Customizing › Schema Customization › Schema Designer Tasks › Test Schema Modifications

Test Schema Modifications

You can test your schema modifications and create, update, and view web forms using them before making any changes to the physical database. Putting schema changes in Test mode defines them to the Object Engine, but does not physically store their data in the database. Because putting schema modifications in Test mode has the potential of impacting other users, this option is available only if your installation has installed both the wsp_domsrvr and wsp_webengine options to dedicate an Object Engine and Web Engine to WSP.

To put schema changes in Test mode, select Save and set to Test Mode from the File menu on the Schema Designer. This selection saves your changes in the database, and creates a file on the server defining your changes to the Object Engine. This file is called wsptest.mods, and is stored in the site/mods/majic subdirectory of your CA SDM installation directory.

After creating the wsptest.mods file, WSP causes its Object Engine to recycle so that it will use the new changes. This may take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the complexity of your schema. WSP displays a dialog while waiting for the Object Engine to recycle, and updates it after the recycle has completed and it is synchronizing its internal storage with the updated Object Engine. When this is complete, WSP displays a message indicating that the Schema has been placed into test mode. When you click OK on this message box, you can begin to use the new schema, including creating and modifying web forms that use it.

The wsptest.mods file affects only the Object Engine designated by the wsp_domsrvr option. Other Object Engines on the same server do not process this file, and the file is not distributed to other servers. In addition, new tables and columns in Test mode are defined to the Object Engine as local objects. This means that the Object Engine knows about them and you can use them on web forms. However, they do not exist in the database, and do not affect other users. Typical CA SDM users do not use WSP Object Engine, so they are unaffected by the schema modifications you are testing.