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Search AL symbols - al_symbolsearch

Applies to: AL Language extension 17.0 and later | Available in: Visual Studio Code, AL MCP Server

The al_symbolsearch tool searches AL symbols—objects such as tables, codeunits, pages, reports, enumerations, and interfaces, as well as their members such as fields, methods, keys, actions, and triggers—across the active project and all referenced dependencies. Results come from the AL Language Server, which ensures that the search is workspace-aware and reflects the current compilation state.

Use this tool to explore the AL symbol space, discover available APIs, audit object usage, or understand what fields and methods an object exposes.

Note

In the AL MCP Server, all search parameters must be wrapped under a parameters key. See the AL MCP examples section.

Parameters

The tool accepts a query string and an optional filters object.

query

Parameter Type Required Description
query string Yes The search term. Use "*" to match all symbols. Supports partial name matching.

filters

All filter properties are optional.

Property Type Description
kinds string[] Restrict results to specific object types: "Table", "Codeunit", "Page", "Report", "Enum", "Interface", and others.
objectName string Search for members inside a specific object. For example, set objectName: "Customer" to search within the Customer table.
memberKinds string[] Restrict member results to specific member types: "Field", "Method", "Key", "Action", "Trigger".
namespace string Restrict results to a specific namespace.
access string[] Filter by accessibility: "Public", "Internal".
obsoleteState string[] Filter by obsolete state: "No", "Pending", "Removed". By default, obsolete symbols are included.
match string Where to apply the query: "name" (default), "doc" (documentation summary), or "all".
scope string Limit the search scope: "project" (current project only), "dependencies" (referenced packages only), or "all" (both). Default: "all".
limit integer Maximum number of results to return. Maximum allowed value: 200.

Return value

The tool returns a symbols array. Each item in the array has the following properties:

Property Type Description
id string Unique identifier for the symbol.
name string Symbol name.
fullName string Fully qualified name including namespace.
kind string Symbol kind (for example, "Table", "Field", "Codeunit").
namespace string Namespace of the symbol.
containerName string Name of the containing object (for member symbols).
signature string For methods and procedures: the full signature.
docSummary string Documentation summary from the XML doc comment, if available.
path string File path where the symbol is defined.

The response also includes a truncated boolean flag. When true, there are more results than the specified limit; narrow your search to see all matches.

Visual Studio Code examples

In Copilot Chat, you can describe what you are looking for in natural language:

  • "Find all codeunits related to posting." Copilot calls al_symbolsearch with query="posting" and filters.kinds=["Codeunit"].

  • "Show me the fields on the Customer table." Copilot calls al_symbolsearch with query="*", filters.objectName="Customer", and filters.memberKinds=["Field"].

  • "Are there any public interfaces in my project?" Copilot calls al_symbolsearch with query="*", filters.kinds=["Interface"], filters.scope="project", and filters.access=["Public"].

AL MCP Server examples

In AL MCP, wrap all parameters under a parameters key:

Find objects by name

{
  "parameters": {
    "query": "Customer",
    "filters": {
      "kinds": ["Table"],
      "scope": "all"
    }
  }
}

List all fields on the Customer table

{
  "parameters": {
    "query": "*",
    "filters": {
      "objectName": "Customer",
      "memberKinds": ["Field"]
    }
  }
}

{
  "parameters": {
    "query": "Post",
    "filters": {
      "kinds": ["Codeunit"],
      "scope": "project"
    }
  }
}

Find all public procedures inside a specific codeunit

{
  "parameters": {
    "query": "*",
    "filters": {
      "objectName": "Sales-Post",
      "memberKinds": ["Method"],
      "access": ["Public"]
    }
  }
}

Exclude obsolete symbols

{
  "parameters": {
    "query": "Balance",
    "filters": {
      "objectName": "Customer",
      "obsoleteState": ["No"]
    }
  }
}

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