Default language.

Enabling and using version control labels

This section provides information about using the object modification log. Topics include:

The object modification log records object changes and, optionally, saves the definition file of each version of an object. This enables you to do the following:

  • Track who changed an object, what change they made, and when they made it.
  • Restore an earlier version of an object.

To enable the object modification log

  1. On the Version Control tab of the AR System Administration: Server Information form, set the following options:
  2. Click OK.

When the object modification log is enabled, the  adds an entry to the AR System Version Control: Object Modification Log form every time anyone creates, modifies, or deletes an object in  or by importing. The server adds the entry when it makes the change. The entry includes the following information:

Fields in object modification log entries

Field

Description

Object Name

Name of the new, changed, or deleted object.

Obj Old Name

Previous name of the object if the change is renaming the object.

Object Type

Type of changed object: association, form, active link, escalation, filter, menu, image, or container (application, guide, or packing list).

Operation

Create, Delete, or Modify.

User

User who made the change.

Modified Date

Time stamp of the change.

Comments

Text from the New Description property of the object.

Def

Attachment field containing a .def file saved by the server after the change. The syntax of a .def file name is as follows: objectName.objectTypeNumber.instanceNumber.def The objectTypeNumber represents the following object types:

  • 1—Form, field, or view
  • 3—Filter
  • 4—Active link
  • 6—Character menu
  • 7—Escalation
  • 10—Container
  • 12—Image

If an object name contains any of the following characters, the characters are converted to the following strings in the .def file name:

  • Asterisk ( * ) is converted to AST
  • Colon ( : ) is converted to CLN
  • Greater than sign ( > ) is converted to GT
  • Less than sign ( < ) is converted to LT
  • Pipe ( | ) is converted to PIP
     For example, the form name Sample:Cities becomes Sample_CLN_Cities in the .def file name.

This field does not contain a .def file in the following situations:

  • The Save Definition Files option is set to No (see step 1).
  • The object was deleted.

Instance

An integer, starting at one, that specifies the version of the object.

API ID

An identifier that is the same for all log entries resulting from the same API call to the .

API Target

A flag indicating whether the object was referenced by the API call (Yes) or is related to a referenced object (No).

Label

Reserved for future development.

This field is not associated with version control labels, see Adding-version-control-labels-to-objects.

Task ID

Reserved for future development.

A single change in  can produce many changes on the  and many log entries. For example, when you modify a form, several entries are created in the AR System Version Control: Object Modification Log form:

  • An entry for the form
  • An entry for the form view
  • An entry for any fields that were changed

To restore an earlier version of an object

If the object modification log is not configured to save definition files, you cannot perform this procedure. See To enable the object modification log.

  1. In a browser, log on to the  as an administrator.
  2. Open the AR System Version Control: Object Modification Log form in Search mode.
  3. Specify the appropriate search criteria.
  4. Perform the search.
  5. Find the log entry in the search results.
  6. Save the .def file from the entry to your computer and import it.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*