AL access to viewing and sharing files in OneDrive
Important
This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, go to What's new and planned for Dynamics 365 Business Central. For the latest release plans, go to Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.
| Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|
| Users by admins, makers, or analysts | 
Sep 6, 2021 |
Oct 1, 2021 |
Business value
Bring the best of Microsoft's business and productivity suites together to view and edit files, or initiate collaborative, review, and sharing activities directly from Business Central. Users benefit from a familiar file viewing and sharing experience, and reduce the need to download files to their device.
Feature details
Business application features that store, manage, or present files can now be enhanced with actions to view a file in the browser, or share the file with others, by integrating with OneDrive for Business.
Available with version 19.0
New AL objects in the system and base application that integrate with OneDrive. Developers have to write only minimal code when they need to open a Business Central file in the browser. This copies the file from Business Central to OneDrive, then opens the file using the native web applications for Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, or with OneDrive's file viewer for all other files such as PDFs. This functionality is intended for interactive scenarios where users initiate the action during their session, and not for automating file transfer.
A documented AL code pattern and guidelines that developers can apply to any page or process used to represent files. This pattern consists of a Download action and Open in OneDrive action that developers can apply consistently across their extensions. For an example of this pattern applied in the business application, see the Attachments FactBox.
Available later this year
Developers will be able to implement a third action, Share, that displays the standard Microsoft 365 file sharing window, directly within Business Central. The Share window allows users to share a link with others or email a link.
Improvements to the end-user sign-in experience when using OneDrive from Business Central, reducing the number of windows required to handle identity and consent.
Variations to the AL methods will be made available that give more granular control over where and how the file is copied to OneDrive before it is opened or shared.
Tell us what you think
Help us improve Dynamics 365 Business Central by discussing ideas, providing suggestions, and giving feedback. Use the forum at https://aka.ms/bcIdeas.
See also
Sharing Business Central Records and Page Links in Microsoft Teams (docs)