Overview
The Master Data Copy Vendor dialog is a guided options screen that appears before the vendor copy process runs. It lets users choose exactly what data should be carried over from the source vendor to the destination — from the vendor card itself and purchase prices, through to master data specifications (Information Codes and their values, descriptions, file attachments, and language variants). After the user confirms their selections, the underlying copy report executes silently and a notification confirms the result.
The dialog is always pre-loaded with the source vendor number from the page it was launched from. It stores its settings per user in the database, so each user's last-used choices are preserved between sessions.
When Is This Page Used
This dialog opens automatically when a user triggers the Copy Vendor action from the Vendor Card or Vendor List. It is not opened in isolation — it always runs in the context of a specific source vendor. The user reviews and adjusts the copy options, then clicks OK to run the copy, or Cancel to abort without making any changes.
Who Are Typical Users
- Purchasing Administrator / Vendor Master Data Manager — copies an existing vendor to create a new supplier record that shares the same pricing structure, specifications, or regional configuration.
- Finance Manager — copies a vendor when setting up a subsidiary or related company that shares most configuration with an existing record.
- System Administrator — uses the dialog when restructuring the vendor master, carrying MDI specifications from a template vendor to new accounts.
Accessing the Page
The Master Data Copy Vendor dialog has no UsageCategory and is not searchable from the Business Central search menu. It opens exclusively via the Copy Vendor action, available on:
| Source Page | Action Name |
|---|---|
| Vendor Card | Copy Vendor (standard BC action, extended by the Master Data Information app) |
| Vendor List | Copy Vendor (standard BC action, extended by the Master Data Information app) |
When the action is triggered, the app creates or updates the user's copy-settings record in the database (provided the user has read permission to the settings table), then opens this dialog in modal mode. Clicking OK runs the copy report immediately; clicking Cancel discards all changes.
Page Components
The dialog is organised into five groups. Fields in the General and Master Data Information groups are enabled or disabled based on selections made in Options.
Options Group
This group controls the fundamental copy mode: whether a new vendor is created or data is copied into an existing vendor.
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor No. | Shows the source vendor whose data will be copied. | V00010, STEEL-SUPPLY |
Read-only — pre-filled from the vendor selected when the action was triggered. Cannot be changed in the dialog. |
| Create New Vendor | When enabled, a brand-new vendor record is created as the copy destination. When disabled, the copy targets an existing vendor identified by New Vendor No. | Yes / No |
Enabling this field activates New Vendor No., New Vendor Name, and Copy Prices. Disabling it clears New Vendor No. and unchecks Copy Prices. |
| New Vendor No. | The vendor number for the destination vendor. | V00011, `` (blank = auto-number) |
When Create New Vendor is enabled, leave blank to generate the number from the vendor number series, or enter a specific number. Use the assist-edit button to pick the next number from an existing number series. When Create New Vendor is disabled, enter the number of the existing vendor to copy data into. Not enforced against the Vendor table at validation (ValidateTableRelation = false), so a new number that does not yet exist can be entered freely. |
| New Vendor Name | An optional name to apply to the destination vendor instead of copying the source name. | East Region Supplier |
Up to 50 characters. If blank, the source vendor's name is copied unchanged. Cleared automatically each time the dialog opens. Only editable when Create New Vendor is enabled. |
Template Group
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Vendor Template | Optionally selects a Master Data Template to apply to the new vendor after copying. The template can set or override specific vendor card field values. | STANDARD-VEND, EU-SUPPLIER |
Lookup opens the Master Data Template List filtered to released templates for table 23 (Vendor). If a default template exists (Status = Released, Default Template = Yes, TableID = 23), it is pre-selected automatically when the dialog opens. Leave blank to apply no template. |
General Group
This group controls copying of standard BC vendor-related pricing records.
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy Prices | When enabled, purchase price and price list records linked to the source vendor are copied to the destination vendor. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Create New Vendor is enabled. Copies both legacy Purchase Price records (vendor-specific purchase prices) and modern Price List Header and Price List Line records (Source Type = Vendor). Each Price List Header is created with a new auto-generated code, and the description is set to the new vendor's name. All associated Price List Lines are also copied. Unlike the customer copy, legacy Purchase Price records are always included when Copy Prices is enabled — there is no campaign price complication for vendors. |
Master Data Information Group
This group controls which parts of the vendor's master data specifications (Information Entries) are copied to the destination vendor.
