BC HERO is a Visual Studio Code extension built for Business Central AL developers. It brings together seven powerful, purpose-built tools under one unified interface — from scaffolding new projects and generating AL code, to exploring live APIs, managing translations, and visualising your schema and object dependencies.

• Features Overview
• Commands Reference
• Quick Project Setup
• AL Object Creator
• JSON → AL Generator
• API Explorer
• Translation Assistant
• Schema Viewer
• Dependency Graph
• Getting Started
• Tips & Shortcuts

All commands are available from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P). Type BC HERO to filter the list.

BC HERO: Open Quick Project Setup
BC HERO: Open AL Object Creator
BC HERO: Open JSON2AL Generator
BC HERO: Open API Explorer
BC HERO: Open Translation Assistant
BC HERO: Open Schema Viewer
BC HERO: Open Dependency Graph

Command: BC HERO: Open Quick Project Setup

Instantly scaffold a clean, professional AL project folder structure without leaving VS Code. Instead of manually creating directories, select the components your project needs and BC HERO creates them all in one click.

1. Open the panel via the Command Palette.
2. Set the Source Root Folder — the base folder where all subdirectories will be created (e.g. src). The resolved path is shown in real time beneath the input.
3. From the component list, check the folders you need. Use Select All to enable every component, or tick them individually.
4. Watch the live preview tree on the right update as you make selections — you always know exactly what will be created before committing.
5. Click Create Folders to generate the structure. A results panel confirms each folder created.

BC HERO can scaffold any combination of the following standard AL folders:

Tables · Pages · Reports · XMLPorts · Queries · Codeunits · ControlAddIns · PageExtensions · TableExtensions · Profiles · PageCustomizations · Enums · EnumExtensions · DotNetPackages · Interfaces · ReportExtensions

• Live preview tree — see the resulting folder structure before creating anything.
• Resolved path hint — the full absolute path to your source root is shown dynamically as you type.
• Batch creation — all selected folders are created in a single operation.
• Reset — clears all selections and restores defaults instantly.

Command: BC HERO: Open AL Object Creator

A guided, form-based wizard for generating AL object files. Configure each object's type, ID, name, fields, and destination — then queue multiple objects and create them all at once.

1. Open the panel and select an Object Type from the dropdown (16 types supported).
2. Fill in the common fields:
   • Object ID — auto-suggested based on the highest existing ID in your workspace for the chosen type.
   • Name — the AL object name.
   • Caption — defaults to the name if left blank.
3. Fill in the type-specific fields that appear below (e.g. fields for a Table, source table for a Page, values for an Enum).
4. Set the Destination Folder where the .al file should be saved. Click Browse to pick a folder visually.
5. Click + Add Object (or press Ctrl+Enter) to add the object to the Batch Queue on the left.
6. Repeat for additional objects. Each queued item shows its name, type badge, and assigned ID.
7. Click ✓ Done to create all queued objects at once. A results panel lists every file created.

• Smart ID suggestion — the Object ID field is automatically pre-filled with the next available ID for the selected type, accounting for both existing workspace objects and objects already in the batch queue.
• Batch queue — build a list of objects before generating, then create them all in one go.
• Per-item removal — click the ✕ on any queued item to remove it without clearing the rest.
• Rescan IDs — click the refresh icon in the toolbar to re-scan the workspace for the latest used object IDs.
• Ctrl+Enter shortcut — adds the current form state to the queue without reaching for the mouse.

Command: BC HERO: Open JSON2AL Generator

Drop any JSON file onto BC HERO and receive fully structured AL code — tables, pages, or XMLports — with fields, types, and captions inferred automatically from the JSON data.

1. Open the panel. The left side shows a drop zone.
2. Drag and drop a .json file onto the drop zone, or click Browse to select one. OData responses ({ "value": [...] }) and plain JSON arrays or objects are all supported.
3. BC HERO analyses the JSON and lists all detected fields in the left panel, showing each field's inferred AL type and a sample value from the data.
4. Use the checkboxes to select or deselect individual fields. Use All / None buttons to toggle everything at once.
5. Choose an object type from the tabs along the top: Table, Page List, Page Card, or XMLport.
6. Fill in the configuration panel (object number, name, source table, etc.) for the chosen type.
7. In the field configuration table, fine-tune each field: edit the AL name, change the data type, and adjust the length for Text or Code fields.
8. Click ▶ Generate AL Code. The right panel displays syntax-highlighted AL code ready to use.
9. Click Copy to copy the code to your clipboard, or Create .al File to save it directly into a selected folder in your workspace.

BC HERO maps JSON value types to sensible AL defaults:

All inferred types can be overridden in the field configuration table before generating.

• Drag-and-drop JSON loading — works anywhere on the window.
• OData support — automatically unwraps { "value": [...] } response envelopes.
• Live AL syntax highlighting — keywords, strings, numbers, and comments are colour-coded in the preview pane.
• Per-field customisation — rename fields, change types, and adjust lengths without editing the generated code.
• Direct file creation — generates a .al file with a sensible suggested filename.

