Optimized Base64 file handling in Dynamics 365 Business Central 2026 Wave 1
Dynamics 365 Business Central 2026 Wave 1 introduces a new platform codeunit for Base64 encoding and decoding that automatically improves performance and reduces memory usage without requiring code changes. Existing applications gain 30-45% better encoding and 15-25% better decoding performance, while developers can optionally refactor to use stream-based methods for further optimization.
post Dynamics 365 Business Central tales, myths, legends. And something serious.
"Bold move by Product Group in speeding up Base64 handling and making it more (memory) resource savvy."
Key points
- New System.Runtime.Base64Convert codeunit (2000000024) provides optimized native Base64 methods with multiple overloads for streams and text
- Automatic performance gains of 30-45% for encoding and 15-25% for decoding happen without refactoring existing code
- Stream-based encoding/decoding methods offer optional optimization path for applications handling Base64 intensively
- Platform includes telemetry warnings for strings exceeding 10MB to help identify refactoring opportunities
Quotes
- “Bold move by Product Group in speeding up Base64 handling and making it more (memory) resource savvy.” (Summarizes the key benefit of automatic performance improvement without developer effort, addressing both speed and resource governance)
- “there is no need for refactoring code to have this working in your application. It is just automatic.” (Clarifies that existing code automatically benefits from improvements, lowering migration effort and risk)
AL objects mentioned
As named in the post. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.
- codeunit “System.Runtime.Base64Convert”
- codeunit 4110 “Base64 Convert”
- codeunit 4111 “Base64 Convert Impl.”
Not found in BC28-30: codeunit “System.Runtime.Base64Convert”.
Context
- Features: Base64 encoding, Base64 decoding, stream-based processing, text encoding support, memory optimization, telemetry warnings, platform codeunit, overload methods
- Versions: 2026 Wave 1, v28, 27.5, 27.x
Source: Duilio Tacconi, community blog. Summary, key points and quotes are derived (CONTENT-NOTICE.md); read the original for the full text.