How to maintain DMN models on Business Central and VSCode

Currently, the DMN editor is supported in a variety of environments. You can create a DMN model in an online editor, in a chrome extension, in a desktop app, in a VSCode extension, and even on Business Central.

Until the latest release, you could face some differences between a model created by VSCode and a one created by Business Central. Now, this post aims to demonstrate that both environments are fully compatible by showing the same project from two perspectives: I) how to create a project on VSCode and import it on Business Central, and II) how to create a project on Business Central and import it on VSCode.

Let’s check both environments.

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The VSCode perspective

Let’s get started to understand how to use VSCode to handle a DMN file in a context of a Business Central project by relying only on VSCode.

  • In a shell prompt, enter the following mvn command to create a project:
mvn archetype:generate \
  -DarchetypeGroupId=org.kie \
  -DarchetypeArtifactId=kie-kjar-archetype \
  -DarchetypeVersion=7.44.0.Final \
  -DartifactId="Some Application" \
  -DgroupId="org.kie" \
  -DartifactId="vscode-2-bc"

  • When the archetype plug-in switches to interactive mode, accept the default values for the remaining fields

  • After generating your project, create a DMN asset at the src/main/resources/<your package> directory and populate it with some interesting decision, like the one in the video:

  • Now, initialize the git repository for your project, add all files, and commit them:
git init && git add . && git commit -m "Init"

  • Use pwd to get the local path of your project

  • Open the Business Central spaces screen, click on Import Project, and set file://<the local path of your project> as the Repository URL

Import popup screenshot

  • Done! You’ve successfully created a Business Central project relying only on your terminal and on your VSCode DMN editor! 🎉

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The Business Central perspective

Alright, now let’s do the opposite. Let’s create a project on Business Central and import it to VSCode.

  • Create a project on Business Central in the spaces screen

  • Create a DMN asset and populate it with some interesting decision, like the one in the video above

  • Now, click on “Settings” to open the project settings screen

Setting tab screenshot

  • Copy the HTTP URL of your project

Business Central repository URL screenshot

  • Clone the URL of your project
git clone http://localhost:8080/business-central/git/MySpace/bc-2-vscode

  • Open the project directory with VSCode

  • Done! You’ve successfully opened your Business Central project with VSCode. You can now perform changes into your DMN mode, commit them with git, and the Business Central will automatically detect them

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick tutorial! Stay tuned for new DMN features! :-)

Wanna talk about this post? @ me on Twitter :-)