The following suggestions are intended to help the District Administrator create and track customizations so that he or she will know what's in the system, be able to make changes quickly when required, and minimize the impact on system users. We recommend that the administrator:
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Whenever possible, customize a system in a test environment. Using a test environment minimizes disruption to users and facilitates the testing of customizations implementation. When a customization is complete, create a Customization Package [>>] and install it in the production environment (that is, where the system is in current use by active users). |
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Ensure that naming conventions are transparent. Prefix database field names with a short description of the data area. Keep the prefixes as short and meaningful as possible. Standardize and document the prefixes before beginning the customization process. |
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Whenever possible, use collection fields and setup list fields [>>]. These types of fields ensure that users enter standardized data and minimize spelling errors. |
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Test and revise the customization several times before making it available to users. Suggested test scenarios include: |