How to Use Page Scripting in Business Central for Smarter Testing
Page scripting in business central lets you copy what users do. You can use page scripting to run tests by itself. This helps you get the same results each time. Business Central Page Scripting helps you find bugs that people might not see. When you use these tools, you save time and make your work better.
Try using automated testing now to find more problems and make your work better.
Key Takeaways
Page scripting helps testing in Business Central. It saves time and makes tests more correct.
You can record what you do and play it back. This checks if things still work after updates.
Using parameters in scripts lets you test many cases with one script. This makes testing more flexible.
Automated user acceptance testing finds problems early. It helps keep your system working well.
Use good scripting habits to keep your tests strong and easy to fix.
Business Central Page Scripting Overview
What Is Page Scripting
When you use the page scripting tool in Business Central, you can record your actions as you move through the system. You open pages, fill in fields, and click buttons. The tool saves each step. Later, you can replay these steps to test the same process again. This helps you see if everything works as expected after changes or updates. You get real-time feedback on each action. If something does not work, you will know right away.
Page scripting in Business Central lets you automate your testing. You do not need to repeat the same steps by hand. You can share your scripts with your team. This makes it easy for everyone to follow the same testing process. You can also use these scripts to train new users. When you start page scripting, you make your testing faster and more reliable.
Key Benefits
You gain many advantages when you use the page scripting tool for your tests:
You save time by automating repetitive tasks. This means you do not have to do the same test over and over.
You improve accuracy. The tool repeats your actions exactly, so you catch errors that manual testing might miss.
You boost productivity. Developers and power users can focus on important work instead of routine testing.
You enhance user acceptance testing. You can test business processes and scenarios to make sure they work after updates.
You keep your workflow smooth. The tool helps you maintain consistency across different testing environments.
You can validate new features and customizations before you use them in real work.
You can check that user roles and permissions work as planned.
Tip: Automate your acceptance testing with business central page scripting to ensure your business processes always work as intended.
Getting Started with Page Scripting
Setup Steps
Before you start page scripting, make sure your system meets the requirements. You need the right operating system, software, and enough hardware resources. The table below shows what you need:
Once your system is ready, open the Business Central web client. Go to the Settings menu and select the page scripting tool. You need the right permissions to see this option. The tool opens on the right side of your screen. Now you can begin to record and replay your actions.
Note: Always check your permissions before you try to use page scripting.
Recording Scripts
To record a script, choose to start a new recording in the page scripting pane. You will see a red circle that shows recording has started. Now, perform the actions you want to test. For example, you can create a sales order, fill in fields, and click buttons. The tool captures each step. If you make a mistake, you can delete the last step. You can also pause and resume recording as needed.
When you record scripts, try to keep them simple. Break down long processes into smaller parts. This makes your scripts easier to manage and update. If you want to test different data, think about parameterizing your scripts. Parameterizing lets you use the same script with different values, which helps you test more scenarios.
Running Scripts
After you finish recording, you can run your script to test your process. Open the page scripting tool again. Select the script file you want to use. Press play to start the test. Watch as the tool repeats your actions. You can monitor the execution to make sure everything works as expected.
For better results, use a parameterized script when you want to test with different data. This approach helps you check many cases without recording new scripts each time. When you work with lists, always filter and select the top element. Create new entities for testing instead of using existing ones. These steps help you avoid errors and keep your tests reliable.
Tip: Use page scripting to automate tasks like creating a sales order or checking user permissions. This saves time and improves accuracy in your business central page scripting projects.
Automating Testing in Business Central
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Page scripting can make user acceptance testing simple and quick. You record your actions as you use Business Central. Later, you can play back these actions to check if things still work. This means you do not have to repeat steps by hand.
UAT helps you see if your business processes work for real users. Page scripting lets you run these tests automatically. You can test things like making a sales order or checking user permissions. You do not need to watch every step. The tool runs your tests and shows the results.
Automated acceptance testing helps you find problems early. You can run tests after updates to make sure nothing is broken. This lowers the chance of errors and keeps your system working well. You can spend time on new features while page scripting checks the old ones.
Tip: Use page scripting to automate acceptance testing. This helps your business processes stay reliable after every update.
Parameterizing Scripts
Parameterizing a script lets you test with different data. You do not need to record a new script for each test. You can use the same script and just change the values. This makes your tests flexible and saves time.
