It is possible to view master data information across all tables or all data types.
Master data information in Business Central is stored in just two underlying tables. Once you understand that, you can view and filter master data across all items, customers, and other entities from a single place. This article explains how the Information Setup table and the master data on documents work, and how you remove or apply filters to see exactly the data you need.
You can view master data across all entities by removing filters on the Information Setup table. Remove the subtype to see across specification text and files. Remove the record ID to see all customers or all items. Remove the table number to see all entities at once.
Master data on documents is stored in a separate setup. It applies to any document type, including purchase orders, production orders, and sales orders, and covers headers, lines, and footer summaries. You filter it the same way by removing key fields.
Master data information sits in one shared table
When you look at master data information in Business Central, it always comes from the same place regardless of where you start. If you are on an item and view its specifications, the system filters on that item number and the type “specification”. The table behind it is the Information Setup table.
The same is true if you are on an item and select files instead. It is still the Information Setup table, but now you see different information because the filter is set to files.
Go to a customer, or any other entity that uses master data information, and look into specifications or files. Again, it is the same Information Setup table. The only thing that changes is the filter.
Removing filters to view master data across entities
Because everything lives in one table, you can broaden your view simply by removing filters. Start by looking at the active filter on the Information Setup table.
- Remove the subtype if you want to see across both specification text and files.
- Remove the record ID to see all records of that type. For a customer that record ID might be customer number 10,000, and for an item it might be item number 1,000. Remove it, and you see the data for all customers or all items.
- Remove the table number to see across all entities at once.
In the same way, you can add filters back to narrow the view down again. This gives you full control over how much of your master data information you look at.
Master data on documents is the second setup
At the lowest level there are only two main setups in master data. The first is the Information Setup table described above. The second is master data on documents.
This applies to any document you enter, whether it is a purchase order, production order, or sales order. It does not matter whether you add master data information to the header, the line, or the footer summary.
The filtering works the same way. Look at the filter on the document and remove the fields you do not need. If you remove the filter on the line number, you also see the header information alongside the line information. You can see all the key fields here on table 37, and view master data on documents across your full database.
With this approach you can combine many different filters to look at master data across entities, exactly as fine-grained or as broad as you need.
Q&A
How many setups does master data have at the lowest level?
There are two main setups. One is the Information Setup table, which holds master data information for items, customers, and other entities. The other is master data on documents, which covers document types such as purchase orders, production orders, and sales orders.
How do I view master data information across all entities?
Start from the Information Setup table and remove the filters. Remove the subtype to see across specification text and files, remove the record ID to see all records, and remove the table number to see across all entities.
Where is master data information stored in Business Central?
All master data information for items, customers, and other entities is stored in a single shared table called the Information Setup table. The view changes only because of the filters applied to it.
Does master data on documents work for all document types?
Yes. It applies to any document, including purchase orders, production orders, and sales orders, and it covers the header, the lines, and the footer summary.
How do I see header information together with line information on a document?
Remove the filter on the line number. The view then shows the header information alongside the line information on the document.