The following data types are used for advanced functionality in NAV, sometimes supporting an interface with an external object:
- RecordID: It contains the object number and primary key of a table.
- RecordRef: It identifies a record/row in a table. RecordRef can be used to obtain information about the table, the record, the fields in the record, and the currently active filters on the table.
- FieldRef: It identifies a field in a table, thus it allows access to the contents of that field.
- KeyRef: It identifies a key in a table and the fields in that key.
Since the specific record, field, and key references are assigned at runtime, RecordRef, FieldRef, and KeyRef are used to support logic which can run on tables that are not specified at design time. This means that one routine built on these data types can be created to perform a common function for a variety of different tables and table formats.
- Variant: It defines variables typically used for interfacing with Automation and DotNet objects. Variant variables can contain data of various C/AL data types for passing to an Automation or DotNet object as well as external Automation data types that cannot be mapped to C/AL data types.
- TableFilter: It is used for variables which only can be used for setting security filters from the Permissions table.
- Transaction Type: It has optional values of UpdateNoLocks, Update, Snapshot, Browse, and Report which define SQL Server behavior for a NAV Report or XMLport transaction from the beginning of the transaction.
- BLOB: It can contain either specially formatted text, a graphic in the form of a bitmap, or other developer-defined binary data up to 2 GB in size. Binary Large Objects (BLOBs) can only be included in tables; they cannot be used to define working storage variables. See Developer and IT Pro Help for additional information.
- BigText: It can contain large chunks of text up to 2 GB in size. The BigText variables can only be defined in the working storage within an object, but not included in tables. The BigText variables cannot be directly displayed or seen in the debugger. There is a group of special functions that can be used to handle BigText data. See Developer and IT Pro Help for additional information.
To handle text strings in a single data element greater than 250 characters in length, use a combination of BLOB and BigText variables.
- GUID: It is used to assign a unique identifying number to any database object. Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) is a 16-byte binary data type that is used for the unique global identification of records, objects, and so on. The GUID is generated by an algorithm developed by Microsoft.
- TestPage: It is used to store a test page which is a logical representation of a page that does not display a UI. Test pages are used when doing NAV application testing using the automated testing facility that is part of NAV.