Command: BC HERO: Open API Explorer

A full-featured HTTP client built specifically for Business Central APIs. Browse API endpoints discovered in your workspace, configure authentication, build requests with query parameters, and inspect responses — all inside VS Code.

1. Click the connection pill (top-left) or the ⚙ gear icon to open Connection Settings.
2. Enter your Tenant ID and Environment Name.
3. Choose an authentication method:
   • Basic Auth — username and password.
   • OAuth 2.0 — access token URL, client ID, client secret, and client authentication method (client_secret_post or client_secret_basic).
4. Click Save. The connection pill turns green and shows the environment name when connected.

1. The left panel lists all API endpoints found in your workspace — pages with PageType = API and queries with QueryType = API. Use the search bar to filter by name.
2. Click an endpoint to load its URL into the request bar. The company query parameter is automatically injected if a company name is available.
3. Select an HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE) and adjust the URL if needed.
4. Use the Params accordion to manage query parameters:
   • Check or uncheck rows to include or exclude individual parameters.
   • The URL bar stays in sync with the params table at all times.
   • The company parameter is highlighted with a special accent pill.
5. Click ▶ Send (or press Ctrl+Enter) to fire the request.

The response area shows:

• Status code and status text (colour-coded: green for 2xx, amber for 3xx, red for errors).
• Response time (colour-coded by speed: green < 500 ms, amber < 2 s, red ≥ 2 s).
• Response size in bytes, KB, or MB.
• Element count — items in an array, records in a value property, or keys in an object.
• Call counter — total requests made in the current session.
• A syntax-highlighted JSON viewer with colour-coded keys, strings, numbers, booleans, and null values.

Once a JSON response is loaded, a search bar appears above the response body:

• Type to highlight all matching text across the entire JSON.
• A match counter shows the current position (e.g. 3 / 14).
• Use the ▲ / ▼ navigation buttons to jump between matches. The active match is scrolled into view automatically.

• Workspace endpoint discovery — automatically scans for AL API pages and queries; click ⟳ Rescan to refresh after code changes.
• Params ↔ URL sync — editing either the URL bar or the params table keeps both in sync; no risk of duplicate or malformed query strings.
• Session persistence — performance history (up to 30 calls) is preserved for the session.
• Ctrl+Enter shortcut — sends the current request without leaving the keyboard.

Command: BC HERO: Open Translation Assistant

A visual XLIFF editor for managing Business Central translation files. View progress across all locales, edit translations inline, validate quality, and save changes — all without leaving VS Code.

1. Open the panel. BC HERO scans your workspace for XLIFF files (.xlf) in a Translations folder.
2. The left panel lists all files found, each showing:
   • A language flag and locale code.
   • A progress bar and percentage showing how many strings are translated.
   • Counts for translated ✓, missing ✕, and needs-review ⚑ strings.
3. Use the search bar and status filter to narrow the list (e.g. show only incomplete files).
4. Click a file to load it in the right panel.

1. The right panel shows all translation units in a table with columns for ID, Source (original English text), and Target (the translation).
2. Click any Target cell to open an inline editor. Type the translation directly.
3. Use the state selector (Translated, Needs Review, Final, etc.) to set the unit's state.
4. Changes are saved automatically — on blur (immediately when you leave the cell) and while typing (after a short delay). No Save button is needed.
5. Press Escape to discard changes and revert to the previous value.

• Use the search bar in the toolbar to filter units by source text, target, ID, or notes.
• Use the status filter dropdown to show only Translated, Untranslated, or Needs Review units.
• The unit counter always shows how many units match the current filter.

• Check individual rows using the checkboxes on the left, or use the header checkbox to select/deselect all visible units.
• With units selected, use the batch bar at the top to mark all selected units as Translated or Needs Review in one action.

• Click the ⊟ note icon on any row to open a flyout showing developer notes and BC HERO notes attached to that translation unit.
• Notes are read-only and help you understand the context of each string.

• Click ⚑ Validate in the toolbar to run quality checks on the current file.
• Detected issues (missing translations, source-identical targets, placeholder mismatches) appear in a panel at the bottom.
• Click any validation issue to jump directly to the offending unit in the table.

• Auto-save — translations are persisted automatically as you type; no manual save step.
• Progress tracking — a header progress bar shows the overall completion percentage for the selected file with colour coding (green ≥ 90 %, amber ≥ 50 %, red < 50 %).
• Open in editor — click ↗ Open File to open the raw XLIFF file in VS Code's text editor.
• Rescan — click ↺ Rescan to pick up newly added translation files without reloading the panel.

Command: BC HERO: Open Schema Viewer

Explore Business Central table schemas visually. Browse tables, inspect every field's type and metadata, view keys and indexes, and understand relationships through an interactive force-directed graph.

1. Open the panel. All tables detected in your workspace (and linked symbol packages) are listed in the left panel.
2. Use the search bar in the top toolbar to filter by table name or caption.
3. Use the Type filter to show only tables of a specific type (Normal, Temporary, CRM, ExternalSQL).
4. Toggle Show Obsolete to include or exclude tables marked obsolete.
5. Click any table to open it in the detail pane.

