Whitepaper Accessor tables

Owned by Johannes Sebastian Nielsen
Last updated: Jul 26, 2022 by Morten Bjørn Larsen
5 min read

"Accessor tables"

A central part of the Extension API is an "accessor layer" to manipulate the XML content, but with no need to manipulate the XML Documents directly.

You are given functions that handles XML behind-the-scenes for you.


Derived from C#

Our "accessor table" -concept is derived from C# property classes.


From: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/classes-and-structs/using-properties

  • Properties combine aspects of both fields and methods.
  • To the user of an object, a property appears to be a field, accessing the property requires the same syntax.
  • To the implementer of a class, a property is one or two code blocks, representing a Get accessor and/or a Set accessor. The code block for the get accessor is executed when the property is read; the code block for the Set-accessor is executed when the property is assigned a new value.
  • Properties have many uses: they can validate data before allowing a change; they can transparently expose data on a class where that data is actually retrieved from some other source, such as a database; they can take an action when data is changed, such as raising an event, or changing the value of other fields.

Example, C#

C#
class Person
{
    private string name;  // the name field
    public string Name    // the Name property
    {
        get
        {
            return name;
        }
        set
        {
            name = value;
        }
    }
}



Accessor Tables (AL)

Since Codeunits cannot be used as parameters in all BC versions, we have introduced "accesssor tables". Basically C# style acccessor classes, but implemented at table level. 

Each table corresponds to a specific part of the Mobile WMS XML schema, and makes available get/set accessors for each node in corresponding namespaces.

Support for your custom fields

Every accessor table includes get/set-methods to add custom elements not being a part of the standard schema, including as CDATA elements.

This enables you to carry custom data to the Mobile Device when you customize Mobile WMS. 


List of tables


Ns Resp Element

The simplest accessor table, which only has one get/set-method property: "Description". 

  • Get_description(): Text
  • Set_description(NewValue: Text)
  • GetValue(_PathToGet: Text): Text
  • SetValue(_PathToSet: Text; _NewValue: Text)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewXmlCData: XmlCData)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewCDataValue: Text)

Ns BaseDataModel Element 

The "MOB Ns BaseDataModel Element" is used to build "<BaseOrder>" and "<BaseOrderLine>" elements in the BaseDataModel namespace. It is the most frequently used new accessor table by far. All 'GetXXXOrdes" and "GetXXXOrderLines" requests will make this accessor table available from a number of new "OnAfterSetFrom[...]"-events.

Sample use is i.e. OnGetReceiveOrders_OnAfterSetFromWarehouseReceiptHeader and OnGetCountOrders_OnAfterSetFromItemJournalBatch

At time of writing (August 2019) this accessor table supports these following tags:

  • Get / Set_BackendID
  • Get / Set_OrderBackendID
  • Get / Set_LineNumber  (set by Integer or Text)
  • Get / Set_FromBin
  • Get / Set_ValidateFromBin  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_ToBin
  • Get / Set_ValidateToBin  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_AllowBinChange  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_ItemNumber
  • Get / Set_ItemBarcode
  • Get / Set_Description
  • Get / Set_RegisterSerialNumber  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_RegisterLotNumber  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_RegisterExpirationDate  (set by Date or Text)
  • Get / Set_RegisterQtyByScan
  • Get / Set_SerialNumber
  • Get / Set_LotNumber
  • Get / Set_Quantity  (set by Decimal or Text)
  • Get / Set_RegisteredQuantity
  • Get / Set_UnitOfMeasure
  • Get / Set_Status
  • Get / Set_HeaderLabel1
  • Get / Set_HeaderLabel2
  • Get / Set_HeaderValue1
  • Get / Set_HeaderValue2
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine1
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine2
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine3
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine4
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine5
  • Get / Set_UnderDeliveryValidation
  • Get / Set_OverDeliveryValidation
  • Get / Set_ItemImageID

    ... for Tote Picking only:
  • Get / Set_TotePicking  (set by Boolean or Text)
  • Get / Set_Destination
  • Get / Set_Priority

    ... for sorting. Is never written Xml Response directly but used by the Mobile WMS base application to determine and populate <Sorting>-tag
    ... unlike versions prior to MOB5.00, the <Sorting> tag can no longer be set directly but is always populated by the system.

