Data structure

The following data types are in the data structure group:

• File: Refers to any standard Windows file outside the NAV database. There is a reasonably complete set of functions to allow a range of actions, including creating, deleting, opening, closing, reading, writing, and copying data files. For example, we could create our own NAV routines in C/AL to import or export data from or to a file that has been created by some other application.

With the three tier architecture of NAV 2017, business logic runs on the server, not the client. We need to keep this in mind whenever we are referring to local external files, because they will be on the server by default. The use of Unpersal Naming Convention (UNC) paths can make this easier to manage.

• Record: Refers to a single data row within a NAV table consisting of indpidual fields. Quite often, multiple variable instances of a Record (table) are defined in working storage to support a validation process, allowing access to different records within the table at one time in the same function.