Erik's ToolBox Documentation
Index

Glossary

This glossary defines key terms used throughout the Erik's ToolBox documentation. Terms are listed in alphabetical order for quick reference.

AL Language

The programming language used for developing customizations and extensions in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. ToolBox provides an interactive AL code editor and interpreter that supports a subset of AL for scripting and automation tasks directly within the Business Central client.

Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)

An internal tree representation of the structure of AL source code, produced by the parser. The AST captures the hierarchical relationships between language constructs such as statements, expressions, and declarations. ToolBox uses the AST as the basis for code interpretation and execution.

Access Level

The permission tier assigned to a user in ToolBox. There are three access levels: Standard, Extended, and GodMode. Each level grants different capabilities within the application. See the Permissions page for details.

Agent (ToolBox Agent, SQL Agent)

An AI assistant embedded as a FactBox next to an editor. The ToolBox Agent works on the Interactive Code page and the SQL Agent on the SQL Workbench. Agents act through tools: they read and rewrite the editor, compile and run, look up the data model, and manage saved programs and statements. Earlier versions called this feature Agent Mode.

AI Provider

A row on the AI Providers page describing one AI service (endpoint, access key, model). The row with the ToolBox Agent toggle on powers the ToolBox agents. Twelve providers are supported, from Azure Open AI and Anthropic to locally hosted LM Studio.

AL AI Services

The Hougaard app (App ID 9095ed8c-5bff-4b5f-84db-c487250959b3) that provides the agent infrastructure shared by the ToolBox and other Hougaard apps: the AI Providers page, the chat panel, the conversation store, and the connections to the AI providers.

API Key

A secret credential used to authenticate requests to an external service. In ToolBox, API keys are used to connect to AI providers for the agents and are stored as the Access Key on the AI Providers page of the AL AI Services app.

Audit Trail

A chronological log of user actions performed within ToolBox. The audit trail records events such as code execution, configuration changes, and user management operations. It supports compliance requirements and helps with troubleshooting by providing a history of activity.

Azure OpenAI

Microsoft's cloud-hosted deployment of OpenAI language models, available through the Azure platform. ToolBox supports Azure Open AI as one of the AI providers for the agents.

Azure Storage

Microsoft's cloud storage service. ToolBox uses Azure Blob Storage as one of the optional Program Storage backends for syncing shared programs between Business Central environments (the other backend being GitHub), enabling you to share scripts across installations.

Batch Processing

A ToolBox feature that allows you to perform bulk data modifications across multiple records using a guided wizard interface. This feature enables you to update a specific field on a filtered set of records without writing code. Internally, this is also referred to as the One Field Report.

Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform for small and medium-sized businesses. Erik's ToolBox is built as an extension for Business Central, providing developer and power-user tools directly within the platform.

CalcFields

A method call in AL that triggers the calculation of FlowField values on a record. Because FlowFields are not automatically calculated when a record is read, you must call CalcFields to retrieve their computed values. In ToolBox code, this is used when you need to access FlowField data.

CodeBlob

The stored AL source code associated with a ToolBox program record. When you save a program in ToolBox, the code is persisted as a CodeBlob within the Business Central database, allowing it to be retrieved, edited, and executed later.

Compiler

The ToolBox component (App ID: de0ad312-13dc-48bc-9aa4-eec46e388ee0) responsible for parsing and compiling AL code written in the ToolBox editor. The compiler transforms source code into an internal representation that can be executed by the interpreter.

Console

The output display area in the ToolBox code editor. When you execute AL code that includes message() calls, the output is displayed in the console. The console provides a text-based interface for viewing execution results and diagnostic information.

Conversation (AI)

One exchange with an agent, from the first message to the latest reply, including tool calls, tool results, and attached files. Conversations are saved automatically per user and per agent, can be resumed from the agent panel, and are listed on the AI Conversations page.

Data in GitHub

A ToolBox feature that enables you to store and version-control Business Central table data in a GitHub repository. This allows you to track changes to data over time, collaborate with team members, and maintain a history of data modifications.

Data Inspector

A ToolBox feature that allows you to view and edit data in Business Central tables directly, without writing AL code. The Data Inspector provides a grid-based interface for browsing records, applying filters, and making inline edits.

Endpoint URL

The network address of an external service that ToolBox communicates with. On the AI Providers page, the endpoint URL specifies where AI requests are sent. Different AI providers have different endpoint URLs.

FlowField

A special type of field in a Business Central table whose value is not stored directly but is calculated dynamically based on data in other tables. FlowFields are defined with a calculation formula (such as Sum, Count, Average, or Lookup) and must be computed using CalcFields before their values can be accessed.

GodMode

The highest access level in ToolBox. Users with GodMode access have full permissions to all ToolBox features, including user management, configuration, and all data operations. Only GodMode users can add or remove other users from the ToolBox Users.

IntelliSense

The auto-completion and code suggestion feature in the ToolBox code editor. IntelliSense provides real-time suggestions for table names, field names, function names, and language keywords as you type. It relies on downloaded symbols to provide accurate suggestions.

Interpreter

The ToolBox runtime component that executes parsed AL code. The interpreter walks the Abstract Syntax Tree produced by the parser and performs the operations described by each node, including variable assignments, record operations, control flow, and function calls.

