Data Inspector

The Data Inspector is one of the most powerful tools in Erik's ToolBox. It lets you view and edit the data in any Business Central table directly from the browser, bypassing the standard page-based interface. This gives administrators and consultants the ability to inspect raw data, correct values, investigate issues, and make emergency fixes without writing AL code or publishing an extension.

The Data Inspector is available on the Data Inspector page. You can open it directly or navigate to it from the Object Inspector when you select a table object.

What the Data Inspector Does

The standard Business Central interface shows data through pages that expose only the fields and records that the page designer chose to include. Many fields are hidden, and some tables have no associated page at all. The Data Inspector removes these limitations by giving you direct access to every field in every record of any table.

With the Data Inspector, you can:

View all fields in a table, including those not shown on any page.
See the current value of every field for any record.
Navigate between records using standard record navigation.
Edit field values directly (subject to your access level).
Filter records to find specific data quickly.
View option field values with human-readable option names.

Access Levels

Your ability to view and edit data in the Data Inspector is controlled by your ToolBox access level. The access level is configured per user in the ToolBox user setup. There are three levels:

Access Level	View Data	Edit Normal Tables	Edit System Tables
ReadOnly	Yes	No	No
WriteNormalTables	Yes	Yes	No
GodMode	Yes	Yes	Yes

ReadOnly

With ReadOnly access, you can open any table in the Data Inspector and view all fields and records, but you cannot modify any values. This level is appropriate for users who need to investigate data without the risk of making unintended changes.

WriteNormalTables

With WriteNormalTables access, you can view all tables and edit records in normal (non-system) tables. System tables and ledger entry tables that Business Central protects from direct modification are still read-only at this level. This is the recommended access level for most consultants and administrators.

GodMode

GodMode provides full, unrestricted access to all tables. You can view and edit any record in any table, including system tables, ledger entries, and configuration tables. Use this level with extreme caution, as editing system tables can cause data integrity issues or break Business Central functionality.

Your access level is configured by an administrator through the ToolBox user setup page. See Users for details on how to configure access levels for your team.

Opening the Data Inspector

There are two ways to open the Data Inspector:

From the Object Inspector

Open the Object Inspector page.
Filter the object list to show tables only.
Find the table you want to inspect.
Select the table and choose the action to open the Data Inspector.

The Data Inspector opens pre-filtered to the selected table, showing all fields and the first set of records.

Directly

You can also open the Data Inspector page directly from the Business Central search or navigation. When opened directly, you select or search for the target table from within the Data Inspector interface.

The Data Inspector Interface

The Data Inspector interface is organized to give you a clear view of both the structure and the data within a table.

Field List

The left side of the Data Inspector displays a list of all fields in the selected table. For each field, you can see:

Property	Description
Field ID	The numeric identifier of the field
Field Name	The name of the field as defined in the table
Data Type	The AL data type (Text, Integer, Decimal, Date, Option, and so on)
Current Value	The value of this field for the currently selected record
Editable	Whether you can modify this field based on your access level

The Data Inspector provides standard record navigation controls. You can move to the first, previous, next, and last record in the table. When filters are applied, navigation moves through the filtered set of records.

Filter Capabilities

You can apply filters to narrow the records displayed in the Data Inspector. Filters work the same way as standard Business Central filters -- you specify filter expressions on one or more fields to restrict the result set. This is essential when working with large tables where scrolling through all records would be impractical.

Editable Fields

When your access level permits editing, fields that you can modify are visually indicated in the interface. You can click on an editable field, change the value, and save the record. Fields that are read-only due to your access level or because they are system-managed (such as SystemId) are visually distinguished from editable fields.

The Data Inspector Field Table

The Data Inspector Field table stores configuration information about how fields are displayed in the Data Inspector. This table controls which fields are visible by default, the order in which fields appear, and any custom display settings you have applied.

You can customize the field display to focus on the fields that matter most for your current task. For example, when investigating a customer record, you might hide system fields and reorder the remaining fields to match your analysis workflow.

Data Inspector Settings

The Data Inspector Settings table stores your personal Data Inspector preferences. These settings include:

Default field visibility preferences.
Last-used table selection.
Filter presets you have saved.
Display layout preferences.

These settings persist between sessions, so the Data Inspector remembers your preferences the next time you open it.

Option Lookup

When you are editing a field with an Option data type, the Data Inspector provides an Option Lookup List that shows all available option values for that field. Instead of needing to know the numeric option value or the exact option string, you can select from the list of valid options.

