Importing and exporting objects

Purpose of the import / export feature

Exporting objects

Importing objects

Purpose

The import/export function enables you to exchange object definitions between users and between Composer Entities. For example, you may want to transfer objects from a pre-production site to a production site, where each site constitutes a separate Composer Entity.

Composer exports object definitions to an XML file, which you can then edit in order to make mass modifications to object definitions before re-importing the object into Composer.

Exporting objects

Before you start

Object definitions that you export are always XML files.

You can export objects with any life cycle status on condition that the object belongs to the local Entity. However, the status of the object that you export determines which objects the software exports with the selected object.

How to export an object

1. Select the object you want to export from the left pane and click on the toolbar. Composer displays the Exportwindow.
2. In the Exportwindow, select or create a new folder in which to save the exported object.
3. The File name field displays the selected object name. For example: add xml as file extension <Partner.PartnerName.xml>. Click Save to export the object. Composer exports the object and all the objects used by the object. A list of the exported objects is displayed in the Log.

Composer exports copies of the selected object and all objects used by the object to a single XML file.

Importing objects

Before you start

During execution, the execution engine always references an object via its complete name: EntityName.FolderName.[ChildFolder]*.ObjectName. Similarly, objects can reference other objects in DML expressions, again via the complete name. To maintain references between objects and coherence on the execution engine when you import an object, the software always imports objects into the current WorkFolder.

The name of the imported object remains unchanged.

In all cases, if an object that you import has references to an object in a PrebuiltFolder, the software recreates the references only if the PrebuiltFolder exists in the local Entity. If the PrebuiltFolder does not exist in the local Entity, the import is canceled.

If you want to import XML schemas containing references to external internet resources, you must configure a proxy server.

How to import objects

Before starting the import process, select the target WorkFolder from the top of the left pane.

To import an object, open the Tools menu and select Import object or click on the toolbar.

Screen 1: Select XML file to Import

Screen 1 displays the XML files that you can select.

Browse through the directories and select the XML file you want to import.

Click Next to continue.

Screen 2: Select Import Mode

Use screen 2 to specify the import mode.

In all cases, if an object of the same type with the same name already exists in the target Folder, and if both objects have identical properties, the object is not imported and all references point to the existing object.

If, on the other hand, the two objects do not have identical properties, the object is imported and the extension Copy is added to the name.

The following options are available:

• Current Folder: if the object does not exist in the target Folder, the software imports the objects into the current Folder.
• Update the Folder Hierarchy: if an identical object exists in the target Folder, the software creates the object with the extension Copy. The Folder hierarchy of the objects to import is respected and recreated if necessary.
• Specified Environment: the object is imported to the Environment selected.
• Update the Environment: the object is imported to its original Environment. If this Environment does not exist, it is created.

Screen 3: Force import of same object

Screen 3 lets you force the importing of an object even if the type, name and properties are identical to an existing object in the target folder. This overrides the rule that ignores identical objects.

Check the checkbox of the folder containing the objects from the export operation. The duplicated objects will appear with the extension "copy".

Click Finish.

Example

Folder B is a child of Folder A. Folder A contains an object Object1 and Folder B contains an object Object2. You export Object1 and Object2 and then open Folder C (which is then the current Folder).

If you then import the objects and select the option:

• Current Folder, Composer imports the objects into Folder C.
• Update, Composer imports the objects respectively into Folder A and Folder B.

If you import the objects into a new database where Folders A and B do not exist and if you select the option Update, Composer:

• first creates Folder A and Folder B
• imports Object1 into Folder A and Object2 into Folder B

Results of the import procedure

When you import an object from another Entity, the object retains the name of the original Entity. For example, RemoteEntityName.RemoteFolderName.ObjectName. This enables you to identify the origin of the object, and also avoids any conflict of names with objects in the local Entity.

The status of imported objects is set to ToBeChecked.