Release Update Support
ECLASS e.V. supports standard users with additional information making it possible to update from a directly preceeding ECLASS Release to the following MajorRelease more or less automatically. The result is a significant saving in data processing costs. ECLASS has always published Release Update Files (RUF), but starting with the update from 6.2 to 7.0 ECLASS has made it possible for the first time in a more structured way. Below please find a description of the Release Update File (RUF), Transaction Update Files (TUF), Classification Update File (CUF) and Structure Difference Files (SDF) made available by ECLASS. Release Update File (RUF) are delivered in English and German, whereas Transaction Update Files (TUF), Classification Update Files (CUF) and Structure Difference Files (SDF) are language-neutral and therefore delivered in the primary language (English) and are consequently abreviated in 'enUS'. An overview of the update files that are available for the respective releases can be seen in the following table:
| Release | RUF available? | TUF, CUF, SDF available? |
|---|---|---|
| 11.x to 12.0 | yes | yes |
| 10.x to 11.x | yes | yes |
| 9.x to 10.x | yes | yes |
| 8.x to 9.x | yes | yes |
| 7.x to 8.x | yes | yes |
| 6.x to 7.x | yes | yes |
| 5.x to 6.x | yes | no |
| 4.x to 5.x | yes | no |
Starting from Release 11.0 the former expressions Mapping Files/Mapping Tables have been changed appropriately into Update-Files, because since these files are used to update from a previous Major or Minor Release to a Major Release. Conversely, Mapping-tables or -files are defined as mapping information between two data-standards (e.g. ETIM to ECLASS or vice versa). Release 11.0 further restructured the delivery of the files from one Zip-file with the name-suffix RUF (contains RUF tables as CSV data but also another Zip-file containing TUF, CUF and SDF Tables as XML data) towards one Zip file which contains now two separate ZIP-Files, distincted between CSV (RUF) and XML (CUF, SDF, TUF) data (see Example 1).
Starting from ECLASS Release 11.0 also, the naming of the Zip-files was aligned with the official naming rules of ECLASS, analogue to all other Release Deliverables. In Example 2 on the left hand side the old naming is visible, whereas on the right hand side, the new naming can be viewed.
Release Update File (RUF)
The Release Update File (RUF), available in CSV format, contain information with regard to release changes made in respect of classes and properties. MOVE/SPLIT/JOIN as well as previous and successive associations are retraceable by means of these files. The RUF are available for ordinary members free-of-charge, any other user can purchase them in the ECLASS Shop.
Transaction Update File (TUF)
The Transaction Update File, abbreviated TUF, made available in XML-format, provide information as to whether previous properties are still valid when using successive properties. This allows a (partly) automatic update of evaluated data files. The first TUF have been made available for the upgrade from 6.2 to 7.0.
Classification Update File (CUF)
The main purpose of the Classification Update File (CUF) is to update classification relations for already classified products, if the classification structure has changed. This can be done by semi-automated update process that uses TUF from a previous ECLASS release to a later ECLASS release (BASIC and ADVANCED versions, XML). TUF contains the results of the changes to the classification by MOVE, SPLIT and JOIN operations, but it does not contain information about new and deleted classes.
Structure Difference File (SDF)
The main purpose of the Structure Difference File (SDF) is to update from one ECLASS release to its subsequent release, if these cannot be kept parallel for technical or business reasons. It is recommended to keep different dictionary releases parallel. If dictionary releases are kept in parallel, the SDF become more obsolete. SDF is an XML genericode list for BASIC and ADVANCED of all those identifiers that were changed in a certain dictionary release. SDF shows all elements that have changed or have been added on element level (like class, property, value etc.) information on the relations is not included.