Business Central: Intellisense to assign correct variable names in AL (AL Variable Helper)

Hi, Readers.
Precise and consistent terminology helps the end user work with the application. Rules for naming and abbreviating objects also help developers to understand the CRONUS International Ltd. demonstration database and develop new features faster.

Guidelines for naming variables in Naming Objects, Fields and Variables:

Guideline	Examples
Omit spaces, periods, and other characters such as parentheses that make quotation marks around a variable necessary.	GenJnlBatch
Replace currency unit signs such as $ with the corresponding currency unit code. Note: This may not make a variable unique. To be unique, it must be different from the corresponding field name. Also, the variable is not necessarily unique when translated to another language.	AmountUSD
Start variables with uppercase letters.
If a variable is a compound of two or more words or abbreviations, then start each word or abbreviation with an uppercase letter.
Describe the variable usage wherever possible. If possible, start with the table name. If there are several variables in an object that would otherwise have the same name, then use appropriate prefixes or suffixes to differentiate them.	CustInvDiscAmountLCY EnteredPostingDate (where the prefix is Entered)
Follow country/region-specific rules for abbreviations.
When you set up table and field variables, give the variable the same name as the table or field as described in the Table Fields section.
If a variable with the same name already exists, then add the number 2 to the variable name. If a variable with this name also exists, then use 3, and so on. Use these numbers only if you cannot establish a unique variable in another way.	CustLedgEntry2, NewCustLedgEntry (better than CustLedgEntry2)
Note that parameters and local variables have their own number series. Do not name a parameter GenJnlLine4 because a global variable named GenJnlLine3 already exists.
To use a variable to store a value temporarily, start the variable name with “Temp”.	TempType
Use “Old” and “New” as prefixes for record variables when you have old tables and new tables.
Do not use “x” as a prefix. This is used only in table triggers when the record variable is created automatically by the development environment.
Include “Total” in the name of a variable that is used for totaling.
Use “From” or “To” when you are copying from or to a table.
Use “Starting” or “Ending” with dates and positions.
Use “First” or “Last” with the first or last record in a table or line in a journal. You can also use it as a flag to indicate that this is the first record that is processed.	FirstOrder
When a variable is a Record, Page, Report, XMLport, Query, or Codeunit data type and the object has a name that also functions as a field name or local function name, add the suffix Rec, Page, Report, XMLport, Query, or Codeunit.	SourceCodeRec (for a record variable from the Source Code table) Note: Because “Source Code” is the name of a table and the name of a field in other tables, you should not use “SourceCode” for variables that hold the two different types of information.

Today I would like to share a very convenient extension in VS Code that can be used in Business Central development, AL Variable Helper.

You can find and install this extension in the Maketplace.

My best favorite Usage: Intellisense to assign correct variable names.

To create a new variable type t + (e.g. trecord), then select a name for the variable tab to the name and select a name with Ctrl + Space. (Note: Please do not enter the object name directly)

trecord:

tpage:

Test video:

To go to global/local variables, hit CTRL + L or CTRL + G.

All features:

Easy variable assignment
Go to global/local variables – like in the C/SIDE environment.
Sort Variables
Fix keyword casing

Give it a try!

