The master data information setup in Business Central includes a small set of fields that control how merge functionality works. There are only four relevant fields, plus a user-level setting that lets you define behaviour per user.
The default language field determines which language is used when you merge in your standard setup.
The “exclude item description in long description” field controls whether the merged long item description starts with the item description itself or not.
The “merge item description” field decides whether you use item description or item description 2 when merging the description from the type description field and the information code list.
The “update item search description with long description” checkmark automatically updates the standard search description field with the long item description. This matters because the search description field is used in many places in Business Central.
You can also set a default language per user in the master data user setup, which means merge functionality can vary depending on who is performing the action.
The Four Fields Controlling Merge Functionality in Master Data Setup
If you want to understand how merge functionality behaves in the master data information setup, it comes down to just four fields. Each one controls a specific part of how descriptions and languages are handled when you merge.
The default language field is the first one. It determines which language is applied when you merge in your standard setup.
The exclude item description in long description field controls how the long item description is built. When you merge the long item description, this field decides whether the result should start with the item description itself or not.
The merge item description field determines whether you want to use the item description or item description 2 when merging the description from the type description field and the information code list.
The update item search description with long description field works as a checkmark. When you enable it, Business Central automatically updates the standard search description field with the long item description. This is useful because the search description field appears in many places throughout Business Central, so keeping it aligned with the long description can save you work elsewhere.
Setting a Default Language Per User
Beyond the main setup, there is also a master data user setup where you can define settings per user. Here you can set a default language for each individual user.
This means you can run some of the merge functionality differently depending on which user is performing the action. It gives you flexibility when different users work in different languages or need different defaults.
Q&A
How many fields control merge functionality in the master data information setup?
There are four fields: default language, exclude item description in long description, merge item description, and update item search description with long description.
What does the default language field do?
It determines which language is used when you merge in your standard setup.
Why does the search description field matter when merging?
The search description field is used in many places in Business Central. By enabling the update item search description with long description checkmark, the standard search description field is automatically updated with the long item description.
Can merge functionality differ between users?
Yes. In the master data user setup you can define a default language per user, so merge functionality can vary depending on which user is performing the action.