Worked example below documenting a simple RPD development change. This shows how you can make a simple change, then deploy that change into an XML file. This XML file can then be used to apply the change to the UAT/PREPROD and PROD RPDs during the release process.
- Take an offline copy of the RPD to be patched i.e. Production RPD, name it for example “copy_Of_Live.rpd”
- Take a copy of the Development RPD prior to making the required changes i.e. dev_before_changes.rpd
- You then develop new material within the Development RPD, which was in line with production i.e. dev.rpd. For example duplicate a column i.e. “Last Name#1”
- You need to create an XML patch fle, so you can apply deltas to Copy_Of_Live.rpd
- To do this, open the the new DEV rpd with the new column. Click file > compare click “select” and select “dev_before_changes.rpd”, click compare. It should display the change made.
- Now click create patch button, and create an XML patch file.
- You can open the XML file in a text editor to verify the conten
- You can now apply the XML patch, to the Production RPD
- Take a copy of the Production RPD you want to apply the patch to, i.e. name it Production_patchit.rpd
- So open the copy of the Production RPD you created above i.e. production_patchit.rod
- Click File > Merge, click the “patch repository merge” radio button
- Ensure the “Original master repository” has a path to the original Live RPD, enter the pasword i.e …b4_changes.rpd
- Now select the XML patch file created in the above step, enter the patch password
- Click next, the merge will now apply the XML fix to the new RPD
- You will be left with a rpd file named “production_patchit(1).rpd”, check the RPD now has the new new duplicated column adde
- You can review the logs, to verify the RPD patch worked as expected
