Introduction to Track Changes
The Track Changes tools
provides additionalprovide features
forfor logging and tracking
theengineering solution changes,
covering the following:including Recent Changes, Version Control, Cross-Reference, Use Count, and Unused Objects.
On this page:
These tools enable audit trails, impact analysis, and solution optimization.
Access: Track Changes (in Solution Explorer)
Parent Page: DevOps & Version Control (Reference)
Navigation Pages
| Page | Purpose | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Changes | Change log with configurable persistence | Audit trail and navigation |
| Version Control | Table version tracking | Online configuration sync |
| Cross-Reference | Object usage locations | Impact analysis |
| Use Count | Usage frequency | Resource optimization |
| Unused Objects | Unreferenced objects | Cleanup candidates |
Core Functions
Change Tracking
Version Control tables maintain a summary, by Module and Configuration Table, of the current version
of theand last modification of all elements in a solution.
TrackChanges Tables
Recent Changes
Track Changes provides a table that automatically logs changes within solutions, covering configuration adjustments, as well as the creation and deletion of solution objects. The table lists the configuration name, modification type, date and time, and the responsible user.
When starting the Designer, the Home page shows the recent changes in the solution, querying the contents of this table.
You can customize the persistence of those records at TrackChanges / Recent Changes.
Presents the list objects modified in the Solution Configuration. See Recent Changes.
Version Control
The data from the Version Control is automatically used by the platform to ensure consistency when connecting the Solution in execution (Runtime) in order to perform online changes.
The Designer UI under Runtime / Diagnostics compares the versions of your configuration files with the versions of all the tables in the solution in execution, allowing the online configuration to proceed or remain in offline configuration, showing which parts of the solution are out of date.
Presents the summary of all configuration tables and its version. See Version Control.
Cross-Reference
Cross-Reference provides a table to view and interact with the cross-referencing of all objects within the solution.
The contents of this table enables the Find Results Panel at the Designer main interface. See Designer (IDE Overview) / Find Results Panel.
Usually, it easier than to use the Find Results panel to presents the referenced elements of the selected object, rather than execution the search in this table.
Presents the list objects in use and its usage locations. See Cross-Reference.
Use Count
Presents the list objects in use, and the number of times it has been used. See Use Count.
Unused Objects
The Unused Objects page provides a table listing all unused objects in the solution. This view is not dynamic; it is updated when first loading and via the Refresh button.
Its purpose is to identify components that can be removed to enhance efficiency by eliminating unnecessary configurations.
Presents the list objects created but not used in the configuration. See Unused Objects.
Removing Unused Objects
Limitations, when its not safe to remove
This feature only shows the places where the object is being used directly, not those used by an indirect reference or string manipulation.
See TrackChanges / CrossReference for example of configuration using objects indirectly.
This data ensures consistency when connecting to Runtime for online changes.
Cross-Reference Engine
The Cross-Reference system powers:
- Find Results Panel in Designer
- Use Count calculations
- Unused Objects detection
- Impact analysis for changes
Limitations
Important: Cross-Reference only detects direct object usage. Indirect references are not tracked:
| Indirect Usage Type | Example | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| String references | Asset("/folder1/tag1") | Not detected |
| .Link property | TagReference via string | Not tracked |
| API access | External applications | Not visible |
| Dynamic references | Script-generated names | Not found |
| OPC UA/MQTT | External consumers | Not tracked |
Integration Points
With Designer
| Feature | Integration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Find Results Panel | Uses Cross-Reference data | Object search |
| Home Page | Shows Recent Changes | Quick access |
| Runtime Diagnostics | Compares versions | Online config |
| Double-click navigation | From any table row | Direct access |
With Runtime
The Version Control data enables:
- Online configuration verification
- Hot reload compatibility checks
- Change synchronization
- Version mismatch detection
Best Practices
Regular Maintenance
- Review Recent Changes daily
- Check Unused Objects weekly
- Monitor Use Count for optimization
- Verify Cross-References before deletion
Before Removing Objects
- Check Unused Objects table
- Verify no indirect references
- Confirm no external usage
- Use Find Results for verification
- Document removal reason
Change Management
- Configure appropriate auto-delete settings
- Keep audit trail for compliance
- Export changes for version control
- Review Version Control before deployment
Child Pages
- Recent Changes (Reference)
- Version Control (Reference)
- Cross-Reference (Reference)
- Use Count (Reference)
- Unused Objects (Reference)
In this section:
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