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Lead with a complete plugin quick start and add task-oriented usage, troubleshooting, customization, and contribution guides. Preserve the broader plugin framing, correct conflicting contract guidance, support Agents folder reviews, and align repository validation. Convert existing sample references to clickable links without changing knowledge rules. Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
28 lines
2 KiB
Markdown
28 lines
2 KiB
Markdown
---
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bc-version: [all]
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domain: data-modeling
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keywords: [no-series, primary-key, code20, oninsert, autoincrement, number-assignment]
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technologies: [al]
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countries: [w1]
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application-area: [all]
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---
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# A master table's `No.` primary key comes from a number series in `OnInsert`
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## Description
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In Business Central, a master table (Customer, Vendor, Item, and any custom equivalent) uses a single primary-key field named `No.` of type `Code[20]`. It is populated from a number series — configured on the feature's application-area setup table — inside the table's `OnInsert` trigger, but only when `No.` is still blank (so a user may still type a manual number when the series allows it). The record also keeps a non-editable `No. Series` `Code[20]` field recording which series produced the number.
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This is not an `Integer` `AutoIncrement` key, a GUID, or the `SystemId`. Those are surrogate/system identifiers that users never see and cannot quote; BC's whole document flow — lookups, filtering, printed references, telephone support — depends on a short, human-readable, business-controlled `No.`. Use the modern assignment API described in `use-no-series-codeunit-not-noseriesmanagement.md`.
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## Best Practice
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`No.` `Code[20]` is the sole primary key; a non-editable `No. Series` `Code[20]` field records the source series. `OnInsert` checks `if "No." = ''`, reads the setup table, `TestField`s the configured series, stores it in `No. Series`, and assigns `No.` from the series.
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See sample: [`master-table-no-from-number-series-in-oninsert.good.al`](master-table-no-from-number-series-in-oninsert.good.al).
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## Anti Pattern
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An `Integer` `AutoIncrement` (or GUID / `SystemId`) primary key used as the business key, with no `OnInsert` number assignment. Records get an opaque identifier no user can reference, and the master no longer participates in the standard numbering and manual-entry behavior every other BC master follows.
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See sample: [`master-table-no-from-number-series-in-oninsert.bad.al`](master-table-no-from-number-series-in-oninsert.bad.al).
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