KIDS Glossary

KIDS TERMS:

BUILD:

There are menu options to "Create a Build" (XPD BUILD NAMESPACE), "Copy a Build" (XPD COPY BUILD), and "Edit a Build" (XPD EDIT BUILD). A BUILD seems to be an entry in the BUILD file (#9.6). When starting to make a KIDS patch, this seems to be the first step. The file description of this file states

This file identifies the elements of a package that will be transported by the Kernel Installation & Distribution System. All components of the package, i.e. templates, options, Security Keys, etc., must be listed in in this file.

DISTRIBUTION:

After creating a BUILD, there is a menu option to "Transport a Distribution." (XPD TRANSPORT PACKAGE). This calls ^XPDT, where the code asks the user for a PACKAGE name, and uses this name to lookup an entry in the BUILD file. Although many different BUILDS can have links to the same PACKAGE, apparently internal business logic determines which to choose.

Next, the code seems to put information into the "Transport Global" which in this case is ^XTMP("XPDT",<IEN>). And ultimately the user is allowed to save all the information to a disk file (or Packman message) to generate the KIDS patch.

PACKAGE:

A package is an entry in the PACKAGE file (#9.4). Examples would be "DI" for Fileman, "XU" for Kernal, or TMG (my namespace)

INSTALL:

An Install is an entry in the INSTALL file (#9.7). I am unclear on this exactly, but seems to be generated during process of bringing in a KIDS patch into a VistA system. The file descriptions states

This file contains the installation information for a site from the Kernel Installation & Distribution System. This file should not be edited. All information is updated when a new package is installed at a site.

TRANSPORT GLOBAL:

This is an entry in ^XTMP("XPDT",<IEN>... for outgoing patch or ^XTMP("XPDI",<IEN> for incoming patch. This seems to be a staging area for assembling information before acting on it.

PATCH:

This seems to refer to the entire process of installing a patch. The PACKAGE file contains a multiple listing all applied PATCHES, and there is a menu option to "Display Patches for a Package" which lists these.

So, the life cycle, from patch creating to installation seems to be:

1. Create a BUILD from source VistA system, typically based on code from one or more PACKAGES (namespaces). #:This build is than considered a DISTRIBUTION, and is "Transported" by saving to outgoing TRANSPORT GLOBAL, and ultimately to KIDS file or Packman message. This output is called a PATCH.
2. On the destination VistA system, a user installs a patch by first "Loading a Distribution", which will create an entry in the BUILD file, and put data into the TRANSPORT GLOBAL (^XTMP("XPDI",<IEN>).
3. The user then has the option to actually install this via menu option "Install Package(s)". Here, the term Package is used, though it is not really a "Package" that is being installed, but rather the information loaded so far.
4. If the users decides to not proceed, they can "Unload a Distribution", which will remove the information loaded so far.

The patching system has several parts, and I recognize that it is appropriate to shield the end user from some of the internal components. But it still seems to me that there could be better nomenclature. Regardless, this has been long established, and changing it would cause more problems.