  • Get / Set_Sorting1 (internal)   (set by Integer, Date or Text –> will be formatted and padded as needed to match sql sorting)
  • Get / Set_Sorting2 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting3 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting4 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting5 (internal)   (- do -)


... for new (custom) tags:

  • GetValue(_PathToGet: Text): Text
  • SetValue(_PathToSet: Text; _NewValue: Text)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewXmlCData: XmlCData)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewCDataValue: Text)


Ns WhseInquiry Element

The "MOB Ns WhseInquiry Element" is used to build "<LookupResponse>"-elements in the WarehouseInquiryDataModel namespace. It is used from the "MOB WMS Lookup" codeunit.

Sample use is i.e. OnLookupOnLocateItem_OnAfterSetFromBinContent and OnLookupOnPostShipment_OnAfterSetFromWarehouseShipmentHeader

At time of writing (August 2019) this accessor table supports these following tags:

  • Get / Set_Location
  • Get / Set_ItemNumber
  • Get / Set_Barcode
  • Get / Set_DisplaySerialNumber  (Note: Text field to display SerialNumber including leading label)
  • Get / Set_SerialNumber
  • Get / Set_DisplayLotNumber  (Note: Text field to display LotNumber including leading label)
  • Get / Set_LotNumber
  • Get / Set_DisplayExpirationDate  (Note: Text field to display ExpirationDate including leading label)
  • Get / Set_ExpirationDate  (set by Date or Text)
  • Get / Set_Bin
  • Get / Set_Quantity  (set by Decimal or Text)
  • Get / Set_UoM
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine1
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine2
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine3
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine4
  • Get / Set_DisplayLine5
  • Get / Set_ExtraInfo1
  • Get / Set_ExtraInfo2
  • Get / Set_ExtraInfo3

    ... for "LookupPostShipment" only:
  • Get / Set_ShipmentNo

    ...  for sorting. Is never written Xml Response directly but used by the Mobile WMS base application to determine and populate <Sorting>-tag
    ... Unlike versions prior to MOB4.50, the <Sorting> tag can no longer be set directly but is always populated by the system.
  • Get / Set_Sorting1 (internal)   (set by Integer, Date or Text –> will be formatted and padded as needed to match sql sorting)
  • Get / Set_Sorting2 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting3 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting4 (internal)   (- do -)
  • Get / Set_Sorting5 (internal)   (- do -)

    ... for new (custom) tags with no preexisting Get/Set-methods:

  • GetValue(_PathToGet: Text): Text
  • SetValue(_PathToSet: Text; _NewValue: Text)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewXmlCData: XmlCData)

  • SetValueAsCData(_PathToSet: Text; _NewCDataValue: Text)

Ns Request Element

The "MOB Ns Request Element" is used to read data from "Request"-XmlDocuments. 

At time of writing (November 2020) this accessor table supports these following tags that correspends to HeaderFields used by the standard Mobile WMS Application:

  • Get_AssignedUser
  • Get_Bin
  • Get_Date
  • Get_ExpirationDate
  • Get_FilterLocation
  • Get_FromBin
  • Get_Item
  • Get_ItemCategory
  • Get_ItemDescription
  • Get_ItemNo
  • Get_ItemNumber
  • Get_Location
  • Get_LocationFilter
  • Get_LotNumber
  • Get_OrderBackendID
  • Get_PurchaseOrderNumber
  • Get_Quantity
  • Get_ReferenceID
  • Get_ShipmentNoFilter
  • Get_ToBin
  • Get_ToteID
  • Get_UnitOfMeasure
  • Get_ContextValuesAsWhseInquiryElement   - requires Android App 1.5.5 and Mobile WMS 5.22 (or newer)

  ... for new (custom) tags with no preexisting Get/Set-methods:

  • GetValue(_PathToGet: Text): Text
  • SetValue(_PathToSet: Text; _NewValue: Text)
  • GetContextValue(_PathToGet: Text): Text    - requires Android App 1.5.5 and Mobile WMS 5.22 (or newer)


In legacy versions... 

  • GetValue requires the tag to be in requestData-section of the Xml Request.
  • The tag must have a corresponding HeaderField in the HeaderConfiguration declared for the page.
  • Only tags with corresponding and exactly equally named HeaderFields is transferred from the calling page ("context") to the Xml Request


Since Android App 1.5.5 additional "ContextValues" is sent with the Xml Request when calling an action from any page. 
Reading such "ContextValues" requires Mobile WMS 5.22 (or newer).

  • Actions from Lookup-pages provides additonal "ContextValues" with their request
  • ContextValues can be read directly using GetContextValue if you need the original value when same tag exists as RequestData, or with GetValueOrContextValue (fallback to ContextValue if RequestData do not exist).
  • All values from LookupResponse-elements from "caller" pages is added to the Xml Request and can be accessed with no need for a corresponding HeaderField