Page Inspection: A Powerful Tool in Business Central.

Hi Readers,

Page Inspection has been available in Business Central for quite some time, and Microsoft continues to enhance this small but powerful feature. As the name suggests, Page Inspection allows you to gain detailed insights about a specific page you’re working on. Whether you’re a developer, administrator, or end-user, this tool is invaluable for identifying and addressing issues.

To demonstrate its capabilities, I’ll Walk you through an example using the Sales Order page. But first, let’s understand the fundamental structure of a page in Business Central. A page consists of various elements, including the main page, subpages (like lines), and factbox areas. Each of these components can contribute to the behavior or performance of a page.

Business Central vs. NAV: A New Perspective

One crucial aspect to understand about Business Central is that it operates differently from its predecessor, NAV. Business Central is a collection of apps, each with its own app owner. This means that troubleshooting requires identifying the app responsible for an issue and reaching out to the appropriate owner—whether it’s Microsoft, an ISV (Independent Software Vendor), or your implementation partner. Unlike in NAV, where your partner had full control over the environment, Business Central’s modular architecture introduces additional layers of complexity.

For instance, if an ISV solution has locked its code or lacks appropriate event triggers, your partner may have limited ability to modify its behavior. This is why tools like Page Inspection are essential for pinpointing problems and engaging the right stakeholders.

How to Use Page Inspection

To access Page Inspection, you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Help icon in the top-right corner of your Business Central window.

2. Navigate to Help and Support and select Inspect Page and Data.

3. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + F1 for quick access.

Once activated, Page Inspection opens a window displaying detailed information about the current page and its elements. Let’s break down what you can do:

Key Features of Page Inspection

1. Page Details:

   • It shows the page name, page number, and type.

   • You’ll also see the source table behind the page (e.g., Sales Header for the Sales Order page, which corresponds to table 36).

2. Table Fields:

   • This tab displays all fields in the source table, even if they aren’t visible on the page.

   • You can search for specific fields or values, view their data types, lengths, and IDs.

   • For example, searching for “PK” highlights the primary keys of the table.

3. Extensions:

   • This tab lists all extensions impacting the page, including Microsoft-provided apps and third-party solutions.

   • It provides details about how each extension interacts with the page (e.g., extending a table or page).

4. Page Filters:

   • This section displays any filters applied to the page. For example, on a Sales Order page, you might see filters for document type or specific date ranges.

5. Navigating Subcomponents:

• You can inspect subpages (e.g., lines) or factboxes by clicking on them. The highlighted area will update, showing details specific to the selected component.

Identifying Page Load Issues

One of the most practical applications of Page Inspection is diagnosing performance issues. Let’s say your customer page takes an unusually long time to load. By using Page Inspection and navigating to the Extensions tab, you can identify which extensions are contributing to the delay.

For example, the tab might display:

• System Application: 9 ms

• Base Application: 207 ms

• A third-party extension: 1400 ms

Clearly, the third-party extension is the culprit. Armed with this information, you can inform your partner or ISV, significantly reducing the time and cost required to resolve the issue.

Final Thoughts

Page Inspection is a simple yet powerful tool that empowers users, administrators, and developers to troubleshoot effectively in Business Central. By leveraging this feature, you can identify bottlenecks, understand data structures, and engage the right stakeholders to address issues efficiently.

Watch video for the demo!

Regards,
Saurav Dhyani

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