How do I pass an array as a method result to Microsoft NAV?

StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13225536

  •  27-11-2021
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Question

As part of our software business, we offer a development kit for developers to integrate our software into theirs. We generally try to cater to many different languages/environments.

Recently, we've been getting some inquiries from some potential clients who are using Microsoft's Dynamics NAV. One of the flavors of our SDK is a COM callable dll, which can be referenced in NAV.

Now, one of the methods in our API returns a String array. One of the developers we're running a pilot program with reported problems using that method, and he couldn't find a way around it. We had to give him a workaround method which just returns the first index of the array (which is enough for his specific purposes), but this is obviously not a solution.

Unfortunately, we have zero Navision experience on hand, nor do we have a licensed copy of Navision (the trial version doesn't seem to let you tinker with code) and I wasn't able to find any information on this anywhere online.

Does anyone know if this is possible? And if so, what is the correct way to do it?

Was it helpful?

Solution

"Dimensions" are fixed on Array's in NAV, which makes it difficult to accept and send array-based data from COM.

While I haven't had the same issue, I've had the opposite (passing an array of strings to a COM), and one of the easiest ways was to use a loop and function to send the strings into a COM/DLL one at a time, then signal complete with a flag or similar. An unbounded array would be useful in .NET as you can just keep adding the strings as needed. I'm going to assume the DLL is .NET based;

So from .NET to C/AL;

  • A flag or function to let C/AL know that the array loop has finished
  • C/AL can use a loop to fetch each 'element' until the flag is set
  • .NET will need to feed the array items one by one

So from C/AL to .NET;

Similar to .NET to C/AL except .NET has unbounded arrays which makes things a little easier.

DotNetArray.ClearArray;

REPEAT        
   DotNetArray.Add(Customer.Name);        
UNTIL 

DotNetArray.EndOfArray;

Things to note;

  • Array indexes in C/AL are 1-based, .NET is 0 based.
  • An alternate way would be to pass the count and loop for x times

The following article might also be useful; http://dynamicsuser.net/blogs/waldo/archive/2011/03/21/nav-2009-r2-net-interop-using-arrays-collections.aspx

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