After upgrading our server from 8.1.04 to 8.1.15, I am unable to export transaction groups as xml files. The last item in the context menu, Export , under the Import list item is missing. The only option I seem to have now is to export the resource which only gives me the data export as a binary file inside a zip file. Is there an setting I need to change or has this been removed?
It seems this was intentionally removed in 8.1.15 because the legacy XML format can’t be safely imported in regards to naming collisions (just reading notes from the ticket, not sure about the details).
So, while you still can apparently import the legacy XML exports, the ability to export in that format was removed to discourage it.
Nevermind scratch all that, it seems it was later decided that it should just get hidden.
Try shift-right-click instead.
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Thanks Kevin. I had a mini heart attack as that is how I have been editing a bunch of large transaction groups. Its the only way we can quickly export a common transaction group structure, find/replace the OPC source and import the changes to the next station. With 350 items per group, doing it in the current interface would be really painful.
Part of the rationale for keeping it, even if hidden, was that system.groups.loadFromFile still exists.
So even if it had been removed you’d still have some alternative.
How would I create the original export into xml if not from the context menu? I see multiple options to pull in, but what other alternatives are there to push out? If you could not export the xml file in the first place, how would you know the formatting of the data structure within the file? Can’t the preprocessor look for any name collisions, abort the import and possibly state the line where the collision(s) were found.
I guess there might not be any other way, not sure. This has never really been a first class feature. I think it got implemented begrudgingly and has been limped along since for backwards compatibility reasons.
The times I’ve used this feature, it saved me hundreds of hours of error-prone drudgery. Probably should be considered a first-class feature.
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Yes, I just don’t think this legacy XML format is ever going to be that.
My bet is that for something like 8.2 the binary storage format becomes human-readable like hopefully all the rest of the resources and that replaces everything discussed here.
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Just using this XML for that would be a simple solution.
Would be, but that won’t please the JSON zealots or be consistent with the crushing inevitability that all resources without an obvious human-readable format become JSON serialized.
Sigh. I think I understand.
Just piping up that exporting to something that sed can handle is important … hundreds and hundreds of hours saved.
I nearly had a heart attack too as I needed to replace the Database connection name for 1000+ transaction groups. The Search/Replace in Ignition won’t pick up the database connection reference. My only option is export/import XML. Would’ve never thought to shift-right-click!!!
Is this feature confirmed to return for 8.2? I'd love a script-based export as well as import. JSON > XML but either works 
For what it's worth, I just made an internal ticket to formally request that the on-disk representation for transaction groups be changed to this XML representation. Then there wouldn't be any need for the hidden, quasi-deprecated import/export functionality in the designer - you'd just import/export/edit these outside the designer like any other human readable file.
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