Dynamic Information tutorial

This hands-on tutorial guides you through creating your first dynamic information fields in 3PL Dynamics. You'll start with simple examples and progress to more advanced scenarios.

Tutorial objectives

By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to:

• Create basic field-based dynamic information fields
• Set up calculated information fields using function sets
• Configure FlowField-based information fields
• Apply formatting and styling
• Add information fields to page layouts
• Monitor and optimize performance

Prerequisites

• Access to 3PL Dynamics with appropriate permissions
• Basic understanding of Business Central navigation
• Familiarity with the data you want to extend

Tutorial 1: Create a simple field-based information field

In this tutorial, you create a dynamic information field that displays an existing field with custom formatting.

Scenario: Display Item Unit Cost with custom formatting

This scenario shows the unit cost of items with currency formatting and custom styling.

Step 1: Open Dynamic Information

1. Press Alt+Q to open the search.
2. Type "Dynamic Information" and press Enter.
3. Select New to create a new information field.

Step 2: Basic configuration

1. In Table No., enter 27 (Item table).
2. In Code, enter UNIT_COST_FORMATTED.
3. In Description, enter Unit Cost (Formatted).
4. In Value Type, select Decimal.

Step 3: Link to field

1. In Field No., enter 22 (Unit Cost field).
2. Notice that Is FlowField is automatically set to false.

Step 4: Configure formatting

1. In Decimals, enter 0:2 (0 minimum, 2 maximum decimal places).
2. In Standard Format, select No Thousand Separator.

Step 5: Save and test

1. Select OK to save.
2. Navigate to an Item List page.
3. Check if your information field appears in the available fields.

Tutorial 2: Create a calculated information field

In this tutorial, you create an information field that calculates a value using a simple formula.

Scenario: Calculate item profit margin percentage

This scenario shows profit margin as a percentage based on unit cost and unit price.

Step 1: Create the information field

1. Open Dynamic Information.
2. Select New.
3. In Table No., enter 27 (Item table).
4. In Code, enter PROFIT_MARGIN_PCT.
5. In Description, enter Profit Margin %.
6. In Value Type, select Decimal.

Step 2: Set up function set

1. In Value Function Set ID, select the lookup (you'll need to create a function set).
2. Create a simple calculation: (Unit Price - Unit Cost) / Unit Price * 100.
3. Save the function set and note its ID.
4. Enter the function set ID in the Value Function Set ID field.

Step 3: Configure display

1. In Decimals, enter 0:1 (show as percentage with 1 decimal).
2. In Standard Format, leave as default.

Step 4: Add performance monitoring

1. In Track Performance Statistics, select Yes (Session).
2. In Slow Calculation Threshold, enter 100 (100 milliseconds).

Tutorial 3: Create a FlowField information field

In this tutorial, you create an information field that aggregates data from related tables.

Scenario: Show total quantity on sales orders

This scenario displays total quantity for all lines on a sales order.

Step 1: Create the information field

1. In Table No., enter 36 (Sales Header table).
2. In Code, enter TOTAL_QUANTITY.
3. In Description, enter Total Order Quantity.
4. In Value Type, select Decimal.

Step 2: Configure FlowField

1. In Field No., select a FlowField that sums quantities from Sales Lines.
2. Is FlowField is automatically set to true.
3. Set Calculate Field to true.

Step 3: Set FlowFilter (optional)

You can filter which lines to include:

1. In FlowFilter Values, enter Type=Item (only include item lines).

Step 4: Configure caching

1. In Buffer Recalculation Interval, enter 00:01:00 (1 minute).
2. In Entry Recalculation Interval, enter 00:05:00 (5 minutes).

Tutorial 4: Add conditional styling

In this tutorial, you enhance the profit margin information field with color coding.

Scenario: Color-code profit margins

This scenario shows profit margins in green (good), yellow (average), or red (poor).