Here is how you can use parameterizing in Business Central:
Record your script with the page scripting tool. Capture the actions you want to automate.
Export the script as a YAML file.
Add parameters at the top of the YAML file. For example, set CustomerNo to '20000'.
Change hardcoded values in your script to use the parameter. Replace value: '10000' with value: =Parameters.'CustomerNo'.
Import the parameterized script back into Business Central.
Run the script and enter different values each time.
Parameterizing helps you test many cases with one script. You can check different customer numbers, item codes, or dates. This makes acceptance testing and UAT much easier.
Note: Parameterizing your scripts helps you test more cases and makes your tests easy to manage.
Validating Scenarios
You want to make sure your changes work as planned. Validating scenarios with page scripting helps you check if your changes do what you want. You can test business logic, workflows, and user roles.
When you validate scenarios, follow these steps:
Make sure your tests check both success and failure cases.
Use automated tests that do not need user help.
Leave the system in the same state after each test.
Run tests quickly and connect them to your test management system.
You can create test methods that follow a simple pattern:
Set up the test conditions.
Run the business logic you want to test.
Check if the results match what you expect.
Automated validation with page scripting helps you find problems before users do. You can test customizations, new features, and updates. This keeps your workflows and business processes strong.
Tip: Always validate your scenarios after updates. This helps lower the risk of errors and keeps your Business Central applications reliable.
Troubleshooting and Best Practices
Common Issues
When you use the page scripting tool, you may run into some common problems. You cannot use it to automate control add-ins or embedded Power BI reports. The tool does not work like a general HTML automation tool. If you select multiple lines during recording, only the last selection gets saved. Sometimes, scripts stop working after big changes to the user interface. You may need to update your scripts by hand to keep them working.
The tool does not support control add-ins or embedded Power BI.
Multiple line selections only record the last one.
Scripts may need updates after UI changes.
Tip: Always check your scripts after updates to make sure they still work as expected.
Tips for Reliable Scripts
You can solve many script failures by following a few steps:
Isolate the problem to find out what caused the failure.
Look at the documentation for help with troubleshooting.
Set up monitoring and health checks from the start.
Build your scripts to handle errors, using retry logic if needed.
To make your scripts more reliable and easier to manage, try these best practices:
Use clear names for your scripts and variables so everyone understands them.
Break your scripts into small, reusable parts.
Make sure each test runs by itself.
Use the Page Object Model to separate test logic from the user interface.
Use data from outside sources to drive your tests. This helps with acceptance testing and makes your scripts reusable.
Add comments to explain what your scripts do.
Add error handling and logging for better debugging.
Store your scripts in version control for easy tracking.
Keep each test small and focused on one thing.
Review and improve your scripts often.
Note: A parameterized script helps you test many cases with less work and keeps your acceptance testing strong.
Limitations
You should know that business central page scripting focuses on automating user actions for acceptance testing. It does not cover every possible scenario. The tool cannot automate some special controls or embedded content. If you change the user interface, you may need to update your scripts. Always use best practices to keep your scripts reliable and easy to maintain.
Business Central page scripting lets you test things faster. You can record what you do and play it back. You can also share your scripts with your team. Many companies use these tools to make documents quickly. They also use them to run tests with many steps and work together better.
Here are some things you can do:
Record steps and play them back to make sales or purchase orders.
Share your scripts with developers so they can fix mistakes.
Automate posting and transaction tests to work faster.
You can keep learning as the tool gets better. You can find help in official guides and documentation. You can also use community forums like bcideas. There are guides for automated testing in pipelines too.
Keep using these tips and tools. They help your Business Central apps stay strong and work well.
FAQ
How do you start recording a page script in Business Central?
Open the page scripting tool from the Settings menu. Click the record button. Perform your actions on the page. The tool saves each step as you work.
Can you share your scripts with other team members?
Yes, you can export your scripts as files. Send them to your team. They can import and run the scripts on their own systems.
What types of tasks can you automate with page scripting?
You can automate tasks like creating sales orders, checking user permissions, and posting transactions. Page scripting helps you repeat these steps quickly and accurately.
Do you need special permissions to use page scripting?
You need the right permissions to access the page scripting tool. Ask your system administrator if you cannot see the option in your menu.
How do you update scripts after changing the user interface?
Edit your script to match the new layout. Record new steps if needed. Always test your script after making changes to ensure it works.