6.2 Report Layouts: RDLC, Word, Excel & Multilanguage

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Developer MB-820

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1 Chapter 1: Business Central Architecture & Platform Foundation

1.1 Business Central Architecture & Extensions Model 1.2 Customization Lifecycle: Cloud (SaaS) vs. On-Premises 1.3 Base Application, System Application & AppSource

2 Chapter 2: Development Environment & Configuration

2.1: Development Environment Setup: VS Code, AL: Go! Projects & Sandboxes 2.2: AL Configuration Files: app.json & launch.json Parameters 2.3: Multi-Root Workspaces & Project Dependencies

3 Chapter 3: Extension Lifecycle: Debugging, Deployment, Multilanguage & Maintenance

3.1 Debugging & Snapshot Debugging in Visual Studio Code 3.2 Extension Deployment & Schema Synchronization Modes 3.3 Multilanguage Development with XLIFF & Translation Files 3.4 Extension Maintenance, Deprecation & Breaking Changes

4 Chapter 4: Tables, Table Extensions & Data Modeling

4.1: Building Tables, Fields, Keys & Data Types 4.2: Table Extensions & Table Modifications 4.3: FlowFields, FlowFilters & Table Relations 4.4: Enums, Enum Extensions & Extensible Types

5 Chapter 5: Pages, Page Extensions & Role Centers

5.1: Page Types, Anatomy & Control Structure 5.2: Building Card, List & Document Pages 5.3: Page Extensions & Page Customizations 5.4: Role Centers, Headlines & Cue Data Modeling

6 Chapter 6: Reports & Document Generation

6.1 Report Architecture, DataItems & Dataset Design 6.2 Report Layouts: RDLC, Word, Excel & Multilanguage 6.3 Document Reports & Request Page Programming 6.4 Processing-Only Reports & Report Substitutions

7 Chapter 7: XMLports & Data Exchange

7.1 XMLport Architecture, Formats & Properties 7.2 XMLport Node Hierarchy, Triggers & Stream Manipulation

8 Chapter 8: Codeunits, Events, Triggers & Interfaces

8.1 Codeunit Types, Execution & SingleInstance Codeunits 8.2 Events, Publishers, Subscribers & Event Isolation 8.3 Interfaces, Polymorphism & Dynamic Codeunit Invocation 8.4 Installation & Upgrade Codeunits, Data Transfer & Archive

9 Chapter 9: Entitlements, Permissions & Queries

9.1 Permission Sets & Permission Set Extensions 9.2 Inherent Permissions, Inherent Entitlements & Security Scoping 9.3 Query Objects: Joins, Aggregation & Query as Report Data Source

10 Chapter 10: UI Customization, User Assistance & Onboarding

10.1 Profile Objects & Custom Page Views in AL 10.2 User Assistance: ToolTips, Teaching Tips & In-App Tours 10.3 Assisted Setup, Guided Experience & Onboarding Checklists

11 Chapter 11: Business Central Design Patterns & Data Process Model

11.1 Functional Table Types: Master Data, Supplemental & Setup Patterns 11.2 Document Standards: Header, Line, History & Journal Architectures 11.3 Data Process Model & Posting Routine Architecture

12 Chapter 12: AL Language Fundamentals, Data Types & Variables

12.1 AL Syntax, Variable Scope, Primitive & Complex Data Types 12.2 Expressions, Control Flow Statements & Built-in Functions 12.3 Access Modifiers (Public, Internal, Local) & Code Scoping

13 Chapter 13: Data Manipulation, Streams & Error Handling

13.1 Record Operations: Get, FindSet, ModifyAll & Filter Functions 13.2 Streams, File Management & TempBlob 13.3 Error Handling: ErrorInfo, TryFunctions & Collectible Errors

14 Chapter 14: Testing, Test Toolkit & Automation

14.1 Testing Architecture & the Test Toolkit 14.2 Authoring Test Codeunits & UI Handler Functions

15 Chapter 15: Telemetry, Performance Optimization & Analyzers

15.1 Telemetry Configuration & Azure Application Insights 15.2 Custom Telemetry Signals with Session.LogMessage & KQL 15.3 Performance Profiler, SetLoadFields & Query Optimization 15.4 AL Analyzers: CodeCop, AppSourceCop, UICop & PTECop

16 Chapter 16: REST Web Services & JSON in AL

16.1 HttpClient, HttpRequestMessage & REST API Consumption 16.2 JSON Processing: JsonObject, JsonArray, JsonValue & JsonToken

17 Chapter 17: API Pages, OData, Read Scale-Out & OAuth

17.1 API Pages (PageType=API), OData Web Services & REST Endpoints 17.2 Bound and Unbound OData Actions with [ServiceEnabled] 17.3 Read Scale-Out Architecture & DataAccessIntent Configuration 17.4 Microsoft Entra ID App Registrations & OAuth 2.0 Integration

6.2 Report Layouts: RDLC, Word, Excel & Multilanguage

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Modern AL reports utilize the rendering block with layout elements specifying Type (RDLC, Word, Excel) and LayoutFile, controlled by DefaultRenderingLayout.