For example, if you are editing a Status field that has options "Open, Released, Closed," the Option Lookup displays these values and lets you select the one you want. This prevents errors from entering invalid option values.

Step-by-Step: Viewing and Editing a Record

The following procedure walks you through the complete process of finding a record and editing a field value in the Data Inspector.

Step 1: Open the Data Inspector

Navigate to the Data Inspector page from the Business Central search, or drill down from the Object Inspector by selecting a table.

Step 2: Select or Search for a Table

If you opened the Data Inspector directly, select the table you want to inspect. You can search by table name or ID to find it quickly.

Step 3: Apply Filters if Needed

If the table contains many records, apply filters to narrow the result set. For example, if you are looking for a specific customer, filter on the "No." field or the "Name" field to find the record.

Step 4: Navigate to the Record

Use the record navigation controls to move through the filtered records until you find the one you want to inspect or edit.

Step 5: View Field Values

Review the field list to see all field values for the selected record. The Data Inspector shows every field in the table, including fields that are not visible on any standard Business Central page.

Step 6: Edit Values (If Permitted)

If your access level allows editing and the field is editable, click on the field value to enter edit mode. Type the new value. For Option fields, use the Option Lookup to select from valid values.

Step 7: Save Changes

After making your edits, save the record. The Data Inspector writes the changes directly to the database.

Safety Considerations

The Data Inspector is a powerful tool, and with that power comes responsibility. There are several important safety considerations to keep in mind when using it.

Bypassing Business Logic

When you edit data through the Data Inspector, the change is written directly to the database. Standard Business Central triggers and validation logic that normally run when you modify data through pages are not executed. This means:

OnValidate triggers on fields will not fire.
Table-level OnModify triggers will not fire.
Business logic that enforces data integrity rules will not run.

This is by design -- it allows you to make corrections that the standard interface would prevent. However, it also means you must understand the implications of your changes and ensure data integrity manually.

Risks of Editing System Tables

System tables, ledger entries, and posted document tables are typically protected from direct modification for good reason. Editing these tables can cause:

Financial data inconsistencies.
Broken audit trails.
Application errors in downstream processes.
Compliance violations.

Only users with GodMode access can edit these tables, and even then, you should exercise extreme caution.

Recommendations for Safe Editing

Understand the table structure before editing. Use the Table Inspector to review field definitions, relations, and FlowField formulas before making changes.
Test in a sandbox first. If you are unsure about the impact of a change, test it in a sandbox environment before applying it to production.
Document your changes. Keep a record of what you changed, why, and when, especially in production environments.
Review the audit trail. Changes made through the Data Inspector are logged. See Audit Trail for details on reviewing the change history.

Audit Trail

Changes made through the Data Inspector are logged in the ToolBox audit trail. The audit trail records:

The user who made the change.
The table and record that was modified.
The timestamp of the change.
The field that was changed and its old and new values.

This provides a complete history of all Data Inspector edits, which is essential for compliance, troubleshooting, and accountability. See Audit Trail for details on accessing and reviewing audit trail entries.

Common Use Cases

Data Correction

When you discover an incorrect value in a record that cannot be corrected through the standard interface (for example, because the field is not editable on the page, or the page validation prevents the correction), the Data Inspector lets you fix it directly.

Investigation and Diagnostics

When troubleshooting an issue, you often need to see all field values for a record, including hidden fields and system fields. The Data Inspector gives you a complete view that the standard pages do not provide.

Testing and Prototyping

During testing, you may need to set up specific data scenarios that are difficult to create through normal workflows. The Data Inspector lets you set field values directly to create the exact test conditions you need.

Emergency Fixes

In production emergencies where a data issue is blocking business operations, the Data Inspector provides a fast path to correct the problem without waiting for a code deployment.

Tips and Best Practices

Always verify your access level before attempting edits. If you cannot edit a field, check your access level configuration with your administrator.
Use filters to work with large tables. Tables with millions of records will be slow to navigate without filters. Always apply filters to narrow the result set.
Check option values before editing. Use the Option Lookup to see valid option values rather than guessing. An incorrect option value can cause downstream errors.
Review the audit trail periodically. If multiple team members have Data Inspector access, reviewing the audit trail helps you stay aware of all direct data modifications.
Prefer the standard interface when possible. The Data Inspector should be used when the standard Business Central pages cannot accomplish what you need. For routine data entry, the standard pages provide better safety through business logic and validation.