Chapter 3. The C/AL and VB Programming

In the last chapter, you learned about the latest features that have been added into Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016. It gave you an idea about what you can now expect from the system, and it also gives you space to predict future changes in the system. We also discussed the significance and effects of these features on the overall system.

Here, in this chapter, we are going to deliberate on the core programming aspect and related topics in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016. The main focus will be on the backend of the code, providing the reader with a glimpse of how the code interacts with the system.

The chapter requires some hands-on experience with C/AL Programming, and unlike other materials online, the chapter will not go into a list of functions and their syntax in any depth; instead, we will learn the most general aspects of C/AL. Compilation details and hierarchy of code will be presented in the chapter just to give the reader a broad angle about the system they are using. The chapter will also include a part on Visual Basic programming, where we will understand the core aspects of the programming language used for Dynamics NAV report design, which is one of the least-talked-about topics.

At the end of this chapter, you will understand how the C/AL code is actually written and compiled. You will also understand how the software interacts with the hardware, and commands it to perform the task it is instructed to perform by the code. This is very essential for all programmers to understand before they actually start coding.

This chapter will cover the following points:

• C/AL code core
• C/SIDE compiler design
• Different aspects of good programming practice in C/AL
• VB programming basics