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I have just released version 1.1.0 of AL Object ID Ninja. Here’s what’s new.

Merge synchronization

In previous versions, you could only synchronize full information. This type of synchronization simply recorded in the back end whatever it finds in the front end. For example, if the back end had object IDs 50100..50105, and the front end only has object IDs 50104..50106, then the full synchronization, will drop whatever was recorded previously, and will replace it with 50104..50106.

This type of synchronization may be good enough for teams who are only just starting development in AL, and have no existing repos. They can just start assigning numbers, and then synchronize later as needed.

However, if you are an active team with dozens of developers working in different branches, and you start using AL Object ID Ninja after objects already exist in your repo, if you only run synchronization from master branch, then any of object IDs already assigned in those other development branches will not be visible to AL Object ID Ninja. Instead of preventing object ID collision, AL Object ID Ninja would lead you right into it in this case.

For all these scenarios, you have Update synchronization.

In the screencast below, you can see the effects of merge synchronization. I have three branches, each with different set of objects. I check out to each branch, then run merge synchronization. After each synchronization, I run the API call to show raw data in the back end.

(Unfortunately, the animated GIF gets resized, and it takes a long time, so load times out). Instead, please click here to check out the animation)

Just for comparison, this below is the same scenario, except I run replace synchronization. As you can see, after each replace synchronization I lose any objects from the previous branch.

(The same problem here – no embedded animation. Please click here to check it out)