Development with XMLPORT

XMLPORT is used for importing/exporting data from excel , text or XML in NAV.

What are the common requirement for XMLPORT by Client are listed below with ERRORS NAV Developer can face. So get ready to learn and explore.

Requirement 1. SKIP EXCEL Header.

This requirement is common while importing from Excel in NAV tables.

Solution.
Define a Boolean Field and write code as in Screen Shot.

 

Requirement 2.
Use OF EVALUATE Function to convert the Datatype.

Error 1.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV
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Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1.
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OK
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Solution:

Error 2.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV
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'', hexadecimal value 0x03, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 82.
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OK
---------------------------
Solution :

Convert your Excel File to CSV Format.

 

Flow of Triggers in XMLPORT during Import of XMLPORT

OnInit

 

OnPre

 

OnAfterInit

 

Text Variable OnAfter Assign

 

OnBeforeInsert

 

OnAfterInsert

 

Root Import

 

OnPost Trigger

THREE Fundamental Rules not to Ignore XMLport Properties.

Use of XMLPORT :-

An XML document is a well-structured hierarchy of nodes which at the same time contain the data, and also describe the nature of the data in the document.

What is XMLPORT?

Designing an XMLport is actually designing the structure of the external file, whether it is an XML document or a text file. This primarily involves setting various properties in the XMLport objects, such as XMLport properties and Node properties.

Working of XMLPORT :-

When an XMLport is used to import data, records that are read from the external file are inserted into the table that corresponds to the table node in the XMLport. You can examine the records before inserting them, specify whether records are inserted automatically, and decide whether records already in the database are overwritten or updated when a record with the same primary key is read from the external file. You can also determine to completely skip records from import.

Important Properties in NAV Xmlport

Node Properties for Import
When Node Type is set to Table, there are three more properties that specify the behavior of the XMLport during import operations: AutoSave, AutoUpdate, and AutoReplace.

AutoSave :- Specifies whether imported records are automatically written to the table. AutoUpdate :- Specifies whether a record in the database that has the same primary key as a record in the import file is updated with values from the imported record.Values of database fields that are not present in the import file will not be modified by the XMLport. AutoReplace :- Sets whether imported records automatically replace existing records with the same primary key.Values of database fields that are not present in the import file will be reset to their initial value,according to their InitValue property.

For More Information :-

MSDN Link

MSDN Link 2 
Complete Xmlport Description

Impact of Integer Table in MS Dynamcs NAV?

Once I had not put a Filter and used the Integer Table in XMLPORT.

You can check it here.

When I ran this XMLPORT and tried to export the file via this XMLPORT, System goes in loop iteration and after sometime it completely started to hang the system and at last I had to restart the System. I was very lucky that the issue has been resolved at the testing end only.
So how to resolve this error Put a Filter for this Integer Table like this, before using Integer Table anywhere in loop of Navision.

Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1 MS Dynamics NAV

How I resolve this error? 

Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1. 

The solution I followed is at :

Dynamics User Link

Step 1 :

You have to remove this property in Navision XMLPORT. For this Goto new line in XMLPORT and open Properties.

Step 2 :

Change format property to Variable text.


I hope this will resolve your problem Like mine.

What is the difference between XMLPORT & DATAPORT?

What is the major difference between XMLPORT and DATAPORT.

So I am just summarising all these things over here in my R&D. I also request to guests and my senior team in NAV to comment for improving the answer and highlighting the mistakes if so happen by me.

Both are used for exporting and importing from navision.

 Howsoever in 2009 R2 Dataports and XMLPORTS both were available. Now with 2013 R2 BOTH were merged to XMLPPORT and so the related functions and tools were also changed.

What are Dataport?

Dataports are used to export data from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to external
text files, and to import data from external text files into Microsoft Dynamics
NAV.

What are XMLPORT?

XMLports are used to export and import data to and from external XML
document files. These are similar to dataports, only the XMLport encapsulates

Properties in XML format

These two screens are showing XMLPORT properties and triggers available in 2016 NAV.

We can export and import data in text or Xml using XMLPORT but with Dataport we can only do the same for text files.

I will surely update my blog and add more details once I got In details for these. I also request for your views about the topic.