Step 1: Edit existing information field

1. Open your PROFIT_MARGIN_PCT information field.
2. Go to the Style Function Set ID field.

Step 2: Create style function set

Create a function set that returns style names based on value:

IF Profit Margin >= 20 THEN 'Favorable'
ELSE IF Profit Margin >= 10 THEN 'Ambiguous'
ELSE 'Unfavorable'

Step 3: Apply the style

1. Enter the style function set ID.
2. Save the information field.

Tutorial 5: Set up layouts

In this tutorial, you control where your information fields appear on pages.

Step 1: Create an information layout

1. Search for "Dynamic Information Layouts".
2. Select New.
3. In Table No., enter 27 (Item table).
4. In Code, enter ITEM_DASHBOARD.
5. In Description, enter Item Dashboard Layout.

Step 2: Add layout lines

1. From the layout card, select Lines.

2. Add a new line for each information field:

   • In Dynamic Information Code, enter UNIT_COST_FORMATTED.
   • In Display Order, enter 10.
   • In Value Type, select Decimal.

3. Add another line:

   • In Dynamic Information Code, enter PROFIT_MARGIN_PCT.
   • In Display Order, enter 20.
   • In Value Type, select Decimal.

Step 3: Associate with page

1. Search for "Dynamic Page Layouts".
2. Find or create entry for Item table.
3. Set Dynamic Info. Layout Code to ITEM_DASHBOARD.

Tutorial 6: Test and validate

In this tutorial, you verify your attributes are working correctly.

Step 1: View on item list

1. Navigate to the Item List page.
2. Look for your dynamic information fields in the field list.
3. Add them to your view if not already visible.

Step 2: Test calculations

1. Select different items.
2. Verify the profit margin calculations are correct.
3. Check that styling is applied appropriately.

Step 3: Check performance

1. Return to your Dynamic Information.
2. Open the PROFIT_MARGIN_PCT information field.
3. Check the performance fields:
   • No. of Calculations
   • Total Elapsed Calc. Time
   • Max. Elapsed Calc. Time

Tutorial 7: Advanced scenario - warehouse KPIs

In this tutorial, you create a more complex example for warehouse management.

Scenario: Location utilization dashboard

This scenario shows utilization percentage and status for warehouse locations.

Step 1: Create utilization percentage

1. In Table No., enter the Location table number.
2. In Code, enter UTILIZATION_PCT.
3. In Description, enter Utilization %.
4. In Value Type, select Decimal.
5. Create function set to calculate: (Used Capacity / Total Capacity) * 100.

Step 2: Create status indicator

1. In Code, enter UTILIZATION_STATUS.
2. In Description, enter Utilization Status.
3. In Value Type, select Text.
4. Create function set that returns:
   • "Optimal" for 70-85% utilization
   • "Underutilized" for <70%
   • "Overcrowded" for >85%

Step 3: Add visual indicators

1. Create style function sets for both attributes.
2. Use traffic light colors (green, yellow, red).

Step 4: Create comprehensive layout

1. Create layout: WAREHOUSE_KPI.
2. Add all warehouse-related information fields.
3. Order them logically.

Common pitfalls and solutions

Issue: Information field not showing

Solutions:

• Check if information field is blocked
• Verify table number matches page
• Ensure layout is properly configured
• Check user permissions

Issue: Slow performance

Solutions:

• Enable performance tracking
• Increase caching intervals
• Simplify function set logic
• Add database indexes if needed

Issue: Incorrect calculations

Solutions:

• Test function sets independently
• Check FlowFilter syntax
• Verify field mappings
• Review data types

Issue: Styling not applied

Solutions:

• Verify style function set returns valid style names
• Check conditional logic
• Test with different data values
• Review style definitions

Next steps

You've learned the fundamentals of Dynamic Information. Here's how to continue your journey:

Immediate actions

• Practice: Create information fields for your own business scenarios
• Experiment: Try different value types and formatting options
• Monitor: Set up performance tracking for production use

Advanced topics

• Complex function sets: Learn advanced calculation techniques
• Multi-table information fields: Work with related table data
• Custom page integration: Add information fields to custom pages
• API integration: Use information fields in web services

Best practices

• Start simple: Begin with basic field-based information fields
• Plan performance: Consider caching and calculation complexity
• Document logic: Keep clear notes on business rules
• User training: Help your team understand new functionality