Introduction
In some projects, you may need to have more than one developer working in the same SCADA application in order to execute it faster. At Elipse E3, an application’s developers can work simultaneously in the same project via a communication network between their computers, thus optimizing the work’s execution. In a shared application, the files must be all recorded at the same computer, requiring no copies in the local computer.
Preparing the interface
When starting an application that will be developed by more than one person, you must observe some restrictions regarding file sharing and security, Elipse E3’s version, and also the sharing of development tasks.
The folder used to store the application’s files must be shared between developers, as seen below. These files could be shared by either all users equally or by only some users.
Folder’s sharing options
You must also notice the folder’s security permissions, where different types of permissions are granted to one or more users, as seen below.
Folder’s security options
Developing the application
These settings enable you to edit the application via a corporate network.
In this type of shared edition, you will normally use only the project or library (PRJ or LIB file) at the server machine, with no need to open the Domain or even copy the file to the local machine. If the Domain needs to be opened, its new data will be copied to other machines.
A restriction that can be applied to it is that an object can’t be edited by more than one person at the same time. The system will let the object be visualized, but if any command is applied to save the changes, a message will be displayed warning that the item can’t be saved, as seen below.
Error message when saving the file
Whenever a new item or object is opened, you must update the project via Update option (by right-clicking it). This ensures the items containing the latest updates will be opened, and the user will be able to tell whether the item to be edited is already updated.
We recommend you not open the same object in two different computers at the same time, because this may cause the loss of information.
Procedures for proper development
Next, we present a few procedures which ensure a better development process, emphasizing the work in different projects for each user.
- Open the project or domain at the local machine.
- Open the desired project at a machine on the same network, preferably for working in different projects.
- Before opening an object to be edited, update the project where this object has been inserted, as seen below.
Updating the project via E3 Studio
- After each edition takes place, save the project so it can also be updated.
Final remarks
A safe way for developing applications remotely is via files shared on the network, where you can make sure they will always be updated when opened, and where you won’t need to copy files to later save them at the machine where the application is executed.
