Custom IPA files - formatting

I've noted that when we upload our custom IPAs using IPD all line endings are lost. Does anyone know if there is a reason for this or a setting I can change to prevent this from happening? To be clear I'm speaking of the actual formatting in the .lpd when viewed as text in something like notepad++

While working on the file and before uploading, file formatting looks something like (tabs are missing from below because of this forum's formatting, but line endings are as expected):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><process autoRestart="0" className="FgProcess" connectionName="" designerVersion="9.1.0" generateMilestones="false" id="test_this" priority="0" processType="false" schemaVersion="1.0" service="" title="">
<description/>
<processUserNode>
<from/>
<subject/>
<content/>
<displayType>1</displayType>
<displayContent/>
<displayName/>
<hideActions>false</hideActions>
</processUserNode>

After upload and then download again formatting changes to something that looks like (basically all line endings get removed):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><process autoRestart="0" className="FgProcess" connectionName="" designerVersion="9.1.0" generateMilestones="false" id="test_this" priority="0" processType="false" schemaVersion="1.0" service="" title=""> <description/> <processUserNode> <from/> <subject/> <content/> <displayType>1</displayType> <displayContent/> <displayName/> <hideActions>false</hideActions> </processUserNode>

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Comments

andy

The upload process is likely sanitizing the XML before storing. I don't think there is a way to prevent that, but you should be able to reformat the XML in notepad or whatever text editor you use. You might need to install an extension though.

I use VSCode with an XML Format extension.

ClientX4_Konfiguration Kopfzeile.pdf

Rebecca Derr

Thanks yes I have an extension in notepad++ that allows me to reformat fairly easily. I was just hoping to avoid doing this for every file I want to run a compare on and view in a way that is easy to see changes.

For instance, I want to download from Infor and then save in a git repo and review changes - for Infor's IPA changes this is fairly simple as their files have line endings and formatting as expected. Our custom IPAs, because they lose all formatting, are very difficult to review. I don't want to have to open every custom IPA file and reformat just for this - but maybe I can do something with scripting, I'll have a look.

cleverly

If you are comfortable scripting with command line tools, I'd suggest looking at xmllint. You can use it to pretty-print the XML with consistent line endings, indentation, etc.

0712131256598360.doc

Rebecca Derr

Thanks Michael that's what I was just looking at. Good to confirm I'm headed the right direction.

bhillz

This to me sounds like a software enhancement request to either:
A: To spit out "better" XML for the client.

B: Provide a client tool that will locally "prep" the files.

I have to believe that you're not the only ones dealing with this.

0911060553270289.pdf

Rebecca Derr

Good idea, created ER 96683 "xml in .lpd files should be formatted with correct line endings on download from cloud"

unknown

I've noticed the same thing. IPD saves the XML (.lpd file) in the nicely-indented and easy-to-read format. But once uploaded to the server, that formatting is lost.

Here's the trick I use: Download the flow from the server, open it in IPD, and make a small change. I'm talking literally anything... Move your Start node up a tick and then back down to where it was in the first place. That's enough for IPD to see it as a change, so now the Save button becomes available. Hit Save.

Boom, now your .lpd file is re-formatted

Rebecca Derr

Update: after looking at the files more carefully, I noted only the line endings were removed, all of the spacing was still there. I ended up writing a bash script to loop through the files and if they only had one line to then add a line ending after finding any > character with one or more spaces after it using sed.

0912140849182145.pdf

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