As I understand it, you cannot safely change the name of ANYTHING in Ignition once it is referenced by something else or you risk breaking things. I've read about this in great length regarding gateway names, and I have seen it with other things like tag provider names, connections, etc.
I understand why you can't change the name of something EXTERNAL, like a database, table, or stored procedure since these cannot be easily changed by Ignition because they are EXTERNAL. And if someone changes these things externally, it will also break things in Ignition.
However, I'm working with a system that someone else designed and has many inconsistencies in naming, including mis-spelled words. This system has expanded and now the "cryptic" naming causes things to not be easily understood. I'd like to change some names before this gets any larger!
This system is currently in v7.9 and we are soon upgrading to v8.1. I would think that the name is no different than a description and the link to other things in the system should use a hidden identifier (xxxID for instance) that can't be changed anyway, leaving us to change the name just like we can change a description.
Am I missing something? Is this something that is going to be addressed at some point or are we just SOL?
I LOVE Ignition but this seems like a critical oversight in an otherwise awesome system.
Thanks.
Many, many of these named things are also referenced dynamically in difference contexts, the name being assembled by scripting or expression evaluation or whatever else.
That said, the Tag Report Tool in later 8.1 versions can help track down the places where tags get used, even dynamically in some cases. It might be worth poking around there once you upgrade.
Tying things together with names instead of cryptic id numbers or UUIDs is CRUCIAL to making configurations friendly to source-code control systems, like the dominant git. (Followed closely in importance by the human-friendly and deterministic ordering of such configuration information.)
So I think you are SOL, while the rest of us enjoy Ignition's continuing journey to diff-friendly technologies.
This is a good point, and in 8.3 this will be even more true, as essentially all configuration moves to VCS friendly file formats on the filesystem.
In the end, when all of Ignition's config is text-based and diff-friendly, it will become much easier to rename something. Because every static use will be reachable by scripted or direct search and replace.
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You should at least be able to do that. You would only need to edit the Ignition database connection, change what it points to and everything should work.
Phil,
This sounds like a great idea. A good search and replace for that would be nice.
I hope to see the ability to rename in future versions of Ignition! If you understand the scalability issues that we currently face, I’m confident you will make good choices going forward.
Thanks.
BTW, why do you have to make comments like this? I’ve seen several of your responses and, while they can sometimes be helpful, this type of comment is not!
“So I think you are SOL, while the rest of us enjoy Ignition's continuing journey to diff-friendly technologies.”
FWIW, you mentioned SOL first.
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Because your OP was highly critical of Ignition in an unjust way (IMNSHO), with somewhat charged language. Which I felt needed a rebuttal, with a similar tone. The use of "SOL" was explicitly mimicing your own language.
There are no hand gestures or real facial expressions to carry tone, so it has to be carried by or expressed with obvious language, particularly to benefit our non-native English speaking members.
So, I stand by that comment in light of your OP.
That said, perhaps I can spot you an adult beverage the next time I visit family in Maine. There will be a couple opportunities before the start of summer. Let me know privately if you accept.
Final note: signature blocks are verboten here. If you use an email reply, use a path that doesn't include such, or trim it online. If you can't control your email sig, you probably should not use email replies. You should trim your emailed comment in the meantime.
Thanks for the heads up on the email signature thing.
I really look forward to a day when names can be changed, whether that is with script or search and replace.
(you should edit your post and remove the signature, unless you want the public to know where you work and all of your contact details)
I.e. via Google
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Thanks. Didn't know I could edit it after it was "out there".
Technically the old version is still available (click the pencil icon in the upper right of the post), but I believe staff can help with that.
