The Graphical Scheduler Anything data source can be used for more than displaying Business Central data. It can also allow users to make selected changes directly from the scheduler by dragging and dropping scheduled records.

For example, an Anything data source can allow users to:

• Move a record to another date or time.
• Change the resource or other grouping to which the record is assigned.
• Change both the assignment and scheduling date.
• Keep other fields on the source record protected from scheduler changes.

For an introduction to configuring arbitrary Business Central tables in Graphical Scheduler, see Anything Feature.

Start with a Read-Only View

Before enabling changes, configure the Anything data source and confirm that it displays the correct:

• Business Central records.
• Starting and ending dates.
• Capacity or grouping.
• Cell and tooltip information.

An Anything data source does not have to allow changes. Use a read-only configuration when the scheduler is intended only to visualize information.

After the view is working correctly, writes can be enabled if users need to reschedule or reassign the records.

For more information about configuring views and data sources, see The Graphical Scheduler Views.

Enable Changes

To allow changes from an Anything data source:

1. Open Graphical Scheduler Views.
2. Open the view containing the Anything data source.
3. Open the Anything data source configuration.
4. Locate the Writing Changes (general) section.
5. Set Allowing Changes to Allow Writes.
6. Configure the fields that Graphical Scheduler is permitted to change under What Order To Change Fields When Writing.

Enabling Allow Writes does not make every field on the underlying table editable. The write rules determine which fields Graphical Scheduler will update.

The available write rule types include:

• Capacity Type
• Capacity No.
• Starting Date and Time
• Ending Date and Time
• Custom Field

This allows the scheduler to expose only the changes required for a particular business process.

Example: Allow a Date to Be Changed

Suppose an Anything data source uses Shipment Date as its Starting Date-Time.

To allow a user to move the record to another shipment date:

1. Set Allowing Changes to Allow Writes.
2. Add Starting Date and Time to the write rules.
3. Leave other fields out of the write rules if they should not be changed.

Dragging the record horizontally in the scheduler can then update the configured starting date field without also allowing unrelated fields to be modified.

Example: Allow a Resource or Grouping to Be Changed

If Capacity No. is mapped to a field such as Resource No., Location Code, or another assignment field, it can also be included in the write rules.

For example:

1. Configure Capacity No. as Resource No.
2. Set Allowing Changes to Allow Writes.
3. Add Capacity No. to the write rules.

This allows moving a scheduled record between applicable rows to change its assignment.

For a complete example, see Display Service Order Allocations in Graphical Scheduler. That configuration allows users to change the Resource No. through Capacity No. and the Allocation Date through Starting Date-Time.

Why Write Order Matters

The What Order To Change Fields When Writing section also determines the order in which fields are changed.

This can be important because changing one Business Central field may affect another field. For example, an assignment may need to be changed before a date is changed, or changing one field may cause Business Central to recalculate other values.

Write rules therefore include a Sort Order, allowing fields to be updated in a predictable sequence.

As a general rule, configure only the fields required for the scheduling action and place them in the same logical order in which those fields would normally be changed in Business Central.

Field Validation

Each write rule can specify whether the field should be written using Validate or Do Not Validate.

Use Validate when Business Central field validation should run as the value changes. This is generally appropriate when the field has business logic that should execute when its value changes.

Use Do Not Validate only when that validation should not run and the effect on the underlying record is understood.

There is also a Write Validation setting in the general Anything configuration. This controls whether record-level validation is used when the modified record is saved.

Because different Business Central tables can have different validation and modification logic, test writable Anything configurations with the specific table and fields being scheduled before using them in production.

Keep Write Rules as Limited as Possible

Only add a write rule when the scheduler needs to modify that field.

For example, if a view is intended only to change dates, configure only the appropriate Starting Date and Time or Ending Date and Time write rules. Do not also configure Capacity No. unless users should be able to move records between groups.

Similarly, if the scheduler is being used only for visibility, leave the data source read-only.

Users making changes must also have sufficient Business Central permissions to modify the underlying records.

Related Articles

• Anything Feature – Configure Business Central tables using the Anything data source.
• The Graphical Scheduler Views – Configure views, data sources, filters, and styles.
• Display Service Order Allocations in Graphical Scheduler – Worked example showing writable Allocation Date and Resource No. fields.
• Show Sales Orders in Graphical Scheduler – Example of using the Anything data source for sales-related information.
• Exploring the Graphical Scheduler Screen – Overview of the Graphical Scheduler user interface and drag-and-drop scheduling.