Backwards compatibility node update

wbibile · May 6, 2020, 11:43am

We have developed a set of KNIME nodes, we are now planing to release a newer version of these nodes with input and output ports changed. Preexisting workflows that use our nodes will be compatible only if they are reset. Does this mean that we need to add code for backwards compatibility, please advice on best practices.
Thanks.

gab1one · May 6, 2020, 2:16pm

Hi @wbibile,

The best practice is to keep an old, unmodified version of the nodes in your code, but mark them as deprecated in the NodeFactory.xml file and the plugin.xml.

See for example this deprecated node:

github.com

knime/knime-r/blob/aa124de07218d7711e8444af8504417c15e6cd1d/org.knime.ext.r.nodes/plugin.xml#L13


<plugin>
   <extension
         point="org.knime.workbench.repository.nodes">
      <node
            category-path="/scripting/r/remote"
            deprecated="true"
            factory-class="org.knime.ext.r.node.RPlotterNodeFactory"
            />
      <node
            category-path="/scripting/r/remote"
            deprecated="true"
            factory-class="org.knime.ext.r.node.RPlotterNodeFactory2"
            />
      <node
            category-path="/scripting/r/remote"
            deprecated="true"
            factory-class="org.knime.ext.r.node.RConsoleFactory"
            />
      <node
            category-path="/scripting/r/local"
            deprecated="true"

github.com

knime/knime-r/blob/50cb073a37cdc909d2e0d68d76a8ae0060ab90dd/org.knime.ext.r/src/org/knime/ext/r/node/RPlotterNodeFactory2.xml#L3


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE knimeNode PUBLIC "-//UNIKN//DTD KNIME Node 2.0//EN" "http://www.knime.org/Node.dtd">
<knimeNode type="Visualizer" icon="./r.png" deprecated="true">
	<name>R View (Remote)</name>
	<shortDescription>
	    Enables the usage of R views generated on an R server.
	</shortDescription>
	<fullDescription>
		<intro>
			<p>
			Enables the usage of R views generated on an R server.
			View displays the R View generated by the R command entered
	    	within the dialog. The entire data is transfered to the R

This way workflows created with old versions of the nodes continue to work, but the old nodes are marked as deprecated and not shown in the node explorer.

best,
Gabriel