Tag: Azure Functions

Authorization, Base64 Convert, Business Central, InStream, Integration, JSON, JsonObject, JsonToken, OData, Post, Postman, SOAP, Tenant Media, Tip & Tricks, URL, Web Access Key, Web Services

Integrating with Business Central – using Web Service

Ashwini Tripathi

This is fourth post in this series, if you wish to see first post, you can access here.

In second post I discussed about, how to create Azure Functions, you can access here.

In previous post I discussed about, how to Integrate Azure Functions in Business Central, you can access here.

In this post we will discuss how to make available QR Image using API by exposing as Web Service.

Let’s cut the theoretical part and coming directly to the solution.

This post is very short and as an answer to query from one of the blog readers, who regularly gives feedback and suggest topic he wish from me. Sometime it is not possible to write post for every query, but I try to pick some which I find interesting. Converting any topic into post is quite time taking, solution can be of 10 mins but presenting same in form of blog takes 2-3 hours, sometimes even more.

Some time appropriate environment is not available where I can put the solution and take screenshots to present as blog.

Since this topic is part of current series, I am writing posts on, so I was able to easily pick this topic.

Requirement is to add capability to get QR Image we generated in our previous posts using Web Service/ API/ OData/ JSON Base64Text.

To get this working we will first create a Codeunit with appropriate methods and expose it as Web Service.

Step – 1.

Create Codeunit & Add below method.

Step – 2

Publish above Codeunit as Web Service.

Step – 3

Copy SOAP URL

[SOAP URL]

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/1e4fc386-962e-4a20-8364-d5aeb65e2485/Test/WS/CRONUS%20USA%2C%20Inc./Codeunit/QRCodeGenerator

Convert to ODataV4 URL by making necessary modification as below:

[ODataV4 URL]

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/1e4fc386-962e-4a20-8364-d5aeb65e2485/Test/ODataV4/QRCodeGenerator

Similarly, your $metadata URL will be:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/1e4fc386-962e-4a20-8364-d5aeb65e2485/Test/ODataV4/$metadata

Run the metadata URL in browser:

Search for your function created above, you should get definition as below:

<Action Name=”QRCodeGenerator_GetQRSetImageAsJSON”>

<Parameter Name=”qRSetId” Type=”Edm.Int32″/>

<ReturnType Type=”Edm.String”/>

</Action>

Let’s test the above URL for function using Postman to see the result:

[POST] – https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/1e4fc386-962e-4a20-8364-d5aeb65e2485/Test/ODataV4/QRCodeGenerator_GetQRSetImageAsJSON?Company=CRONUS USA, Inc.

Authorization:  Basic Auth

Username: ASHWINI.TRIPATHI

Password: xjAtAtTaFhgXkgR4M5WoHapotvJNmqJ5//XBYK2v5s4= (Web Service Access Key)

JSON Parameter to Function: (Body raw:JSON)

{

    “qRSetId” : “6”

}

Result Body:

{

    “@odata.context”: “https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/1e4fc386-962e-4a20-8364-d5aeb65e2485/Test/ODataV4/$metadata#Edm.String&#8221;,

    “value”: “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”

}

Copy the Value and use any base64 – image converter tool, search on Google

You will get your QR Image:

Don’t try any URL or Passwords in this post as same is modified, and in images covered to hide actual url & passwords.

Hope you enjoyed learning from this post.

That’s all for this post, but visit again to learn from upcoming posts in this series, will post soon.

See you again in next post, till then keep exploring, learning and sharing with others.

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Azure Functions, Business Central, Integration, QR Code, Tip & Tricks

Integrating Azure Function with Business Central

Ashwini Tripathi

This is third post in this series, if you wish to see first post, you can access here.

In previous post I discussed about first part, how to create Azure Functions, you can access here.

Today in this post I will discuss about second part, how to Integrate previously created Azure Functions in Business Central.

From previous post remember:

On completion you will get the Live AZURE URL, use the URL in same way as for local, to pass parameter append at the end of URL as (?ReqData=Test)

Replace [Test] with the information for which you want to generate the QR Code.

Let’s start with Business Central side customization required, here I am presenting partial design for learning purpose, if you need full functional setup-based configuration for generating QR Code integrated with your system, I have the solution ready, you can connect with me for complete solution for your business. Actual solution has much more capability than what is presented here.

First, we will design a table to store all generated QR Code & assign an QR Set Id, which you can add in your other tables, just like Dim Set Id.

Only bare minimum code is included just to give idea about how we can integrate Azure Functions to Generate QR Code in Business Central.

Next, we will design page for this table.

Next, we will design page to display QR Set Image generated for QR Code Data.

