Mastering Container Functions in X++: A Developer's Guide

Hello All,

When working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, developers often deal with the X++ language, a powerful object-oriented language tailored for enterprise solutions. One of the key data structures in X++ is the container — a versatile object that can store a sequence of values of various data types. 

In this blog post, we'll walk through the essential container runtime functions in X++ that every developer should know, complete with examples and simplified explanations.

 1. Removing Items: conDel

Need to remove one or more elements from a container? The conDel() function helps you trim down your container by specifying a starting position and the number of items to delete.

Syntax:

container conDel(container original, int startIndex, int count);

Example:

container myContainer = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"];

myContainer = conDel(myContainer, 2, 2);  // Removes "Banana" and "Cherry"

 2. Searching for Values: conFind

Want to locate a specific value within your container? Use conFind() to return the 1-based index of the first occurrence. If it doesn’t exist, you’ll get 0.

Syntax:

int conFind(container source, anytype value);

Example:

container fruits = ["Mango", "Grapes", "Orange"];
int index = conFind(fruits, "Grapes");  // Returns 2

3. Inserting Elements: conIns

To insert new elements into a container at a particular position, use conIns(). It allows you to specify where and what to insert.

Syntax:

container conIns(container original, int position, anytype newItem, ...);

Example:

container data = ["A", "C"];

data = conIns(data, 2, "B");  // Inserts "B" between "A" and "C"

 Tip: You can also append items at the end using the += operator.

4. Counting Items: conLen


To find out how many items are in a container, use conLen(). It's a straightforward way to check container length.

Syntax:

int conLen(container source);

Example

container items = ["X", "Y", "Z"];
int total = conLen(items);  // Returns 3

 5. Resetting a Container: conNull


Want to clear your container completely? The conNull() function returns an empty container.

Syntax:

container conNull();

Example:

container filled = ["Data1", "Data2"];
filled = conNull();  // Now it's an empty container

6. Accessing Items: conPeek

If you need to retrieve an element at a specific position, conPeek() is your go-to. Remember, positions are 1-based.

Syntax:

anytype conPeek(container source, int position);

Example:

container sample = [100, 200, 300];
int value = conPeek(sample, 2);  // Returns 200

7. Replacing Items: conPoke

To update one or more elements within a container, use conPoke(). It replaces values starting from the specified index.

Syntax:

container conPoke(container original, int start, anytype replacement, ...);

Example:

container scores = [85, 90, 95];
scores = conPoke(scores, 2, 88);  // Replaces 90 with 88

Final Thoughts

X++ container functions are essential for managing collections of data in Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications. While containers are immutable (a new container is returned after each operation), these built-in functions make it easy to manipulate them in powerful ways.

Understanding how and when to use each function—whether it's inserting, deleting, searching, or updating—will help you write more efficient and maintainable X++ code.


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