mirror of
https://github.com/microsoft/BCQuality.git
synced 2026-10-05 14:46:55 +01:00
4287233f80
* Strengthen review contracts and HTTP guidance - add outbound HttpClient transport and HTTP status review rules with paired fixtures`n- resolve layered action-skill overrides deterministically across enabled layers`n- validate findings reports and enforce measurable changed-fixture coverage * Add data handling and test isolation guidance - add SCM guidance for deriving base quantities through line unit-of-measure validation`n- add security guidance for parameterizing SetFilter with external text`n- add test isolation guidance for resetting per-test state before initialization guards`n- add web-service guidance for JSON null handling and invariant standard format 9`n- route and cover all five rules with paired evaluation fixtures * Fix findings report rollup validation * Validate findings report rollups * Enforce merged finding identity * Fix locationless finding deduplication * Reject conflicting merged corrections * Detect conflicting leaf corrections * Route HTTP error checks to canonical web-services knowledge Let the Error Handling leaf conditionally retrieve the existing HTTP owner articles, preserving applicability and exact-path provenance. Add deterministic source-contract and retrieval regressions without duplicating knowledge rules. Copilot-Session-Id: a92a7788-103e-4651-9b84-19e34caffb94 Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --------- Co-authored-by: wenjiefan <wenjiefan@microsoft.com> Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Jesper Schulz-Wedde <jesper.schulzwedde@microsoft.com>
39 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
bc-version: [all]
|
|
domain: web-services
|
|
keywords: [format, evaluate, standard-format-9, xml-format, locale, regional-settings, decimal-separator, data-exchange, integration]
|
|
technologies: [al]
|
|
countries: [w1]
|
|
application-area: [all]
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Format exchanged values with standard format 9
|
|
|
|
## Description
|
|
|
|
`Format(Value)` uses standard format 0, the display format, and follows the current user's regional settings. The same decimal renders as `-76.543,21` for a European region and `-76,543.21` for English (US); the same date renders as `05-04-21` or `04/05/21`. Text built this way and sent outside Business Central (an HTTP query string or body, an XML or CSV file, a signature or hash input, or an external key) changes with the user or job queue session that produces it. The receiver can reject it or, worse, misread it. `Evaluate` without a format number has the same dependency when it parses machine-generated text.
|
|
|
|
## Best Practice
|
|
|
|
Use `Format(Value, 0, 9)` for machine-readable text. Standard format 9 is the XML format and doesn't depend on the region: `-76543.21` for a decimal, `2021-04-05` for a date, `04:35:55.553` for a time, `true`/`false` for a Boolean, and a UTC `DateTime` such as `2021-04-05T03:35:55.553Z`. Parse such text with `Evaluate(Variable, Text, 9)`.
|
|
|
|
Prefer typed APIs when they exist. `JsonObject.Add` and `JsonValue.SetValue` with a `Decimal`, `Date`, or `Boolean` argument write a JSON value without going through display text. An XMLport handles this with `FormatEvaluate = Xml`.
|
|
|
|
For `Enum` and `Option` values, format 9 produces the ordinal number, not the name. When the external contract exchanges names, map them explicitly; see [`api-enum-values-are-a-contract-by-name-not-ordinal.md`](api-enum-values-are-a-contract-by-name-not-ordinal.md).
|
|
|
|
Text shown to a person (messages, captions, report columns, notifications) should keep the regional display format. `Code`, `Text`, and `Guid` values don't need format 9 because their standard formats don't vary by region.
|
|
|
|
See sample: [`format-exchanged-values-with-standard-format-9.good.al`](format-exchanged-values-with-standard-format-9.good.al).
|
|
|
|
## Anti Pattern
|
|
|
|
`Format(Amount)`, `Format(PostingDate)`, or `Format(SomeDateTime)` concatenated into a URL, request body, XML or CSV line, file name, or hash input. Passing the `Decimal` or `Date` itself to `StrSubstNo` for such text has the same effect, because `StrSubstNo` formats it with the display format. Also `Evaluate(DecimalOrDateVariable, ExternalText)` without format number 9 on text received from another system. The code usually works for the developer's own region and fails for users or job queue sessions in another one. Detection signal: `Format` with one argument, or with a format number other than 9, applied to a `Decimal`, `Date`, `Time`, `DateTime`, or `Boolean` on a path that writes to an `HttpContent`, `HttpRequestMessage`, `OutStream`, `XmlDocument`, or file.
|
|
|
|
See sample: [`format-exchanged-values-with-standard-format-9.bad.al`](format-exchanged-values-with-standard-format-9.bad.al).
|
|
|
|
## References
|
|
|
|
- [Formatting values, dates, and time: standard formats by region and format 9](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/devenv-format-property)
|
|
- [System.Format method](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/methods-auto/system/system-format-joker-integer-integer-method)
|
|
- [System.Evaluate method and format number 9](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/methods-auto/system/system-evaluate-method)
|
|
- [FormatEvaluate property for XMLports](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/developer/properties/devenv-formatevaluate-property)
|