The detail pane opens with a full field table showing:

• Click any column header to sort the field table by that column. Click again to reverse.
• Use the field search bar to filter fields by name, type, or caption within the selected table.
• Click any field row to open the Metadata Sidebar with full details: field ID, data type, length, option values, editability, index status, table relation, data classification, and obsolete state.

Click ⊟ Keys in the detail header to expand a panel showing all table keys and indexes, including which fields each key covers and whether it is the primary (clustered) key or a unique index.

The lower half of the right panel shows an interactive force-directed relationship graph:

• Each table is a node. Arrows represent TableRelation dependencies.
• Click a node to highlight it and dim all unrelated tables and edges. Click the same node again or click the background to clear the highlight.
• Drag nodes to rearrange the layout. Zoom with the scroll wheel or trackpad.
• Use Show Fields to display the first 5 field names inside each node.
• Use Connected Only to hide tables with no relationships.
• Use ⊡ Fit to zoom the graph to fit all visible nodes in the viewport.
• Click ⊟ Details to collapse the detail pane and give the graph more space.

• ↗ Open — click the Open button in the detail header to jump directly to the table's .al source file.
• Stats bar — the top toolbar always shows the total number of tables, fields, and relationships in the current schema.
• Reset — clears all filters and search terms and restores the default view.

Command: BC HERO: Open Dependency Graph

A full-workspace, interactive dependency map showing how your AL objects relate to one another. See which pages extend which tables, which codeunits subscribe to which events, and how every object fits into the larger picture.

1. Open the panel. BC HERO scans the workspace and builds the graph automatically.
2. The graph renders all objects as colour-coded nodes grouped by object type, with directed edges representing dependencies.
3. Click a node to focus it — its direct connections are highlighted and everything else is dimmed. Click the same node or the background to clear.
4. Drag nodes to reorganise the layout. Pan by dragging the background. Zoom with the scroll wheel.
5. Right-click a node to open a context menu with options to open the source file, focus connections, or copy the object name or ID.
6. Hover over a node to see a tooltip with the object type, ID, file path, and any obsolete or external flags.

• Search bar — type to dim all nodes that don't match, revealing only matching objects and their immediate neighbours.
• Type chips — toggle individual object types (Table, Page, Codeunit, Report, Enum, etc.) on and off to reduce visual clutter. Each type has a distinct colour.
• Scope toggle — switch between Workspace (your own objects only) and + Ext (includes external/symbol dependencies) to control how much of the graph is shown.

Edges are colour-coded by the kind of dependency they represent:

• Node count & edge count — shown in the stats bar so you always know the current graph size.
• ⊡ Fit — zooms and pans to fit all visible nodes neatly in the viewport.
• ↺ Reset layout — re-runs the simulation to generate a fresh automatic layout.
• Obsolete indicator — objects marked obsolete display a red dot badge on their node.
• External dependencies — objects from symbol packages appear as dimmed, dashed-border nodes so you can distinguish workspace code from platform dependencies.

1. Install BC HERO from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
2. Open a Business Central AL workspace in VS Code.
3. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and type BC HERO to see all available tools.
4. For API-related features, open API Explorer and configure your connection credentials via the ⚙ Connection Settings dialog before sending requests.

• Rescan buttons (↺) are available in the API Explorer, Translation Assistant, and AL Object Creator to refresh workspace data without closing and reopening a panel.
• All BC HERO panels share a consistent dark theme, layout, and keyboard patterns — once you learn one, the others feel immediately familiar.
• In the API Explorer, the company parameter is automatically pinned to the top of the params table and displayed with a distinct accent style so it's never accidentally removed.
• In the Translation Assistant, auto-save is silent by default — the VS Code panel only shows a notification for batch operations, not for individual inline edits, keeping your workflow uninterrupted.

BC HERO is available on the Visual Studio Marketplace. Search for BC HERO or install directly from the Extensions view in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X).

While pull requests (PRs) are not currently being accepted, feedback is always welcome. If you have ideas for new features or encounter any bugs, feel free to open an issue or submit a feature request.

To submit feedback:

1. Visit the GitHub Issues page.
2. Open a new issue with details about the problem or your feature request.

Your input helps improve BC HERO, and we appreciate any contributions you make!

This extension is released under the Apache License 2.0. You can freely use, modify, and distribute this software, with some conditions. See the full license text here.

If you encounter any issues or have questions, don’t hesitate to open an issue. You can also reach out to the community for support or offer suggestions for new features.

Follow us on GitHub or the Visual Studio Marketplace to get the latest updates and announcements about BC HERO. As always, more features are in the pipeline to make your BC development experience even better.

Made with ❤️ by Yahya Touil.

Check out my blog for more insights, tutorials, and updates on Business Central and AL development: Yahya's Blog.

BC HERO — Built for Business Central AL developers.