It seems that older files once opened and stored/changed with the a 2013.1.x version, can't be opened again in an older version e.g. 5.8.x.
Can you explain how the compatibility works for the each user data type/file in combination with different versions of RadiMation?
Compatibility user data with different versions
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solutionseeker
- Posts: 45
- Joined: 05 Oct 2012, 09:48
Re: Compatibility user data with different versions
Each new version of RadiMation is able to read all the old data files from older RadiMation versions. Even the files from older10 years ago can be correctly read and shown. However when a chance is made to these files, the file will be stored in the format of the new RadiMation is version. This can indeed make the file unreadable by the older RadiMation versions. These changes can be very small, for some tests, opening the test results, will add another event to the event-log, which changes the file.
We are very often changing the file format in a newer RadiMation version, which is required to support new functionality that is implemented in the newer version.
It would indeed be an improvement if the end-user receives a warning that the file was stored in an older version, and that saving it again, can make it unreadable for the older version.
Another possibility is that we mark an old-file as being read-only, and that it is not allowed to make any changes, which ensures that the file will not be saved again.
It is not a solution to save the file in the old format that is still readable in the older RadiMation version, because it would make some features or new functionality in the newer RadiMation version unusable.
What do you expect how RadiMation should behave if an older file is opened in a newer version?
We are very often changing the file format in a newer RadiMation version, which is required to support new functionality that is implemented in the newer version.
It would indeed be an improvement if the end-user receives a warning that the file was stored in an older version, and that saving it again, can make it unreadable for the older version.
Another possibility is that we mark an old-file as being read-only, and that it is not allowed to make any changes, which ensures that the file will not be saved again.
It is not a solution to save the file in the old format that is still readable in the older RadiMation version, because it would make some features or new functionality in the newer RadiMation version unusable.
What do you expect how RadiMation should behave if an older file is opened in a newer version?
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solutionseeker
- Posts: 45
- Joined: 05 Oct 2012, 09:48
Re: Compatibility user data with different versions
I think that implementing a warning could be very annoying at the time when working with a lot of revisions. It should store the answer of this warning dialog somehow in the files itself to prevent that the warning is showed over and over again.
It might be a good idea if RadiMation gives the user the opportunity to create a back-up of the old file (leaving the original file untouched, but rename it to something like _backup) and saves every mandatory modification or changes in the duplicate. Disadvantage of this method is that the number of duplicated files could grow very fast and that it might be confusing in which particular version/file is being worked.
Is it possible to store the old file format in a new file format in such a way, that the extra features etc. are automatically neglected by an older version and correctly detected by a newer one?
It might be a good idea if RadiMation gives the user the opportunity to create a back-up of the old file (leaving the original file untouched, but rename it to something like _backup) and saves every mandatory modification or changes in the duplicate. Disadvantage of this method is that the number of duplicated files could grow very fast and that it might be confusing in which particular version/file is being worked.
Is it possible to store the old file format in a new file format in such a way, that the extra features etc. are automatically neglected by an older version and correctly detected by a newer one?
Re: Compatibility user data with different versions
We can summarize the current software behavior.
It is important that we make a distinction between 'Compatibility' and 'running different versions', as we will try to explain:
It is stated that RadiMation is backward compatible. This means that older test results can always be opened in a newer version.
However, files created with a newer version opened with a older version is not guaranteed to be working correctly (e.g. in newer version new functionalities are implemented).
Files created with 5.8.x version can therefore correctly be opened with a 2014.1.x version, but the other way around is likely to not always working.
In the release notes you have read that it is possible to run different versions of RadiMation on the computer.
This is indeed still possible with the latest 2014.1.x versions. Installing both 5.8.x and 2014.1.x version will not lead to any conflict between them.
So, you can install and run the version whichever you desire and are able to easily switch between versions. (You can only RUN one version at the same time.)
It is important that we make a distinction between 'Compatibility' and 'running different versions', as we will try to explain:
It is stated that RadiMation is backward compatible. This means that older test results can always be opened in a newer version.
However, files created with a newer version opened with a older version is not guaranteed to be working correctly (e.g. in newer version new functionalities are implemented).
Files created with 5.8.x version can therefore correctly be opened with a 2014.1.x version, but the other way around is likely to not always working.
In the release notes you have read that it is possible to run different versions of RadiMation on the computer.
This is indeed still possible with the latest 2014.1.x versions. Installing both 5.8.x and 2014.1.x version will not lead to any conflict between them.
So, you can install and run the version whichever you desire and are able to easily switch between versions. (You can only RUN one version at the same time.)