PS: Some Suggested Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Text
Abs	absence
Acc	account
Acc	accounting
Accum	accumulated
Act	action
Activ	activity
Add	additional
Addr	address
Adj	adjust
Adjd	adjusted
Adjmt	adjustment
Agrmt	agreement
Alloc	allocation
Allow	allowance
Alt	alternative
Amt	amount
Amts	amounts
Ans	answer
Appl	applies
Appln	application
Arriv	arrival
Asm	assembly
ATO	assemble to order
Assgnt	assignment
Assoc	associated
Attmt	attachment
Auth	authorities
Auto	automatic
Avail	availability
Avg	average
BA	ba db.
Bal	balance
BOM	bill of materials
Blnkt	blanket
Budg	budget
Buf	buffer
Bus	business
BIM	business interaction management
Buy	buying
Calc	calculate
Calcd	calculated
Calcu	calculation
Cal	calendar
Cap	capacity
CRP	capacity requirements planning
CF	cash flow
CF	cashflow
ctlg	catalog
Cat	category
CPU	Central Processing Unit
Ctr	center
Chg	change
Chgs	changes
Char	character
Chars	characters
Chrg	charge
Chrgs	charges
Chk	check
Class	classification
coll	collection
col	column
Cmt	comment
Co	company
Comp	component
Cmpltn	completion
Comps	components
Compn	composition
Compr	compression
Concrnt	concurrent
Conf	confidential
Cnfrmn	confirmation
Confl	conflict
Consol	consolidate
Consolid	consolidation
Consump	consumption
Cont	contact
Cntr	container
Contr	contract
Contrd	contracted
Ctrl	control
Ctrls	controls
Conv	conversion
Cor	correction
Corres	correspondence
Corresp	corresponding
Cst	cost
COGS	sold
Cr	credit
Cumul	cumulate
Curr	currency
Crnt	current
Cust	customer
CV	customer/vendor
Dly	daily
Damp	dampener
DBMS	database management system
D	date
Def	definition
Demo	demonstration
Dept	department
DP	department/project
Depr	depreciation
Desc	description
Dtl	detail
Dtld	detailed
Dtls	details
Dev	deviation
Diff	difference
Dim	dimension
Dir	direct
Disc	discount
Discr	discrete
Distr	distribute
Distrd	distributed
Distbtr	distributor
Distrn	distribution
Doc	document
Dupl	duplicate
Entrd	entered
Engin	engineering
Exch	exchange
Excl	excluding
Exec	execute
Expd	expected
Exped	expedited
Exp	expense
Expr	expression
Expir	expiration
Ext	extended
Expl	explode
Expt	export
Fnl	final
Fin	finance
Fisc	fiscal
Fnshd	finished
FA	fixed asset
Fwd	forward
Frt	freight
Gen	general
GL	general ledger
Gr	group
Hdr	header
Hist	history
Hol	holiday
HR	human resource
ID	identification
Imp	import
Inbnd	inbound
Incl	including
Incld	included
Incmg	incoming
ISV	independent software vendor
Indust	industry
Info	information
Init	initial
Intra	Intrastat
Interact	interaction
Integr	integration
Int	interest
Intm	Interim
IP	internal protocol
Invt	inventory
Invtbl	inventoriable
Inv	invoice
Invd	invoiced
IT	item tracking
Jnl	journal
Lang	language
Ledg	ledger
Lvl	level
Ln	line
Lt	list
LCY	local currency
Loc	location
Mail	mailing
Maint	maintenance
Mgt	management
Man	manual
Mfg	manufacturing
Mfr	manufacturer
Mat	material
Mktg	marketing
Max	maximum
Meas	measure
Msg	message
Min	minimum
Misc	miscellaneous
Mod	modify
Mth	month
Neg	negative
NonInvtbl	non-inventoriable
Notif	notification
No	number
Nos	numbers
Obj	object
Oper	operating
Opp	opportunity
Ord	order
Ords	orders
Orig	original
Org	organization
Outbnd	outbound
Outg	Outgoing
Out	output
Outstd	outstanding
Ovhd	overhead
Pmt	payment
Pct	percent
Persnl	personnel
Phys	physical
Pic	picture
Plng	planning
Pstd	posted
Post	posting
Pos	positive
Prec	precision
Prepmt	prepayment
Prod	product
Prod	production
ProdOrd	production order
Proj	project
Prop	property
Prspct	prospect
Purch	purchase
Purch	purchases
Purchr	purchaser
PurchOrd	purchase order
Qlty	quality
Qty	quantity
Questn	questionnaire
Qte	quote
RF	radio frequency
Rng	range
Rcpt	receipt
Rcd	received
Rec	record
Recs	records
Recncl	reconcile
Recon	reconciliation
Recur	recurring
Ref	reference
Reg	register
Regn	registration
Regd	registered
Rel	relation
Rels	relations
Rlshp	relationship
Rlse	release
Rlsd	released
Rem	remaining
Rmdr	reminder
Repl	replacement
Rplnsh	replenish
Rplnsht	replenishment
Rpt	report
Rep	represent
Repd	represented
Rqst	request
Reqd	required
Reqt	requirement
Reqts	requirements
Req	requisition
Rsv	reserve
Rsvd	reserved
Reserv	reservation
Resol	resolution
Res	resource
Rsp	response
Resp	responsibility
Rtn	retain
Rtnd	retained
Ret	return
Rets	returns
Revaln	revaluation
Rev	reverse
Rvw	review
Rnd	round
Rndd	rounded
Rndg	rounding
Rte	route
Rtng	routing
Rout	routine
Sales	sales & receivables
Saf	safety
Sched	schedule
Sec	second
Seg	segment
Sel	select
Selctn	selection
Seq	sequence
Ser	serial
SN	serial number
Serv	service
Sh	sheet
Shpt	shipment
Src	source
Spcl	special
Spec	specification
Specs	specifications
Std	standard
SF	frequency
Stmt	statement
Stat	statistical
Stats	statistics
Stk	stock
SKU	stockkeeping unit
Stm	stream
SQL	structured query language
Subcontr	subcontract
Subcontrd	subcontracted
Subcontrg	subcontracting
Sub	substitute
Subst	substitution
Sug	suggest
Sugd	suggested
Sugn	suggestion
Sum	summary
Suspd	suspended
Sympt	symptom
Synch	synchronize
Temp	temporary
Tot	total
Transac	transaction
Trans	transfer
Transln	translation
Trkg	tracking
Tblsht	troubleshoot
Tblshtg	troubleshooting
UOM	unit of measure
UT	unit test
Unreal	unrealized
Unrsvd	unreserved
Upd	update
Valn	valuation
Val	value
VAT	value added tax
Var	variance
Vend	vendor
Whse	warehouse
WS	web shop
Wksh	worksheet
GL	g/l
Pct	%
Three-Tier	3-tier
Osynch	Outlook Synch

End

Hope this will help.

Thanks for reading.

ZHU