IsolatedStorage

A Business Central storage mechanism that provides secure, per-extension key-value storage. ToolBox uses IsolatedStorage to securely store license keys and other sensitive configuration data that should not be accessible to other extensions.

Job Queue

Business Central's built-in task scheduling system. ToolBox integrates with the Job Queue to allow you to schedule AL programs for automatic execution at specified times or intervals. This enables unattended automation of routine tasks.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

A lightweight data interchange format that uses human-readable text to represent structured data. ToolBox uses JSON for various purposes including data serialization, configuration storage, and communication with external services such as AI providers.

Lexer

The first stage of the ToolBox compiler that processes raw AL source code text and breaks it into a sequence of tokens. Each token represents a meaningful unit of the language, such as a keyword, identifier, operator, or literal value. The lexer output is consumed by the parser.

LM Studio

A desktop application for running large language models locally. ToolBox supports LM Studio as an AI provider for the agents, allowing you to use locally hosted models without sending data to cloud services. The Business Central service tier must be able to reach the LM Studio host.

OAuth2

An open standard authorization protocol used for secure authentication. ToolBox uses OAuth2 when authenticating with external services such as the Business Central API for symbol downloads and remote package operations.

Object Inspector

A ToolBox feature for browsing and examining Business Central object metadata. The Object Inspector allows you to view details about tables, pages, codeunits, reports, and other objects in your environment without needing access to the development environment.

Parser

The ToolBox compiler component that takes the sequence of tokens produced by the lexer and constructs an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). The parser validates the syntactic structure of the code and identifies errors such as missing semicolons, mismatched brackets, or invalid statements.

Personal Access Token (PAT)

A GitHub authentication credential used to authorize ToolBox to access your GitHub repositories. Personal Access Tokens are required for the Data in GitHub feature and must be generated in your GitHub account settings with the appropriate repository permissions.

Product Code

A numeric identifier for a licensed ToolBox product. The product codes for Erik's ToolBox are 4565, 4570, 4571, and 4572. These codes are used during license validation to identify which components are licensed.

Program

A saved unit of AL code in ToolBox. Programs are stored in the Business Central database and can be executed on demand, scheduled via the Job Queue, or assigned to specific users through the Run Programs feature.

Remote Package

A defined set of Business Central tables and filters used for transferring data between environments. Remote Packages allow you to export data from one Business Central environment and import it into another, facilitating data migration and synchronization.

REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop)

An interactive programming model where you enter code, the system evaluates it, and the result is displayed immediately. The ToolBox code editor operates in a REPL-like fashion, allowing you to write and execute AL code interactively within Business Central.

Run Programs

A ToolBox feature that allows administrators to assign specific saved programs to users for execution. Assigned programs appear in a user-friendly list, enabling users to run predefined scripts without accessing the full code editor.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

A cloud-hosted deployment model where the software is managed by the service provider. Business Central SaaS environments are hosted by Microsoft in the cloud, as opposed to On-Premises installations that are hosted on your own infrastructure.

Sandbox

A non-production Business Central environment used for testing and development. ToolBox can be used in sandbox environments without a license key, making sandboxes ideal for evaluating the product and developing scripts before deploying them to production.

SQL Workbench

A ToolBox feature that provides an interface for executing SQL-like queries against Business Central data. The SQL Workbench supports SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations and provides a familiar query-based approach to data manipulation.

SUPER

A Business Central permission set that grants full access to all objects and data in the system. Users with the SUPER permission set can perform any operation in Business Central. ToolBox often requires SUPER or equivalent permissions for data access operations.

Symbols

Metadata about Business Central objects (tables, pages, codeunits, etc.) that ToolBox downloads and caches locally. Symbols provide the information needed for IntelliSense, including object names, field definitions, function signatures, and data types.

Temporary Record

A record variable declared with the temporary keyword (Rec: Record Customer temporary;). Its rows live only in memory for the duration of the script, never touch the database, and do not require write permission. Temporary records are the recommended way to buffer, sort, and filter intermediate results.

Text Variable

ToolBox has no TextBuilder type. Longer text is built with the + and += operators on Text variables, and text methods such as Split, IndexOf, and ToLower are called on Text variables using 1-based positions.

Token

A single meaningful unit of AL source code identified by the lexer. Tokens include keywords (such as if, then, begin), identifiers (variable and function names), operators (such as +, :=), literals (strings and numbers), and punctuation (semicolons, parentheses).

Tool Call

An action an agent takes through the ToolBox, such as get_program, set_sql, run_program, or get_table_info. The AI model chooses the tool and its parameters; the ToolBox runs it in your session with your permissions and returns the result to the model. Tool calls appear as indicator lines in the agent panel.

ToolBox

Erik's ToolBox, the main application. Published by hougaard.com, ToolBox is a Business Central extension (App ID: fe7b0b6a-e183-4606-882d-6adff0ce9401) that provides an interactive AL development environment, data management tools, and AI-assisted coding capabilities directly within the Business Central client.

ToolBox Users

The list of Business Central users who have been granted access to ToolBox. Each user in the list is assigned an access level (Standard, Extended, or GodMode) that determines which features they can access. Users must be added to this list before they can use ToolBox.