Applications and assets versioning

Asset versions

Versioning is a quick way of creating an application that only partially differs from another application. A new application version is an exact copy of the original application, distinguished only by its new version number. When the new version is created, you can modify its structure and assets. You can create, maintain, and deploy multiple versions of the same application.

The application version is a decimal number in which the first digit represents the major version and the second digit represents the minor version (for example, 2.1). This unique decimal number distinguishes the application version from other versions. A major version number is usually changed when you make substantial changes to the application. Smaller changes usually require the change in the minor version. A new application is automatically assigned version 1.0. The new version of the application is automatically checked into the repository. You check it out to modify it.

Important: The Run As security setting that you configure for an application in the Administration Console is not retained when you create a version of the application. You must reconfigure this setting for the new version of the application.

Asset versions

Assets are not versioned separately but derive their version from the hosting application’s version. When you create a version of the application, it contains copies of all the assets from the original version.

Note: When creating an application version that will host a process developed in LiveCycle ES (8.x), specify the application version to be higher than the process version. For example, if the process has three versions, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.3, the default version of the application should be 1.4.

At run-time, the process version determines the run-time service version. Incoming service requests use the highest version of the service.

If your application contains a process that is used as a sub-process in another application, the highest deployed version of this process will be used. For example, application A has two versions deployed, 1.0 and 2.0. Application B uses the process from application A (called procA) as a sub-process. At run time, application B runs procA from the 2.0 version of application A. Furthermore, if version 3.0 of application A is deployed, new instances of application B runs this version of the process. The currently running instances of application B continues running version 2.0 of the process.

Note: When invoking services programmatically, you can optionally invoke a specific version of the service. Otherwise, the highest deployed version is invoked.

When you create a new version of a process, update the following elements manually:

After you have updated a new version of an application, ensure that all processes and their sub-processes make reference to the correct version. In some cases, subprocesses reference the original version of the application and not the new version. To update a reference, delete the icon for the subprocess from the process diagram and add the correct subprocess. For more information, see Invoking subprocesses.
An archiving operation that references a document in a local application, if the operation was added using Archive Wizard. Creating a new version of a process breaks this reference. Manually update the reference in the operation properties.

Create a version of the application:

In the Applications view, right-click the top-level application folder and select New > Application Version.
In the Select The Application list, select the application version to create a version from.
(Optional) Specify the Major and/or Minor Version numbers.
(Optional) In the Description box, type the text that describes this version of the application.

Note: Update the path of a reference to a .swf file in the referencing application manually, when you increment the source application version as the references are not updated automatically. For example, myApplicationA/1.0 and myApplicationB/1.0 are two applications. myApplicationB/1.0 references a swf file, myApplicationA/1.0/swfTest.swf. Assume myApplicationA/1.0 is incremented to myApplication/1.1. It is observed in myApplicationB/1.0 that the path of the swf file is not updated and remains myApplicationA/1.0/swfTest.swf.