--- id: object/page/1216 type: object title: Page 1216 "Data Exch Col Def Part" summary: Page 1216 "Data Exch Col Def Part" in Base Application (System.IO). Present since at least BC23, still in BC30. tier: official language: en tags: - page - base application versions: introduced: null last_changed: null deprecated: null review: state: derived by: null at: null flags: [] generated: at: "2026-10-11T00:31:51.816Z" pipeline: 0.2.0 prompts: {} input_hash: 65c6b93b976a333099c38506dbbb42f29b8b6a60b58d59c7735ffc663db5e3fe evidence: - kind: code url: https://github.com/microsoft/BCApps/blob/ea08af5ef2d6a9b5c5af4a029288abbe2c883220/src/Layers/W1/BaseApp/System/DataExchange/DataExchColDefPart.Page.al title: src/Layers/W1/BaseApp/System/DataExchange/DataExchColDefPart.Page.al (releases/29.x) date: null commit: ea08af5ef2d6a9b5c5af4a029288abbe2c883220 t: null quote: null - kind: learn url: https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-to-set-up-data-exchange-definitions title: Define how data is exchanged electronically date: null commit: null t: null quote: null links: learn: - https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-to-set-up-data-exchange-definitions objects: [] features: [] topics: - topic/business-central/business-functionality/general-business-functionality/exchange-data-electronically/exchange-data localizations: [] videos: [] posts: [] guidelines: [] object_type: page object_id: 1216 name: Data Exch Col Def Part caption: Column Definitions namespace: System.IO app: Base Application extends: null first_version: "23" last_version: "30" present_in: - "23" - "24" - "25" - "26" - "27" - "28" - "29" - "30" changed_in: [] source_major: "29" obsolete: null countries: [] ms_search_form_ids: - docs/learn-smb-docs/business-central/across-how-to-set-up-data-exchange-definitions.md counts: fields: 0 procedures: 1 events: 0 subscribers: 0 controls: 17 actions: 1 relations: out: 1 referenced_by: 0 pages: 0 extended_by: 0 event_subscribers: 0 calls: 0 called_by: 0 implements: 0 --- # Page 1216 "Data Exch Col Def Part" > Page 1216 "Data Exch Col Def Part" in Base Application (System.IO). Present since at least BC23, still in BC30. Base Application · System.IO · captioned "Column Definitions" · BC23-30 · [source at ea08af5e](https://github.com/microsoft/BCApps/blob/ea08af5ef2d6a9b5c5af4a029288abbe2c883220/src/Layers/W1/BaseApp/System/DataExchange/DataExchColDefPart.Page.al) · facts from BC29 ## Properties | Property | Value | |---|---| | Caption | Column Definitions | | SourceTable | Data Exch. Column Def | | PageType | ListPart | ## Fields on this page Layout controls in source order, grouped by the container they sit in. Shows: the table field a control is bound to (or its expression as written); ToolTip: the control's own, else the bound field's (marked). | Group | Control | Shows | ToolTip | |---|---|---|---| | Group | Column No. | [Column No.](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the number that reflects the column's position on the line in the file. | | | Name | [Name](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the name of the column. | | | Data Type | [Data Type](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies if the data to be exchanged is of type Text, Date, or Decimal. | | | Data Format | [Data Format](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the format of the data, if any. For example, MM-DD-YYYY if the data type is Date. | | | Data Formatting Culture | [Data Formatting Culture](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the culture of the data format, if any. For example, en-US if the data type is Decimal to ensure that comma is used as the .000 separator, according to the US format. This field is only relevant for import. | | | Length | [Length](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the length of the fixed-width line that holds the column if the file is of type Fixed Text. | | | Description | [Description](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies a description of the column, for informational purposes. | | | Path | [Path](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the position of the element in the related XML schema. | | | Negative-Sign Identifier | [Negative-Sign Identifier](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies the value that is used in the data file to identify negative amounts, in data files that cannot contain negative signs. This identifier is then used to reverse the identified amounts to negative signs during import. | | | Constant | [Constant](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies any data that you want to export in this column, such as extra information about the payment type. | | | Show | [Show](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies that the element is shown in the data exchange definition. | | | Text Padding Required | [Text Padding Required](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies that the data must include text padding. | | | Pad Character | [Pad Character](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies that text padding. | | | Justification | [Justification](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies if the column justification is left or right. | | | Use Node Name as Value | [Use Node Name as Value](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies if the node name should be used as value for file types Xml or Json during import. | | | Blank Zero | [Blank Zero](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies if the element is epmty if equal to 0. | | | Export If Not Blank | [Export If Not Blank](../table/1223.md#fields) | Specifies if the value of this column must be exported only if it is not blank. | ## Actions | Group | Action | ToolTip | Runs | |---|---|---|---| | Processing | Get File Structure | Prefill the lines of the column definitions according to the structure of a data file on your computer or network. | | ## Procedures 1 local procedures, no public ones. ## Relations - source table [Table 1223 "Data Exch. Column Def"](../table/1223.md) ## Across versions - Present in: BC23-30 - Changed (declaration) in: none ## Documented on Microsoft Learn - [Define how data is exchanged electronically](https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-to-set-up-data-exchange-definitions) Source: AL metadata extracted from the code (names, ids, signatures, properties); no code bodies (D10). ## Ask your agent Procedure bodies are not stored here (D10). For a procedure body or the calls of one procedure, ask bc-code-atlas (external, by Stefan Maron, MIT; default corpus w1-28), which the bc-observatory plugin connects: `bcatlas_resolve_node(object_type: "page", object_name: "Data Exch Col Def Part")`, then `bcatlas_get_procedure_body` or `bcatlas_get_neighbors` on the returned id.