Working with Data and Business Objects
Reading, writing, documents, files, and bulk moves
Once an agent understands the model, it can operate on it. ERP.net is not just tables — it has documents with lifecycles, enterprise context, printouts, and attachments. Operator's tools cover all of it.
Reading data
Queries run against the ERP.net Domain API with the standard query options: filter, select, expand, ordering, paging. Results come back with:
- DisplayText — the human-readable representation of every record, so answers read like sentences, not GUIDs.
- Expanded references — related records resolved to names instead of raw identifiers.
- Links — a direct link to each record in the ERP.net Web Client, plus a link that opens the whole filtered result set there.
Results are paged (small pages by default) so a broad question does not pull thousands of rows into an AI conversation. Ask for a count or a summary when you want the whole picture.
Example "List the 10 largest open sales orders for Q3, with customer names." The agent filters on document date and state, expands the customer reference, and returns a table where each order number links into the Web Client.
Creating and updating records
Create, update, and delete are available after the agent has read the update instructions. They apply the ERP.net conventions automatically:
- References are set as proper entity bindings, not loose text.
- Multi-language fields are written per language.
- Dates and identifiers follow the Domain API's exact formats.
Deletes always pause for your confirmation. Creates and updates run directly, and the agent reports exactly what it changed, with a link to the record. If ERP.net rejects a change — a validation rule, a missing required field, a permission problem — the server's own message is surfaced to you verbatim rather than being reworded into something vague.
Business documents
Documents are more than records. Operator supports:
| Operation | What it does |
|---|---|
| Find document types | Locate the right document type for an entity before creating a document |
| Change state | Move a document forward through New → Planned → Firm Planned → Released → Completed → Closed (intermediate states may be skipped) |
| Void | Permanently cancel a document, with a reason, optionally cascading to sub-documents |
| Printout | Generate the document's report (PDF by default) and hand it to you as a file |
| Enterprise context | Read, list, and set the current enterprise company and location — many document operations require it |
Voiding is irreversible, so it always asks first. Changing state and setting enterprise context are shown clearly in the conversation so you can see what the agent did.
Example "Release sales order 000123 and send me the PDF." The agent locates the order, changes its state to Released, generates the default printout, and attaches the PDF to the conversation.
Files attached to ERP.net objects
Operator works with the standard ERP.net object-file model:
- List files attached to any object.
- Read a specific file, optionally with its content, so the AI can analyse or extract from it.
- Attach a file you uploaded in the conversation to a record — an invoice scan to a purchase order, a signed contract to a customer.
Import and export
For bulk work, Operator can export data out of an entity and import structured data back in, including nested child rows (a document with its lines). Import and export are gated behind their instructions tool because the payload rules matter — read Capabilities: Data & Records for how to enable them per agent.
Safety model in one paragraph
Every operation runs as you (see Security, Identity, and Permissions). ERP.net enforces its own permissions, Operator adds Permission Policies on top, destructive operations pause for explicit confirmation, and every ERP.net call an agent makes can be inspected afterwards in the API logs.