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Upgradeability

xAssets Configuration Guide
Introduction

Upgradeability

This page explains how your configuration changes interact with xAssets product upgrades, so you can customise the system with confidence.

How Configuration Is Stored

Almost all configuration data -- forms, queries, menus, dashboards, user groups, settings, and transformations -- is stored in the xAssets database, not in application files. When you upgrade the web application, the installer replaces the software binaries but leaves your database untouched.

How Database Upgrades Work

When xAssets releases new features, those features include new configuration objects (new queries, forms, transformations, etc.) that are stored in the same database tables you use for your own customisations. To protect your work, the upgrade process follows two rules:

  1. Your changes are never overwritten. Any configuration object you have created, edited, or deleted is left exactly as you set it. The upgrade process tracks which objects have been modified locally and skips them.
  2. New features are imported only where they do not conflict. If a new version includes a query that has the same ID as one you have already modified, your version is kept and the new version is not imported.

What This Means in Practice

  • You can rename fields, reorder menus, modify queries, and create entirely new configuration objects without worrying about losing your work during an upgrade.
  • New features from xAssets (such as a new dashboard or a new report) will appear automatically after an upgrade, provided you have not already modified or deleted the object they would occupy.
  • If you delete a standard menu item or query that you do not need, the upgrade will not re-create it. This is by design -- the system respects your decision to remove it.

Tips for Maintaining Upgradeability

Tip: When you want to modify a standard form or query, clone it first and make changes to the copy. This way, the original remains untouched and can receive upgrades, while your customised version is used instead.

Tip: Keep a record of significant configuration changes (especially deletions of standard objects). This helps when reviewing release notes for a new version, so you can identify any new features that may not have been imported because of a conflict.

Warning: Avoid editing the internal ID numbers of configuration objects. These IDs are used by the upgrade process to match your local objects against the standard set. Changing them can cause unexpected behaviour during upgrades.