Definitions
- Online Catalog: KNX Association global repository for products
- ETS Product Storage: ETS installation global repository for products
- ETS Project Storage: ETS installation global repository for projects
- Project product storage: project specific repository for products (stored in the ETS Project Storage)
There are two ways to add a product to an ETS project:
1. Indirectly
ETS imports the product from the ETS Product Storage into the ETS project.
This specific way of importing adds the product to the Project product storage.
In order to add a product to the ETS Product Storage either a download (+ import) from the Online Catalog server (see here) or import via a product file (see here) is required.
2. Directly
a. Via project import
This specific way of importing does not add the product to the ETS Product Storage.
This specific way of importing does add the product to the Project product storage (of the imported project) if the exported project file was exported with its product storage (see here).
b. Copied from another project
This operation does not add the product to the Product Storage.
This operation does not add the product to the Project product storage (of the target project).
Catalog
The 'Catalog' is either a view specifically on the ETS Product Storage or on the Project product storage + the option to have it combined with a view on the Online Catalog.
Relation between the Project Storage and Product Storage
ETS5
When ETS5 adds a product from the ETS Product Storage to a project, it creates an new instance of the product.
What does this mean? Example. Initially: suppose that product A with application version 1.1 was added from the ETS Product Storage to a project. Later: in the ETS Product Storage, the application of product A is upgraded from version 1.1 to version 1.2, for ETS5 this means that the instance of product A in the project is NOT upgraded, i.e. in the project it is still has application version 1.1. In order to upgrade the application of product A also in the project, an explicit upgrade for the application needs to be accomplished within the project, either via the 'Update from Online Catalog' or 'Update from Product Store' feature. This also means that with ETS5 it is possible to have different application versions for the same product within one project.
ETS5 & plug-in related problems
The above described ETS5 behavior can lead to problematic situations concerning plug-ins.
Suppose that in the example above application version 1.1 uses a plug-in version 1.1 and that application version 1.2 uses a plug-in version 1.2. This situation can become problematic if the setup of plug-in version 1.2 replaces the already installed plug-in version 1.1, i.e. instances of product A having product version 1.1 would try to use plug-in version 1.2 instead of plug-in version 1.1. Solution: update the application to version 1.2 for all instances of product A.
How to resolve this and/or other plug-in related issues, see this article.
ETS5 vs. ETS4 (background information)
When ETS4 adds a product from the product storage to a project, it creates a copy of that product.
What does this mean? Example. Initially: suppose that product A with application version 1.1 was added from the ETS Product Storage to a project. Later: in the ETS Product Storage, the application of product A is upgraded from version 1.1 to version 1.2, for ETS4 this means that the application of all copies of product A in all projects are automatically upgraded. This also means that with ETS4 it is NOT possible to have different application versions for the same product within one project (or even database).