DataSearch UI Implementation - Video Tutorial

Learn how to implement the powerful DataSearch UI for your custom tables in Business Central through this comprehensive video guide!

What You'll Learn

This video tutorial walks you through:

Understanding the DataSearch framework
Configuring custom tables for search
Implementing search templates
Testing and optimizing search results
Best practices for user experience

Watch the Full Tutorial

Introduction to DataSearch in Business Central

The new DataSearch UI introduced in recent waves significantly changes how users interact with data spanning across multiple tables. Instead of navigating to a specific list page and using the search bar, users can now search globally across configured tables directly from their Role Center.

What it means for Developers

As AL developers, this means our custom tables and critical data entities must be properly integrated into the DataSearch framework so users don't miss out on standard platform features.

Code Examples from the Video

Setting Up DataSearch for Custom Tables

Here is a quick example of an install codeunit to insert custom tables:

codeunit 50100 "DataSearch Setup Custom"
{
    Subtype = Install;

    trigger OnInstallAppPerCompany()
    var
        DataSearchSetup: Record "Data Search Setup";
    begin
        if not DataSearchSetup.Get(Database::"My Custom Table") then begin
            DataSearchSetup.Init();
            DataSearchSetup."Table No." = Database::"My Custom Table";
            DataSearchSetup."Search Enabled" = true;
            DataSearchSetup."Search Template" = 'CUSTOM_SEARCH';
            DataSearchSetup.Insert();
        end;
    end;
}

Creating Search Templates

Define how your data appears in search results:

codeunit 50101 "Custom Search Template"
{
    procedure GetSearchTemplate(TableNo: Integer): Text
    var
        SearchTemplate: Text;
    begin
        case TableNo of
            Database::"My Custom Table":
                SearchTemplate := '{"title": "%1", "subtitle": "%2", "fields": ["%3", "%4"]}';
        end;
        exit(SearchTemplate);
    end;
}

Optimizing Search Performance

Add appropriate indexes to your custom tables:

table 50100 "My Custom Table"
{
    fields
    {
        field(1; "Code"; Code[20])
        {
            Caption = 'Code';
        }
        field(2; "Description"; Text[100])
        {
            Caption = 'Description';
        }
        field(3; "Search Text"; Text[250])
        {
            Caption = 'Search Text';
        }
    }

    keys
    {
        key(PK; "Code")
        {
            Clustered = true;
        }
        key(Search; "Search Text")
        {
            // Optimize for DataSearch queries
        }
    }
}

Video Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to DataSearch
02:15 - Prerequisites and Setup
05:30 - Configuring Custom Tables
08:45 - Creating Search Templates
11:20 - Testing Your Implementation
14:00 - Performance Optimization
16:30 - Common Pitfalls to Avoid
18:15 - Advanced Techniques

Real-World Example

In the video, we implement DataSearch for a custom Customer Projects table:

table 50101 "Customer Project"
{
    fields
    {
        field(1; "Project No."; Code[20])
        {
            Caption = 'Project No.';
        }
        field(2; "Customer No."; Code[20])
        {
            Caption = 'Customer No.';
            TableRelation = Customer;
        }
        field(3; "Project Name"; Text[100])
        {
            Caption = 'Project Name';
        }
        field(4; "Status"; Enum "Project Status")
        {
            Caption = 'Status';
        }
        field(5; "Start Date"; Date)
        {
            Caption = 'Start Date';
        }
    }

    keys
    {
        key(PK; "Project No.")
        {
            Clustered = true;
        }
        key(SearchKey; "Project Name", "Customer No.")
        {
        }
    }
}

Testing Your Implementation

Follow these steps shown in the video:

Enable DataSearch in Business Central settings
Navigate to Role Center and open the search bar
Enter search terms that match your custom data
Verify results appear with correct formatting
Test performance with large datasets

PowerShell Testing Script

# Test API endpoint for DataSearch
$bcUrl = "https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/tenant/env"
$searchQuery = "projects"

$params = @{
    Uri = "$bcUrl/api/microsoft/search/v1.0/search"
    Method = "POST"
    Headers = @{
        "Authorization" = "Bearer $token"
        "Content-Type" = "application/json"
    }
    Body = @{
        "requests" = @(
            @{
                "entityTypes" = @("list")
                "query" = @{
                    "queryString" = $searchQuery
                }
            }
        )
    } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 5
}

Invoke-RestMethod @params

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: Custom Table Not Appearing

Solution: Verify the table is registered in Data Search Setup table

Issue 2: Search Results Display Incorrectly

Solution: Check your search template format and field mappings

Issue 3: Slow Search Performance

Solution: Add appropriate indexes and limit the number of searchable fields

Best Practices

Limit Searchable Fields - Only include fields users actually need to search
Use Appropriate Indexes - Add search-optimized indexes to improve performance
Consistent Templates - Use similar templates across related tables
Test with Real Data - Always test with production-like data volumes
Document Requirements - Clearly document which tables are searchable

Additional Resources

Next Steps

After completing this tutorial:

Implement DataSearch for your custom tables
Create consistent search templates
Optimize performance with appropriate indexes
Test thoroughly with users
Monitor search performance in production

Download Resources

Sample code from the video
DataSearch setup checklist
Performance testing scripts
Template examples

All resources are available in the video description!

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DataSearch UI Implementation Tutorial - Video Guide