In some data migration scenarios, it is necessary to maintain the original record metadata, such as CreatedDateTime, instead of relying on system-generated timestamps. By default, system fields are protected from direct modification, but there is a way to override this behavior in X++ using the overwriteSystemfields(true) method.

Why Overwrite System Fields? #

When importing historical data from legacy systems, it’s often important to preserve:

  • Original creation timestamps (CreatedDateTime)
  • Modified timestamps (ModifiedDateTime)
  • User IDs who created or modified records

Without this ability, newly inserted records will have system-generated values, which could lead to inconsistencies in reporting or auditing.

How to Overwrite System Fields in X++ #

The following X++ example demonstrates how to override system fields when inserting data into the HcmWorkerActionCommentHistoryEntity entity:

public class HcmWorkerActionCommentHistoryEntity extends common
{
    public boolean insertEntityDataSource(DataEntityRuntimeContext _entityCtx, DataEntityDataSourceRuntimeContext _dataSourceCtx)
    {
        boolean ret = true;

        if (_dataSourceCtx.name() == dataentitydatasourcestr(HcmWorkerActionCommentHistoryEntity, HcmWorkerActionComment))
        {
            HcmWorkerActionComment workerActionComment;

            workerActionComment = _dataSourceCtx.getBuffer();

            // Enable overwriting system fields
            workerActionComment.overwriteSystemfields(true);
            
            // Preserve original CreatedDateTime
            workerActionComment.(fieldNum(HcmWorkerActionComment, CreatedDateTime)) = this.CommentCreationTime;

            workerActionComment.doInsert();
            _dataSourceCtx.setDataSaved(true);

            this.mapDataSourceToEntity(_entityCtx, _dataSourceCtx);
        }
        else
        {
            ret = super(_entityCtx, _dataSourceCtx);
        }

        return ret;
    }
}

Explanation #

  1. Check the correct data source: The method verifies whether the current data source is HcmWorkerActionComment before proceeding.
  2. Enable system field overwriting: overwriteSystemfields(true); allows system fields to be manually set.
  3. Assign the original timestamp: The CreatedDateTime field is explicitly set to this.CommentCreationTime.
  4. Insert the record manually: Using doInsert(); ensures that the record is committed with the specified values.

Considerations #

  • Overwriting system fields should be strictly controlled and used only in migration or special scenarios.
  • Ensure that the assigned values are valid and align with business rules.
  • This approach bypasses system defaults, so be mindful of compliance and audit requirements.

Conclusion #

By leveraging the overwriteSystemfields(true) method, you can maintain historical data integrity during migrations. This technique ensures that original timestamps and metadata remain intact, improving data accuracy and compliance in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

Have you used this approach in your projects? Let me know in the comments!

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