Method and apparatus for upgrading a software application in the presence of user modifications

Abstract

A method for upgrading ( 31 - b of FIG. 1 ) a software application ( 35 - b ) from a prior version to a subsequent version while preserving user modifications to the prior application. The method includes comparing differences between the two versions of the software applications. This is followed by enumerating the differences between the two versions of the software applications; and determining which differences between the two versions of the software are conflicting and which are compatible. The compatible changes are made ( 7 ). Also disclosed is an article of manufacture containing computer readable program code for carrying out the above process, and a program storage device carrying the code.

1 - 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A computer-implemented method of migrating user changes between versions of a software application, the method comprising: 
 identifying user changes to a first version of a software application; and    automatically migrating at least some of the identified user changes to a distinct second version of the software application by, 
 determining at least some of the identified user changes as being compatible with the second version of the software application; and  
 using the determined compatible user changes when executing the second version of the software application.  
   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the determining of the user changes that are compatible with the second version comprises analyzing types of the user changes.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the user changes are customizations of the first version.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the customizations comprise changes to one or more of objects used by the first version.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the customizations comprise changes to resource files used by the first version.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the customizations comprise changes to one or more of help files used by the first version, database tables used by the first version, database table contents used by the first version, reports used by the first version, and string tables used by the first version.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the user changes are new modules added to the first version.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the user changes are new objects added to the first version and/or deletions of existing objects from the first version.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the user changes are configurations of the first version.  
   
   
       37 . A computer-implemented method of migrating user changes between versions of a software application, the method comprising: 
 identifying user changes to a first version of a software application; and    displaying indications of at least some of the identified user changes in a user-readable format; and    receiving one or more user selections;    identifying a set of the identified user changes in response to the user selections;    migrating the set of the identified user changes to a distinct second version of the software application.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising automatically identifying some of the identified user changes as compatible with the second version and automatically customizing the second version to comprise those automatically identified compatible user changes.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising automatically identifying some of the identified user changes as conflicting with the second version, and wherein the displaying comprises displaying indications that the automatically identified conflicting user changes are conflicting.  
   
   
       40 . A computer-implemented method of migrating user changes between versions of a software application, the method comprising: 
 identifying differences between a first version and a second version of a software application by comparing the first version and the second version of the software application;    automatically determining compatibilities of at least some of the differences with both the first version and the second version of the software application; and    displaying indications of the compatibilities.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein one of the two software applications is a software application currently in use and the other of the two software applications is a distinct other software application, and wherein the comparing is performed to test an upgrade from the application currently in use to the distinct other software application.  
   
   
       42 . A computer-implemented method of migrating user changes between versions of a software application, the method comprising: 
 receiving a user input;    determining conflict resolution rules in response to the user input, where the conflict resolution rules are usable to assist in resolving differences between versions of a software application;    comparing a current version of a software application with a new version to determine differences;    using one or more of the conflict resolution rules to resolve at least some of the determined differences; and    applying at least the resolved differences to the current version of the software application.