RDLC layouts consume the flat DataSet_Result using Tablix data regions with row/column groupings, aggregate functions (First, Sum), and =ReportItems!ControlName.Value expressions to display dynamic body data in page headers.

Microsoft Word layouts map Custom XML Parts (urn:microsoft-dynamics-nav/reports/...) to Plain Text and Repeating Section Content Controls, excelling at letterhead and correspondence formatting but requiring AL pre-calculation for running totals.

Excel layouts inject the raw dataset into a protected Data worksheet, enabling self-service modeling with pre-designed Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts, Slicers, and =SUMIFS() formulas on separate analysis sheets.

The labels block defines localizable string constants that appear in layout datasets as ReportLabel elements and integrate directly with XLIFF (.xlf) multi-language translation files, dynamic runtime language switching (CurrReport.Language), and regional formatting (CurrReport.FormatRegion).

Last updated: August 2026

6.2 Report Layouts: RDLC, Word, Excel & Multilanguage

Once a report's dataset is constructed in AL, Business Central requires a layout engine to format, style, and render the raw data into human-readable documents or analytical workbooks. Business Central supports three distinct built-in layout technologies— RDLC (Report Definition Language Client) , Microsoft Word , and Microsoft Excel —as well as tenant-level user customizations.

1. Modern Layout Architecture: The rendering Block

Starting with Business Central 2022 Release Wave 2 (runtime 10.0+), the modern and recommended approach for declaring layouts in AL is the rendering block. This architecture decouples reports from a single hardcoded layout and allows multiple layout definitions within the same report object. report 50105 "Standard Sales Invoice"

• {
• DefaultRenderingLayout = StandardRDLC;
• ApplicationArea = Basic, Suite;
• UsageCategory = Documents;

• dataset
• {
• // DataItems and Columns
• }

• requestpage
• {
• // Request page definition
• }

• rendering
• {
• layout(StandardRDLC)
• {
• Type = RDLC;
• LayoutFile = './src/reports/layouts/SalesInvoice.rdlc';
• Caption = 'Standard Sales Invoice (RDLC)';
• Summary = 'Standard corporate invoice layout with precision headers and tax breakdown.';
• }
• layout(WordTemplate)
• {
• Type = Word;
• LayoutFile = './src/reports/layouts/SalesInvoice.docx';
• Caption = 'Editable Word Invoice Template';
• Summary = 'Clean, modern Word template for customer-facing communication.';
• }
• layout(ExcelAnalysis)
• {
• Type = Excel;
• LayoutFile = './src/reports/layouts/SalesInvoiceAnalysis.xlsx';
• Caption = 'Sales Invoice Data Analysis';
• Summary = 'Raw dataset with pre-configured Pivot Tables and Margin charts.';
• }
• }
• }
• Comparison of Layout Engines

Capability / Feature RDLC Layout Word Layout Excel Layout

Primary Use Case Precision transactional documents (Invoices, Checks, Barcode labels). Customer-facing documents requiring letterhead or prose styling. Financial modeling, data exploration, pivot summaries, charts.

Authoring Tool Microsoft Report Builder / Visual Studio Report Designer. Microsoft Word desktop app with XML Mapping Pane. Microsoft Excel desktop application.

Repeating Data Tablix (Table, Matrix, List) with Grouping. Repeating Section Content Control. Data worksheet populated row-by-row; Pivot Tables.

Header/Footer Context Complex headers using ReportItems! expressions. Native Word headers/footers (repeats first page/all pages). Excel print titles and sheet headers.

Interactive Features Drilldown toggles, document maps, sorting. None (static rendered document). Pivot slicers, formulas ( SUMIFS ), interactive charts.

Rendering Formats PDF, Preview, Physical Printer. PDF, DOCX, Preview, Physical Printer. XLSX (direct Excel download).

Extension Layouts vs. Tenant Custom Report Layouts

Business Central differentiates between built-in layouts supplied by extensions and custom layouts created by tenant administrators:

Built-in Layouts : Defined in the AL rendering block or extension manifest. They are immutable and deployed with the .app package.

Tenant Custom Layouts ( Report Layouts page) : Users can navigate to the Report Layouts page in the Web Client, select any report, and export its layout file (RDLC, Word, or Excel). After modifying the file locally, the user uploads it back to Business Central as a custom tenant layout. Users can designate custom layouts as the company default without modifying AL extension code.

