Frequently asked questions
What is NAV Metadata?
NAV Metadata is a Windows desktop toolkit for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Connect to SQL Server, browse application objects (Tables, Pages, Reports, Queries), inspect Version Lists, view decompressed metadata XML and AL, explore table data per company with the Data Explorer, and export to disk — without a CAL or finsql.
What is the Data Explorer in v3?
A read-only table browser built for NAV developers. Pick a company, open any table, and preview its records with server-side paging, sorting, search, and column filters. Column headers show SQL data types and key fields, and values are NAV-aware (0D blank dates, Time fields, trimmed decimals, BLOB sizes). You can also jump from a Table object in the Object Designer straight to its data.
How does it handle NAV companies?
NAV stores company data in tables named [Company Name$Table Name]. The Data Explorer splits each name on the first $ and groups tables by company, using the real company names from the [Company] table. Global and system tables without a company prefix — such as Object, User, and Company — are listed separately, and extension tables are recognized too.
Is it safe to use the Data Explorer on a production database?
It is read-only by design: it only runs SELECT statements, every search and filter value is sent as a typed SQL parameter, connections declare read-only intent, and queries run with low deadlock priority so SQL Server never cancels a NAV user transaction in favor of the explorer. Large tables are paged on the server and never loaded in full.
Which export formats are supported for table data?
Excel (.xlsx), CSV, and JSON. Export the current page or all rows matching your search and filters, in the grid sort order. Exports stream straight to disk with progress and cancel, so even multi-million-row tables do not fill memory; Excel exports continue on extra worksheets past the 1,048,576-row limit.
Is NAV Metadata still open source?
Versions 2 and 3 are distributed as closed-source apps on the Microsoft Store. The original v1.0.0 release remains open source under the MIT license on GitHub if you prefer to build or use that version.
Where do I download v3.0.0?
Get NAV Metadata from the Microsoft Store. That is the supported distribution channel for the current release — there is no separate .exe installer. Existing Store installs update to v3 automatically.
Which NAV versions are supported?
Any NAV database that contains the standard [Object] and [Object Metadata] system tables. This includes NAV 2009 through NAV 2018 and many Business Central on-prem databases.
Do I need a developer license or CAL?
No. The app only reads from SQL Server tables. You need read access to the NAV database (and SELECT permission on the tables you want to explore), but no NAV client license is required.
What object types can I browse?
Filter the object list by ALL, Table, Page, Report, or Query. Each filter shows a live count so you can see the size of your database at a glance — including databases with thousands of objects.
Can I see Version Lists and Modified flags?
Yes. The object grid shows Type, ID, Name, Modified, and Version List so you can quickly spot customizations and localization/build tags.
Does the app send any data externally?
No telemetry, no analytics, no data collection from your NAV database. Store installs follow Microsoft Store update policies; see the Privacy Policy for details.
What authentication methods are supported?
Both Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication. Enter your server name, pick a database, and connect.
Can I export metadata?
Yes. Use the Export menu to save decompressed metadata XML for selected objects, or batch-export Tables and Pages as AL files. Table data exports to Excel, CSV, or JSON from the Data Explorer.
How do I get the open-source v1.0.0?
v1.0.0 remains available on GitHub Releases under the MIT license. Use that if you need the source code or the older installer/portable builds.