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy Master Data Informations | Master switch for all master data copying. When enabled, Information Entry records are copied from the source to the destination vendor. | Yes / No |
Enabling this field activates all sub-options below. Disabling it clears all sub-option checkboxes. The copy always transfers structural fields (Long Description Order, Sorting Level, Include in Long Description, Include in Report Description, Spec. Field Name, and Modified Date) regardless of which sub-options are checked. |
| Copy Information Values | When enabled, the Information Value option code is copied from each source Information Entry. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Copy Master Data Informations is enabled. When disabled, Information Entry records are created on the destination vendor with a blank Information Value. Also affects the content of language records when Copy Master Data Language is enabled — see below. |
| Copy Values | When enabled, the typed Value field content is copied from each source Information Entry. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Copy Master Data Informations is enabled. Copies the data value stored against each specification. |
| Copy Description | When enabled, the Description text field is copied from each source Information Entry. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Copy Master Data Informations is enabled. |
| Copy Attachment | When enabled, the File Placement field content is copied from each source Information Entry. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Copy Master Data Informations is enabled. Copies the file path or reference stored on the specification line. Does not physically duplicate the file in external storage — only the reference is copied. |
| Copy Master Data Language | When enabled, the report attempts to copy Master Data Language records to the destination vendor. | Yes / No |
Only editable when Copy Master Data Informations is enabled. Note: Due to a known issue in the current version of the copy report, the language copy dataitem reads from the wrong source table (Salesperson/Purchaser, table 7, instead of Vendor, table 23) and performs a self-referential data transfer. As a result, Copy Master Data Language does not produce meaningful language records for vendors in the current version. Use this option with caution and verify results after copying. |
Extended Group
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy Default Dimensions | When enabled, the default dimension assignments from the source vendor are copied to the destination vendor. | Yes / No |
Copies all entries from the BC Default Dimension table linked to the source vendor's database record. Applied during the copy before the template is applied. |
Actions
This dialog has no custom actions. It uses the standard StandardDialog buttons: OK executes the copy report with the configured options; Cancel exits without copying.
What the Copy Report Does
When OK is clicked, the SCB Master Data Copy Vendor report runs immediately in the background. The copy sequence is:
- Creates or resolves the destination vendor. If Create New Vendor is enabled, a new vendor is created by transferring all fields from the source vendor, then the new vendor number and name are applied. If Create New Vendor is disabled, the existing vendor specified in New Vendor No. is used — an error is raised if the specified vendor does not exist.
- Applies Default Dimensions (if Copy Default Dimensions is enabled).
- Applies the Master Data Template (if Use Vendor Template is filled) — the template's field values are validated and applied to the new vendor record.
- Copies legacy Purchase Prices (if Copy Prices is enabled) — all Purchase Price records linked to the source vendor are copied to the destination vendor.
- Copies Price List Headers and Lines (if Copy Prices is enabled) — all Price List Header records (Source Type = Vendor) and their associated Price List Lines are copied. Each header is assigned a new auto-generated code.
- Copies Master Data Information Entries (if Copy Master Data Informations is enabled), with each sub-option controlling which fields are included.
- Attempts to copy Master Data Language records (if Copy Master Data Language is enabled) — see the note under Copy Master Data Language above regarding the known issue with this step.
- Shows a notification on the source vendor page with a link to open the newly created vendor.
Default Setup & Templates
The dialog stores copy settings per user in the SCB Masterdata Copy Vend. Info table (keyed by User ID). Each time the dialog opens, the following field is reset regardless of the user's previous settings:
| Field | Reset Value |
|---|---|
| New Vendor Name | Blank |
All other options retain the values from the user's last session. If a released Vendor Master Data Template is configured as the default template (Status = Released, Default Template = Yes, TableID = 23), it is automatically pre-selected in Use Vendor Template each time the dialog opens.
No default copy-settings records are created by the extension's installation. The first time a user triggers Copy Vendor, a new settings record is created for their User ID with all Boolean options defaulting to No.