Developing a Custom Business Event in D365F&O Using X++

 

Introduction

In today's dynamic business environment, real-time data synchronization and seamless integration across systems are critical for driving efficiency and responsiveness. Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365F&O) offers Business Events, which enable organizations to integrate and communicate with external systems in real time. This blog will guide you through creating and triggering custom business events in D365F&O using X++, which can streamline workflows and improve business processes.

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What Are Business Events?

Business events in D365F&O are notifications triggered by specific system actions or changes. These events allow external systems to respond immediately, creating more efficient and automated business processes. For instance, a business event might be triggered when a new customer is added, an order is confirmed, or an invoice is posted.

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Implementing a Custom Business Event

To implement a custom business event, you need to follow a structured process. This includes creating the Business Event Contract Class and the Business Event Class, along with configuring the event within the system. Let’s walk through the steps.

Step 1: Identify the Event

First, determine which business process or action will trigger the event. For example, let’s assume you want to trigger an event when a new customer is added to the system.

Step 2: Create the Business Event Contract Class

The Business Event Contract Class defines the payload of the event and holds the contract state, ensuring that the data is available at runtime. This class will extend the BusinessEventsContract class and include methods for accessing and populating the contract state.

x++
[DataContract]
class CustomerCreationBusinessEventContract extends BusinessEventsContract
{
    protected CustName customerName; // Variable to store customer name

    // Method to access customer name
    [
        DataMember('Customer Name'),
        BusinessEventsDataMember('Customer Name')
    ]
    public CustName parmCustomerName(CustName _customerName = customerName)
    {
        customerName = _customerName;
        return customerName;
    }

    // Static method to create a contract from a customer table record
    public static CustomerCreationBusinessEventContract newFromCustomerTable(CustTable _customerTable)
    {
        var contract = new CustomerCreationBusinessEventContract();
        contract.parmCustomerName(_customerTable.name());
        return contract;
    }
}

Step 3: Create the Business Event Class

The Business Event Class is responsible for constructing the event, building the payload, and sending the business event notification. This class extends the BusinessEventsBase class and is associated with the contract class.

x++
[
    BusinessEvents(classStr(CustomerCreationBusinessEventContract),
    'Customer Created', // Event Name
    'Notification for Customer Creation', // Event Description
    ModuleAxapta::Customer)
]
public class CustomerCreationBusinessEvent extends BusinessEventsBase
{
    CustTable customerTable;

    // Method to set customer table buffer
    public CustTable parmCustomerTable(CustTable _customerTable = customerTable)
    {
        customerTable = _customerTable;
        return customerTable;
    }

    // Method to build the contract
    [Wrappable(false), Replaceable(false)]
    protected BusinessEventsContract buildContract()
    {
        return CustomerCreationBusinessEventContract::newFromCustomerTable(customerTable);
    }

    // Static method to create a new event from customer table
    static public CustomerCreationBusinessEvent newFromCustomerTable(CustTable _customerTable)
    {
        CustomerCreationBusinessEvent event = new CustomerCreationBusinessEvent();
        event.parmCustomerTable(_customerTable);
        return event;
    }
}

Step 4: Trigger the Business Event

To trigger the business event when a customer is created (i.e., when a record is inserted into the CustTable), you need to implement an event handler. The handler will listen for the OnInserted event and trigger the business event accordingly.

x++
class CustomerBusinessEventHandler
{
    [DataEventHandler(tableStr(CustTable), DataEventType::Inserted)]
    public static void CustTable_onInserted(Common sender, DataEventArgs e)
    {
        CustTable custTable = sender as CustTable;
        CustomerCreationBusinessEvent::newFromCustomerTable(custTable).send();
    }
}

Step 5: Configure the Event

After implementing the business event and its trigger, you need to configure the event within the Business Events Catalog in D365F&O.

1. Navigate to System Administration > Setup > Business Events > Business Events Catalog.

2. Rebuild the catalog and ensure that the event is listed correctly.

3. Filter your business event and activate it.

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Step 6: Subscribe to the Event

To ensure external systems can react to your event, you need to subscribe to it. This can be done using integration tools such as Power Automate or Azure Service Bus, which allow external systems to receive and handle event notifications.

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Step 7: Test and Validate the Event

Finally, test the business event to ensure that it triggers as expected when a new customer is created. Validate that the external systems receive and process the notifications as intended.

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Use Cases for Business Events

Business events in D365F&O can be used for various purposes, including:

• Automated Notifications: Notify stakeholders in real time about critical actions, such as new customer creation, order shipments, or payment receipts.

• System Integration: Automatically update external systems like CRM or ERP when key actions occur in D365F&O.

• Workflow Automation: Trigger workflows in response to business events, such as initiating a restock process when inventory levels fall below a threshold.

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Conclusion

Business events in D365F&O are a powerful tool for real-time integration and automation. By creating custom business events, businesses can improve operational efficiency, enhance data accuracy, and respond swiftly to changes. Whether you are automating notifications, integrating with external systems, or streamlining workflows, business events provide the flexibility to meet your business needs.

We hope this guide helps you unlock the potential of business events in D365F&O. Happy coding!