Package Items

From AgileApps Support Wiki

Platform elements that are included in a Package are known as package items.

This page details when items are included in the package, when they are installed in the target system, and when old items that have been removed from the source system are deleted from the target system, as well.

The information provided here is the foundation for the companion article: Choosing a Deployment Strategy for Development Systems

Standard Dependencies

When an item is selected for packaging, 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.

Platform Element Dependent Elements
  • Application
  • Excludes Reports
    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.
  • Classes (includes
    user-created classes)
  • Sites
  • Includes Teams and Roles involved
  • Includes Child Teams if the Include Child Teams option is selected for that team
  • Template
  • Template Access URL

For more information about Templates, see How to Create a Custom User Interface (CUI).

  • 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

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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
Template Access URL
Templates and Application included as dependencies. For more information about Templates, see How to Create a Custom User Interface (CUI).

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, while items with the same ID are replaced, or updated.
Note:
All aspects of an object (fields and forms, validations, and so on) are given a Globally Unique ID or GUID. Those IDs are preserved when the package is installed, which allows existing items to be replaced while new items are added. (When the overwrite option is chosen, items on the target system that do not have a matching GUID in the package are deleted.)
  • 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 and Quick Text -- These items are overwritten only if Overwrite Previous Package was selected by the publisher.
  • Roles -- During installation, the subscriber has the option of merging or overwriting roles that are included in the package.

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Note: Items that were added to the target system are never deleted. Items are deleted only when: (1) They were previously installed from the source system, (2) They were subsequently removed from that system, and (3) The Overwrite Previous Package option was chosen when the package was created.

Object Aspects

This table describes the behavior of individual Object Aspects.

Object Aspect Installed when...
Added if New Updated Deleted if Old
Business Rules Package Overwrite option
Custom Form Actions Package Overwrite option
Document Templates Package Overwrite option
Email Templates Package Overwrite option Package Overwrite option
External Data Source definitions Package Overwrite option
Fields Package Overwrite option
Field Audit Log Settings n/a
Field Scripts Package Overwrite option
Forms Package Overwrite option
Form Scripts Package Overwrite option
Indexes Y
Layout Rules Package Overwrite option
Macros Package Overwrite option
Processes Package Overwrite option
Quick Text * Package Overwrite option Package Overwrite option
Record Locators n/a
Subforms Package Overwrite option
Validations Package Overwrite option
View definitions ** Package Overwrite option
Web Forms ✔ *** Package Overwrite option
* Applies only to Cases object in the ServiceDesk application.
** View definitions are included only when they are visible to all, or to an included Role. Private views are not included.
*** Web Forms on objects other than Cases can contain two kinds of email templates--an auto-response template that
is sent to the submitter, and a notification template that tells internal users about new records. Unlike other email templates, they are always overwritten.
Application Elements

This table describes the behavior of other platform elements that go into an application.

Application Element Included when Installed when
Selected or if Referenced by Added if New Updated Deleted if Old
Application Package Dependency
Template Access URL
Package Overwrite option
Classes Business Rule
Macro
Package Overwrite option
Customer Satisfaction Surveys ServiceDesk N n/a
Case Analytics Dashboard ServiceDesk n/a Package Overwrite option
Dashboards if visible to all, a Role, or a Team Package Overwrite option
Global Picklists Object Field N
Global Template Variables not included
Knowledge Base articles not included
Knowledge Base categories not included
Mapping Profiles Package Overwrite option
Object definitions Lookup field
Rollup Summary Field
Package Overwrite option
Object records Package Data class as defined by the class
Pages Custom Form Action
Dashboard
Site
Web Tab
Package Overwrite option
Reports visible to all or to an application role Package Overwrite option
Roles Application
Process
Team Data Sharing Policy
Subscriber choice N
Sites Application Package Overwrite option
SLAs not included
Static Resources Package Overwrite option
Tab Preferences Role Package Overwrite option
Team definitions Business Rule
Macro
Process
Team Data Sharing Policy
N N
Team-object Business Rules Team Package Overwrite option
Team Data Sharing Policies Package Overwrite option
Templates Template Access URL Package Overwrite option
Template Access URL Package Overwrite option
Translation Workbench entries Package Overwrite option
Users Object * n/a
User-object Business Rules Users Object Package Overwrite option
User-object Fields Users Object Package Overwrite option
View Preferences Role Package Overwrite option
Web Services Business Rule
External Data Source
External Lookup
Process
N
Web Tabs Application Package Overwrite option

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Note:

  1. Include the Users Object in the package whenever fields or business rules in the package has references to the Users object.
  2. Include the Users Object in the package whenever record visibility criteria for an object in the package has references to user custom field.
System Elements

This section describes important system-object and system-configuration items:

System Element Included when Installed when
Selected or if Referenced by Added if New Updated Deleted if Old
Access Profiles not included
Business Hours Calendars Process N N
Email Channel settings not included
LDAP Configuration not included
Marketplace listings * not included
Service Portal settings not included
Scheduled Jobs ** not included
Single Sign-On settings not included
* Potentially valuable for an on-premise installation that wants to back up their primary admin tenancy.
** Scheduled Rules, on the other hand, are included, along with other Business Rules.