governs reserved keywords (`if`,
`begin`, `var`, `for`, ...) and explicitly excludes identifiers and function
calls. Intrinsic function names are identifiers, not keywords, so AA0241
does not catch ALL-CAPS intrinsic function calls — which is exactly why the
pattern survives unflagged from old training material and legacy modules
into new development.
## Best Practice
```al
Message('%1 records updated.', Count);
if not Confirm('Delete %1?', false, CustomerNo) then
exit;
Error(StrSubstNo('%1 must not be blank.', FieldCaption("No.")));
```
## Anti Pattern
```al
MESSAGE('%1 records updated.', Count);
IF NOT CONFIRM('Delete %1?', FALSE, CustomerNo) THEN
EXIT;
ERROR(STRSUBSTNO('%1 must not be blank.', FieldCaption("No.")));
```
ALL-CAPS intrinsic function calls (`MESSAGE`, `ERROR`, `CONFIRM`,
`STRSUBSTNO`, `CALCDATE`, `COPYSTR`, and similar) trip no current CodeCop
diagnostic, but they are a reliable signal that a code block was copied from
old C/AL material, a pre-2018 upgrade, or outdated training content rather
than written or reviewed against current AL conventions.