[Solved] Deployment and version control

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could explain how this deployment and version control works.

My question is: lets say that I´ve deployed the app and it´s live so I´m making modifications in the development version to upgrade some features and I´m modifying the page views and also the database. So when I deploy this version to live what happens? The other one gets replaced everything including the database? it gets updated just the page views? just the database?

Thanks a lot.

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  1. Live Version is read only DATA:
    Update (June 8): you can EDIT the LIVE Data, but IGNORE the message Live Version that appear the first time, edit your data, and then the message will never appear again.

  2. The DATA and DATA_STRUCTURE can be copied between Development and LIVE.

  3. Here’s the place (look in red: Copy DATABASE between versions, it miss the word Database):

  4. When you change or add a field, you have to be very carefull. In my example, I add the field FIELD2 in deployment.

  5. In Live, nothing, no field FIELD2:

At the END, you have to use ‘Copy Between Versions’ to copy the Live DATA to your Deployment once you have made any change in Deployment DATA_STRUCTURE. So, don’t be in the moon when playing with it :slight_smile:
Honestly, from today, and pushing myself to understand it, It was not clear. I can see now the DANGER if we deploy but forgot to save data from Live to Deployment, and after, save data from Deployment to Live. Complex operation, but more secured? I will preferred ONE database and ONE database_structure… with a lot of UNDO backup.

Now, I will check what happened when erasing a FIELD in Deployment and restore DATA from Live to Deployment.
NEVER erase a field by accident and create a new one with the SAME name. In this example, I lost data in the field NAME and for sure, FIELD2. Good way to erase multi data:

Final Word, it’s good to have TWO databases finally. We can make mistakes on Deployment, but not in Live.

Three steps if you change the DATA-Structure in Deployment:

  1. Do ‘Copy Between Version’ action Live to Deployment (backup)
  2. Do ‘Deployment and Version Control’ action Deployment to Live
  3. Do ‘Copy Between Version’ action Deployment to Live

Add note (June 8): You can EDIT the LIVE Data, but IGNORE the message ‘Live Version’ and continue. Tips from Nigel.

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Wow thanks a lot @JohnM,

It´s a bit complicated to understand, at least for me but you made it very clear. I´ll play with it now that you´ve explained very well how it works.

Thanks.

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I don’t think this is entirely correct.

You can actually alter live data in the backend. The warning is for altering visual and workflows. You just have to make sure you’re viewing live data.

The reason your field isn’t copying over is because you haven’t deployed it yet. I guess you could use the “Copy between versions” to make changes to the database without making changes to the design but I don’t see the point because you’re copying over test data over to live data. The reason it’s danger is that you’re overwriting live data with “test” data, so all current live data is lost.

The “Copy between versions” is more for converting test data to live data.

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There’s 3 components: Workflows-Visual, DataStructure and Data. Yes, Live DATA can be changed by Workflows (backend). Deployment is for Workflows. If you change the DataStructure in deployment, that will not change the DataStructure in Live database even you make new Deployment. Hope I’m right! :wink:

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You can edit Live Data by changing to the Live version after your first initial deployment, then going to the Data Tab and viewing the App Data. Any changes there will be live.

Correct, if you change data structure in deployment it won’t change in the live version automatically. You have to deploy the app first (either initial or new version). But its better to deploy than to use the copy over data because copying it over overwrites the live data.

Three steps if you change the DATA-Structure in Deployment:

  1. Do ‘Copy Between Version’ action Live to Deployment (backup)
  2. Do ‘Deployment and Version Control’ action Deployment to Live
  3. Do ‘Copy Between Version’ action Deployment to Live
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Staff said:

DataStructure is copied not Data. Its good sometime to BACKUP your Live data to Development Mode. At least, you have an easy backup to restore to LIVE in case of emergency. Next point is version control:

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You’re right it would make a convenient backup!

My point was you can edit Live data via the App Data tab and altering the data structure will be copied over when you deploy a new version.

I am not convinced “backing up” to development is a good thing. At least not for longer term storage, as it will almost certainly be changed.

For most practical cases, adding new fields has required me to run an admin function to populate.

Bear in mind that the “default” value you set on a new field in dev doesn’t do anything when you copy the structure to live.

@peng.o is right about the live editing, even though it tells you it is “read only” it is somewhat misleading.

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LIVE data can only be changed by workflows. UPDATE: not true anymore, you have to continue, and the message will go away.
The part : ‘To make changes, go to development’ has to be replaced by ‘To make changes, backup data to deployment or use workflow to modify data.’

Are you stating a principle, or what actually happens ?

Because what actually happens is that you can edit data in live.

Now I’m confused… How do you edit Live data without having the message telling you to go in deployment?

Just ignore it, click ok and away you go.

It is pretty confusing they way it works !

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Oufff It make sense now :slight_smile:
So we can EDIT the LIVE Data, but IGNORE the message Live Version. Good to know. Hope people will read this post entirely! Thanks @NigelG.

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Wait, how did you get that message?

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When trying to modified the Live Data (when Live (read-only) is selected).
That’s interesting, the message now doesn’t appear anymore. I will create a new projet, and test again. I expect the same result. UPADTE: in new app, the message appeared. Once you broke ‘the silence’, the message doesn’t popup anymore.

Can you file a (quick) bug report? Easier to track.

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Wow thanks JohnM, is anyone storing this info somewhere?

The ball is now rolling in Bug Report :slight_smile: