A very minor addition to all your responses. Make use of the Change History tab of the workflow, fields, forms etc when making any major changes. Always helps.. You do not have to dig up documentations etc if you have records in the Change History tab describing what changes and why they were done.
Joe D'Souza -----Original Message----- From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 3:48 PM To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG Subject: Re: What is everyone doing to keeping track of created Forms/AL/Filters...ect from out of the box ones Rick outlines some very good points here. I would add this: When modifying out of the box Active Links and Filters, first rename the Active Link or Filter with the prefix or suffix, THEN copy it to the OLD (out of the box) name by removing the prefix or suffix. By doing it this way, if the workflow exists in an Active Link Guide or Filter Guide, then the workflow will still exist there and you do not have to determine on your own if the workflow existed in a guide or not. If you simply copy the workflow to a new name then you will have to search the active link guides and filter guides to determine if the newly named workflow should be added to a guide. It adds an extra step up front, but I think in the long run saves valuable time and headaches (because if you forget to add the workflow to a guide or don't now that you need to then it becomes a royal pain in the rear). I'm sure there are those on here that will disagree with this method, but I would suggest trying it first before deciding you don't like it. Scott Parrish IT Prophets, LLC (770) 653-5203 http://www.itprophets.com Original Message: ----------------- From: Rick Cook [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 12:35:39 -0700 To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG Subject: Re: What is everyone doing to keeping track of created Forms/AL/Filters...ect from out of the box ones A few of the basic rules: - Never delete ANYTHING. If you don't need a field, hide it. If you don't need workflow, disable it. - Don't repurpose unused or unneeded fields or workflow objects for unrelated purposes, as it complicates both your ability to expand the usage of those fields/objects and the ability to upgrade the applications and forms in which they reside. Make new ones for new purposes. - If you need to modify existing workflow (and you will), disable the original object, and make a copy of it with the addition to the name being either a prefix or suffix describing who made it. There is merit to both the prefix and the suffix method, i.e. either HPD:ObjectName_RJC or RJC:HPD:ObjectName can work, it's just a matter of preference. I prefer the suffix method, because it preserves the sort order within an application, and I can see the modified object right where the disabled one it replaced is. Some prefer the prefix method, because it enables the easy search of all customized objects. - Keep a log (I use a simple Word table) with each form, field and workflow object in it that is added or modified, along with some description of its former state, what was done to change that state, and why. The descriptive text should be added to the Change History of the object in question. Makes a good project closing document, too - clients like to know what's been done so that they (or the next consultant) has a place to start for further enhancements. - You might consider making a packing list of all of your changes, so that if/when the application is upgraded, you might be able to just load the packing list to restore all of your enhancements. How well that will work depends in large part on the extent of the changes that occured in the application upgrade, though - some might become irrelevant, others in the way. YMMV. I'm sure that others can offer more, but that's just the off-the-top-of-my-head stuff. BMC has a formal list that Seth just linked. Rick On 10/3/07, John Atherly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm trying to write up a best practice on being able to keep track of > Forms/AL/Filters....ect. from the ones out of the box ones. > > > John Atherly > American Power Conversion > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 401-789-5735 Ext. 2120 > 1-800-788-2208 Ext. 2120 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.0/1046 - Release Date: 10/3/2007 10:08 AM _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org ARSlist:"Where the Answers Are"