QR Code Data is text created with information for which QR Code need to be generated.

Next, we will create a function which will generate QR Image using Azure function we created in previous post.

You can create a codeunit and add your function to generate QR Code Image as above. Replace Url with exact you obtained in previous post after deploying your function.

You need to write one more function which create a new record in your table and populate QR Code Data value with the information you wish to generate QR Image for.

Once your QR Code Set Record is ready call this function to Generate QR Code Image for you, based on information you created in QR Code Data.

For Example, add this procedure to any table where you wish to Generate QR Code.

You need to implement your logic for generating QR Code Data, for example you wish to Generate QR Code for Item with information like [ItemNo|Description]

You can populate QR Code data as:

QRSet.”QR Code Data” := Rec.”No.” + ‘|’ + Rec.Description;

Don’t forget to add one field to this table as “QRSet Id” and assign the “QRSet Id” as QRSet.”QR Code Set Id” in above procedure GenerateQRCode after QRSet is Inserted.

Your QR Image will be generated with this information, when you scan you QR Image you will get information that you passed as parameter to “QR Code Data”.

Similarly, you can add below actions to your respective page for above table:

Now build and publish your extension.

Open the page where you added the Action, first call Generate QR Code, this will populate the QR Code Set with the information as per your logic, Get the QR Image from the Azure function and save it into your table QR Code Set. Next you call View QR Code, this will fetch the QR Image from the table and display on screen.

Hope you enjoyed learning from this post.

That’s all for this post, but visit again to learn from upcoming posts in this series, will post soon.

See you again in next post, till then keep exploring, learning and sharing with others.

Azure, Azure Functions, Business Central, QR Code, Quick Response Code, Tip & Tricks

QR Code Generator using Azure Functions & Integration with Business Central Cloud Version

Ashwini Tripathi

Today in this post I will explain how and why you should consider create your own QR Code programmatically internally without the use of public available options.

Quick Response code, is a code that can be easily read by a device having camera attached. QR Codes are commonly used today across various industries.

In todays word hardly you will find any product which don’t have either Barcode or QR Code.

You may find many free QR Code generators available on the internet. It is very convenient to source and quickly generate QR Codes but using their services have areas of risks and concerns for organization to consider.

The potential security risks such as phishing, malware, Malicious website and data tracking few to list.

Solution to this could be organizations should prefer to find an enterprise paid service or to create their own. If any organization decides to build their own QR Code generator, then there are open-source QR Code libraries where they can rely on.

Now to build a full-fledged application will require to consider for all the typical application infrastructure considerations such as networking, security, monitoring, patching and the list keeps growing. There could be many considerations just to provide a simple service and is it worth? Another big fat questions.

Here comes the Azure Functions.

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service that is used for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications.

It provides

  • software as a service (SaaS),
  • platform as a service (PaaS), and
  • infrastructure as a service (IaaS).

Azure Functions runs on the Microsoft Azure platform and is used to run small pieces of code, or functions, in the cloud.

With Azure Functions, you only need to focus on a specific function without worrying on the whole application or the infrastructure to run it. Additionally, Azure Functions lets you run your code in a serverless environment without creating a virtual machine or publish any web application.

For Azure functions, you can use development language of your choice, such as C#, F#, Node.js, or PHP.

Because Microsoft Azure is a service, no doubt you have to pay for it. Azure Functions has two types of pricing plans:

Consumption plan – Microsoft Azure provides all the necessary computational resources. Therefore, you don’t need to concentrate on resource management, and you only pay for the time that your code runs.

App service plan – With the app service plan, you can run your functions as you do other web and API applications on Azure. If you are already using app services for other applications, you can run Azure Functions on the same plan without additional costs.

Check for latest Plan online on Azure portal as and when you decide to use the service, or to grab a free trial account. You can list free services available to you if you have azure account using this link here.

Azure Functions Pricing you can check here and free grant per month.

Above links and further links from there will provide detailed information on everything you may require to go with Azure Functions.

Enough for introduction, what we are going to Explore in this series:

  1. Creating Azure Functions to generate QR Code & Sample Test of Azure Function
  2. Integrating Azure Function with Business Central
  3. Integrating with Business Central – using Web Service
  4. Testing of Extension functionality for QR Code Generation.

Anything else I decide to add more will update this post with links and other topics related to this series.

Make a book mark to this post, I will update the Links in above list as I complete my next post, and add more topics to the list, I further decide to include in this series.

Go through the above links to educate yourself, so that what I explain in upcoming posts, you better co-relate them.

That’s all for this post, but visit again to learn from upcoming posts in this series, will post soon.

See you again in next post, Till then keep exploring, learning and sharing with others.