How to go about updating the solution...

[garrys]

Hi all,

Is there an easy way to update an old version of a solution into a new version? Currently, i'm doing the updating at home then back to my client PC with an empty new version then import all records from all tables in the old version.

The problem I got so far on this approach is on those serealized fields in the solution. Sometimes I missed to update them with the current value.

Any suggestions to get it updated accurately?

Regards,

Garry

[Wim Decorte]

No easy solution. You can certainly automate the whole thing including automatically resetting the serial #s (by sending keystrokes to the FM interface to run an XML DDR, parse the XML DDR extracting the current serial # fields and their number, and then sending more keystrokes to the new solution to go to each serial field and reset it). But it's a ton of work and it needs lots of error handling to be robust.

[Fenton]

Couldn't you use the script step:

Set Next Serial Value [ Serial_ID; GetNextSerialValue ( "new file name"; "Serial_ID" )

I believe the old file must be open at this point. Which conflicts with it being closed for the Import step. So Close it then Open it ( disable Opening scripts somehow, if necessary, with developer account bypas?).

[Wim Decorte]

Yep, as long as no new serial fiels have been added. Using the XML DDR takes care of that. It all comes down to how robust and hands-off you want to make this...

[garrys]

Thanks for the inputs.

[teukka]

You can also script (& test) everything into your new version (you supposedly have your customer's current/old version). Just create all needed import scripts, possible replace/modify/etc. scripts that maybe needed because of new functionality/fields/etc. in your new version. Test & verify it a couple of times @office and do it then at your client (or if possible get the files to your office).

You can rename the old files to whatever (with developer/by hand/with DOS BATCH file). They don't need to keep the relationships at that stage. Then you can place the folder containing those next to the folder containing the new version.

Then just click the button (or start a script) in your new version and let the system do the job. Easy! Depending on the complexity and data amount that procedure takes from minutes to several hours. After the new version has the data and needed procedures have taken place, you can also automate the zipping of files, placing that to some ftp-folder or sending it by email directly to your customer, etc.

Just spend the time before actual version change and when it comes to transfer the data to new files enjoy the work done :D