Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose—Charles Eames

The basic building blocks of any system are the data definitions. When you consider the full range of capabilities and features built into the table structure for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, that principle is even more applicable. In NAV, the data definitions are made up of tables and, within the tables, the individual data fields exist. Whether you are working on a new application or a tightly integrated modification, the first level of detailed design and development for a NAV application must be the data structure.

In NAV, the table definition can include considerably more than the traditional data fields and keys. The table definition can also include a considerable portion of the data validation rules, processing rules, business rules, and logic to ensure referential integrity. In this chapter, we will learn how to design and construct tables for data. We will review the various choices available and how these choices can affect the subsequent phases of design and development.

Chapter 2: Tables Overview of Tables What Makes Up a Table? Table Naming Table Numbering Table Properties Table Triggers Keys SumIndexFields Expanding Our Sample Application Table Creation and Modification Keys Adding Some Activity-Tracking Tables New Tables Keys and SumIndexFields in Our Examples Types of Tables Totally Modifiable Tables Content-Modifiable Tables Read-Only Tables Summary

Paperback 480 pages Released: October 2007 ISBN: 1904811749 ISBN 13: 978-1-904811-74-9

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