2. RDLC Layout Design Mechanics

RDLC layouts represent Report Definition Language files rendered on the client or server using the Microsoft Reporting Services engine. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

• | RDLC REPORT LAYOUT |
• | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
• | | Page Header: [=First(Fields!CompanyName.Value, "DataSet_Result")]| |
• | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
• | | Body: Tablix Data Region | |
• | | +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+ | |
• | | | Header Group | Order No: [=Fields!OrderNo.Value] | | |
• | | +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+ | |
• | | | Details Row | [ItemNo] | [Description] | [Amount] | | |
• | | +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+ | |
• | | | Footer Group | Total: [=Sum(Fields!Amount.Value)] | | |
• | | +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+ | |
• | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
• | | Page Footer: Page [=Globals!PageNumber] of [=Globals!TotalPages]| |
• | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
• +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
• Key RDLC Design Principles

The Single Dataset Rule : In RDLC, all data arrives in one flat table named DataSet_Result . You reference fields with =Fields!FieldName.Value .

Tablix Controls : A Tablix is the universal data region. It combines Table, Matrix (cross-tab), and List functionalities. Developers establish Parent/Child Row Groups (e.g., grouping by OrderNo ) and detail rows for line items.

Aggregation Expressions : When referencing parent data inside group headers or summaries, use aggregate functions:

=First(Fields!CustomerName.Value, "OrderNoGroup") : Retrieves the customer name for the active group.

=Sum(Fields!LineAmount.Value, "OrderNoGroup") : Calculates group totals.

Visibility & Conditional Formatting : Controls can be hidden dynamically using Boolean expressions in the Hidden property: =IIf(Fields!Quantity.Value = 0, True, False) .

The Page Header Limitation : RDLC does not allow direct field references ( =Fields!Field.Value ) inside page headers or footers. To display dynamic data (such as the active invoice number) in a page header, developers place a hidden textbox in the body and reference it in the header using =ReportItems!HiddenTextBoxName.Value .

Loading diagram... Business Central Report Layout Compilation & Rendering Pipeline

3. Microsoft Word Layout Design

Word layouts provide an intuitive approach for creating editable, customer-facing business documents using Microsoft Word's standard formatting tools.

Designing Word Layouts via the XML Mapping Pane

Generate the initial Word layout file by compiling the AL report in VS Code ( Ctrl+Shift+B ), which outputs the .docx schema shell specified in LayoutFile .

Open the .docx file in Microsoft Word and enable the Developer ribbon tab.

Open the XML Mapping Pane and select the Custom XML Part corresponding to the report namespace: urn:microsoft-dynamics-nav/reports/<ReportName>/<ReportID>/ .

Mapping Single Fields : Insert a Plain Text Content Control into table cells or paragraphs where scalar values (e.g., CompanyName , PostingDate ) should appear.

Mapping Repeating Tables (Lines) : Highlight the entire table row designated for line items, right-click the parent Line node in the XML Mapping Pane, and select Insert Content Control > Repeating Section .

Exam Watchout — Word Layout Limitations: Word layouts excel at visual design and typography, but they lack advanced computational capabilities. Running totals across pages, complex multi-dataset grouping, and page-count-dependent logic cannot be calculated natively inside Word; such calculations must be computed in AL prior to dataset emission.

• 4. Microsoft Excel Layouts & Multilanguage Labels
• Excel Layout Engine Mechanics

Excel layouts enable self-service business intelligence and financial reporting directly from Business Central report datasets:

When an Excel layout report executes, Business Central writes the entire flattened dataset into a worksheet named Data .

Developers can design secondary worksheets containing Pivot Tables , Pivot Charts , and Excel formulas ( =SUMIFS(...) , =XLOOKUP(...) ) that reference the Data sheet.

When the user runs the report from the Web Client, the NST injects the fresh dataset into the Data sheet and triggers Excel's automatic formula/pivot cache refresh upon opening.

Multilanguage Labels in Reports

To ensure report layouts support multilingual deployments without hardcoding English text into RDLC or Word files, AL provides the labels block. report 50105 "Standard Sales Invoice"

{

// ...

• labels
• {
• InvoiceTitleLbl = 'TAX INVOICE', Comment = 'Document title printed in header';
• SubtotalLbl = 'Subtotal Amount', MaxLength = 30;
• VATHdrLbl = 'VAT Breakdown Summary';
• ThankYouMsgLbl = 'Thank you for your business!';
• }
• }

Labels defined in the labels block are automatically emitted as dataset fields in the layout schema with the suffix Caption (e.g., InvoiceTitleLblCaption ).

The translation compiler extracts these labels into the extension's .xlf translation files, allowing localization into dozens of languages.

In AL code triggers, developers can dynamically adjust the report's language and region formatting based on customer preferences using CurrReport.Language := Language.GetLanguageIdOrDefault(Customer."Language Code"); and CurrReport.FormatRegion := Customer."Format Region"; .