Table Selection

When configuring indicators, selecting the right table is crucial. This guide explains how to choose and work with table selection in Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting.

Accessing Table Selection

When creating an indicator:

Open the Define Indicator page
Click the assist-edit (…) button on the Table Name field
The Select Table page opens
Browse or search for the desired table

Understanding Tables

What is a Table?

In Business Central, tables store data:

Customers are stored in the Customer table
Sales orders are stored in the Sales Header table
Ledger entries are stored in various Ledger Entry tables

Tables Available

Indicators can read from any table in Business Central:

Standard tables (Customer, Vendor, Item, etc.)
Ledger entry tables (G/L Entry, Customer Ledger Entry, etc.)
Document tables (Sales Header, Purchase Header, etc.)
Custom tables from other extensions

Common Tables for Indicators

Transactional Tables

Table	Common Uses
G/L Entry	Financial metrics, account-based indicators
Customer Ledger Entry	Receivables, customer aging
Vendor Ledger Entry	Payables, vendor aging
Bank Account Ledger Entry	Cash position, bank balances
Item Ledger Entry	Inventory movements
Value Entry	Inventory values, cost analysis

Master Data Tables

Table	Common Uses
Customer	Customer counts, customer data
Vendor	Vendor counts, vendor data
Item	Item counts, item data
G/L Account	Account metadata

Document Tables

Table	Common Uses
Sales Header	Sales orders, quotes, invoices
Sales Line	Order line details
Purchase Header	Purchase orders, invoices
Purchase Line	Purchase line details

Specialized Tables

Table	Common Uses
Job Ledger Entry	Project-based metrics
FA Ledger Entry	Fixed asset tracking
Employee Ledger Entry	Employee-related metrics

Selecting the Right Table

For Financial Metrics

Revenue, Costs, Profits:

Use: G/L Entry
Filter by: G/L Account No., Posting Date
Method: Sum (Amount field)

Receivables/Payables:

Use: Customer/Vendor Ledger Entry
Filter by: Open = Yes, Due Date
Method: Sum (Remaining Amount)

For Operational Metrics

Order Counts:

Use: Sales Header / Purchase Header
Filter by: Document Type, Status
Method: Count

Inventory Levels:

Use: Item Ledger Entry
Filter by: Item No., Entry Type
Method: Sum (Quantity)

For Master Data Metrics

Customer Count:

Use: Customer table
Filter by: Customer Group, Location, etc.
Method: Count

Table Selection Interface

Browsing Tables

The Select Table page lists every table object with two columns:

Table: The table caption
Number: The table's object ID

Searching Tables

To find tables quickly:

Use the page search or a column filter on Table or Number
Results filter as you type
Select the matching table and click OK

Table Permissions

Access Requirements

The user running the report needs:

Read permission on the selected table
Permission to the records that match filters

Permission Errors

If a table is inaccessible:

The report fails with a permission error when the indicator calculates (the indicator does not silently return 0)
Check user permissions
Verify license allows access

Advanced Table Selection

Linked Tables

Some metrics require data from linked tables:

Sales Header linked to Sales Line
Customer linked to Customer Ledger Entry

Choosing Parent vs Child

Metric Type	Table to Use
Header count	Header table
Line values	Line table
Summary by header	Header or ledger
Detail analysis	Line tables

Example: Sales Analysis

Count of Orders:

Table: Sales Header
Filter: Document Type = Order
Method: Count

Order Line Values:

Table: Sales Line
Filter: Document Type = Order
Method: Sum
Field: Line Amount

Custom Tables

Extension Tables

Tables from other extensions can be used if:

The extension is installed
User has permission to access

Finding Custom Tables

Filter the Select Table page on the vendor's object ID range
Ask the extension vendor for table names or IDs
Check extension documentation

Troubleshooting Table Selection

Table Not Found

If expected table doesn't appear:

Check spelling and search terms
Try searching by table ID
Verify the table exists in your BC version

Wrong Data Returned

If indicator returns unexpected data:

Verify correct table selected
Check that filters are appropriate
Test with simpler filters first

Performance Issues

Some tables are very large:

Add appropriate filters
Consider using date filters
Use summary tables where possible

Table Selection Tips

Start Simple

Begin with common tables
Test basic scenarios
Add complexity gradually

Verify Data

Know what data the table contains
Understand the table's structure
Test indicator to verify results

Document Choices

Note which table you chose and why
Document filter logic
Record expected results