Package Items
Platform elements can be selected for inclusion in a Package as package items. When selected, dependent elements are automatically included. Items that are related, but upon which the selected item does not actually depend are excluded by default--although they can generally be selected manually, if desired.
Standard Dependencies
Platform Element Dependent Elements - Application
- Includes Application settings
- Includes all Custom Objects used in the application, along with their dependencies (see below)
- Includes all Global Picklists referenced by a field in an included object
- Includes all Classes that are referenced by a Business Rule or Macro
- Includes Dashboards that are visible to all, a Role, or a Team. (Does not include private dashboards.)
- Includes all Pages used in Dashboards, Web Tabs, and Sites, as well as all Pages invoked by an Action Button
- Includes all Reports that are attached to an included dashboard. (Does not include other reports. They can be selected separately.)
- Includes all Roles used in the application
- Includes all Sites defined in the application
- Includes role-based Tab Preferences for objects
- Includes all Team definitions that are referenced in a Business Rule, Process, or Macro
- Includes role-based View Preferences for objects
- Includes all Web Services that are used in a Process, an External Lookup, an External Data Source, or a Business Rule
- Includes all Web Tabs defined in the application
- Includes all object settings and object relationships, including Record Locators
- Includes all objects that are the target of a Lookup
Note:- Does not automatically include objects that have a Lookup to the current object.
- If such Related Objects are not included in the package, any Related Information sections defined in object forms are automatically removed.
- Includes all objects that are encompassed by a Rollup Summary Field
- Includes Business Rules
- Includes Document Templates
- Includes External Data Source definitions
- Includes Forms, Layout Rules, Form Scripts, and Custom Form Actions
- Includes Fields and Field Scripts
- Includes Indexes
- Includes Macros
- Includes Processes
- Includes Validations
- Includes Web Forms
- Excludes Reports and Web Forms
Reports can be individually selected. Reports on an object are not automatically included. - Excludes data
Data is not included automatically. Java code can be written to create Package Data classes that add selected records during packaging, and that take the records out when the package is installed.
- Object Data and other
Data (Package Data)
- Classes (includes
user-created classes)
- The Business Hours Calendar used in processes.
(A calendar modified by the installer is never overwritten, so installers are free to modify the calendar to suit their purposes.) - Teams and Roles used in Process tasks
- Sites
- Includes Pages
- Includes Teams and Roles involved
- Includes Child Teams if the Include Child Teams option is selected for that team
- Includes localized labels and items
- Web Tabs
Special Dependencies
When the following elements are added to a package, the listed items are added as dependencies:
- Team Data Sharing Policies
- Roles and Teams included as dependencies
- If the Include Child Teams checkbox is enabled, the child teams of the selected teams in the Data Sharing Policy are added as dependencies
- Objects in a Master-Detail relationship
Note:
The "Master-Detail relationship" option on a Lookup field has been deprecated. This section is provided for legacy objects that have a Lookup field for which that option has been selected.
Learn more: Master-Detail relationships
- If a Detail object is added to a Package, the Master object is added (automatically) as a dependent object
- If a Master object is added to a Package and if that Master object includes any Rollup Summary Fields, then the Detail object is added (automatically) as a dependent object
- When a Tenant installs a Package, the Rollup Summary Fields limit defined in Manage Tenant Capabilities is honored
- If the limit is exceeded, the installation process will stop and cannot proceed
- In order to complete the installation, delete existing Rollup Summary Fields to reduce the total number to within the defined limit
- After packaging, do not add or remove any Master-Detail relationships; doing so may cause unexpected results and/or loss of data
Items that are Never Packaged
These platform elements are never added to a package. Customizations made by the subscriber remain intact.
How Package Items are Applied
The principles that follow summarize the behavior of package items at installation time. Detailed tables list the behavior for individual items, following the summary.
Principles
- New items in the Package are added to the subscriber's system.
- If the subscriber created a new platform element with the same name as an item included in the package, the subscriber gets an error. (The error occurs immediately after they select the package. Installation is not allowed to proceed.)
- With few exceptions, modified items in the Package replace the versions that came from a previous Package.
The exceptions are:
- Global Picklists -- Subscribers are expected to have added items and modified labels, so they are left intact.
- Email Templates -- Subscribers are expected to have customized email templates with their return address, signature text, and possibly logo images, so they are left intact.
- Roles -- During installation, the subscriber has the option of merging or overwriting roles that are included in the package.
- __TBD: Confirm that Web Services are not part of this list.__
- Items deleted from the packager's application are never deleted from the subscriber's system unless the Overwrite Previous Package option has been enabled by the Service Provider, and the packager has chosen the Overwrite option. (Then, and then only, items deleted from the Service Provider's system are deleted from the subscriber's system when the package is installed.)
INCLUDE THESE AS NEVER OVERWRITTEN:
- Global Picklists
- Classes
- Email Templates
- Roles
- Sites
- Teams
- Web Forms
Object Aspects
This table describes the behavior of individual Object Aspects.
Object Aspect Added if New Replaced if Modified Deleted if Old Business Rules Y Y Overwrite option Custom Form Actions Y Y Overwrite option Document Templates Y Y Overwrite option Email Templates Y N N External Data Source definitions Y Y Overwrite option Fields Y Y Overwrite option Field Scripts Y Y Overwrite option Forms Y Y Overwrite option Form Scripts Y Y Overwrite option Indexes Y Y Overwrite option Layout Rules Y Y Overwrite option Macros Y Y Overwrite option Processes Y Y Overwrite option Record Locators Y Y Overwrite option Validations Y Y Overwrite option Web Forms Y Y N
Application Elements
This table describes the behavior of other platform elements that go into an application.
Platform Element Added if New Replaced if Modified Deleted if Old Application settings Y Y Overwrite option Access Profiles not included Business Hours Calendars not included Classes Y Y N Dashboards Y Y Overwrite option Global Picklists Y N N Mapping Profiles Y Y Overwrite option Pages Y Y Overwrite option Processes Y Y Overwrite option Reports Y Y Overwrite option Roles Y Subscriber choice N Sites Y Y N SLAs not included Static Resources Y Y Overwrite option Tab Preferences Y Y Overwrite option Team definitions Y Y N Team Data Sharing Policies Y Y Overwrite option Translation Workbench Y __TBD__ View Preferences Y Y Overwrite option Web Services __TBD__ Web Tabs Y Y Overwrite option