When should you remove a modify flag?

csimoneaux · 2005-11-02

This is methodology question.
What book has such info?
What is answer MS is looking for?

DenSter · 2005-11-02

I don't know what answer MS is looking for, but you should never remove that flag. If you consistently leave this flag alone, all you need to do is filter on that field to get to ALL non-standard objects in your database.

kine · 2005-11-02

1) If you are not using Version List to mark version, you will never change the Modified tag...

2) If you will use Version list, you need to change the tag if you change the Version tag in Version list and than it is easy to see, what was changed after you created some version of objects...

You can read more in Phase 4, in chapter 27: Implementation Methodology in training manual for Development I (it was free for download for parters till 31.10.2005 on partnersource)

Marije_Brummel · 2005-11-02

I remove the flags after I make a release for my add-ons. Then I also update the version no.

For customisations (customer specific), we never remove the flag.

DenSter · 2005-11-02

I never remove the modified flag, not even when I am working with an add-on. This way, when I need to upgrade my customer, I can simply filter the object list on the modified flag, and I (should) have all the modified objects, so I don't have to filter the list to get the objects for all the add-ons in the database.

This is personal preference though, it's all correct, as long as you know what you are doing.

kine · 2005-11-02

Yes, it is not needed if your customer do not has designer. If the customer can modify the objects in his database, you have problem with sync his changes with yours if you are sending update. If you will change the flag and use Version list, you can see, what he changed (modified flag yes) and what you changed (modified flag yes) - if in customer DB is object tagged and in your DB too, you have conflict. If no, you can take customer or your object and transfer it to the other DB. It is very easy to maintain the objects in this case (you clear the tag before you send the objects to the customer). And if you will use Version list, you know, on which version is the customer modification based and you know, if there is some problem, when he send you some object... Uf, it is hard to describe something in english :-)

DenSter · 2005-11-02

First of all, I ALWAYS compare ALL objects whenever I do any object update. I just do not trust anybody to do the right version list tag thing, and that includes myself.

<edit>
of course only the objects that are involved in the update. I don't compare ALL objects if I only need to update a few of them
</edit>

However, I have found that by just simply leaving the modified flag alone (I even hide the field in my object designer), it is much easier to hit the modified objects. The only thing is that I may have too many objects to compare, but I'd rather have too many objects than miss one.

The thing is that neither method guarantees you that you have all the right objects. Someone may have forgotten a tag, someone else may have clicked the modified flag twice by accident. Neither method is waterproof. If you want to be 100% sure, you have to compare all objects anyway. With my method though, you always hit objects that have been modified, and the chance that there are other modified objects in the remaining objects is just a little smaller.

Everybody has their own way that they like best though, this is just the way that I have found to be the most efficient in my experience. My way may not work at all for someone else. I'd like to bet that I could beat most people in a merge contest though

.

kine · 2005-11-02

Of course, it is one of the many ways. We are used special "module" for this to automatize the process of marking Version (automatically mark the version with incremental version tag) and untick the Modified flag (you can hide this column on the form, because you do not need it modify manually). It save all data into table, with track of added document lines in the objects (you can create report including all document lines from all objects which was added since last version) etc. etc.

csimoneaux · 2005-11-03

Thank you all...However I am asking these questions because I make a 79 on last test and I am trying to pass.
I am looking for answers for the Developer test, the answer that Microsoft wants. That is what this sectionis all about.

I finally found answers on my own. Located in the C/Side book Chapter 27 Implementation Mehodology, page 538 Modification Flag...here is what it said.
The Modification Flagis a kind of automatic version control. Whenever you change an object, unless it is just the object name, the modification flag is automatically checked.
Once a you complete a project, select all modified objects and SET THE VERSION TAGS, turn off modification flags. This way, you can tell automatically if anything has been done to change to objects since the project was completed.

DenSter · 2005-11-03

LOL

Automatic version control.......

Marije_Brummel · 2005-11-03

:shock: Only thing automatic is turning it to TRUE.

And automaticaly creating a mess when not paying attention

:roll:

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When should you remove a modify flag?

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