Impact of Upgrading to BuilderRED 3.3.7
With the upgrade of BUILDER to Version 3.3.7, the underlying software formatting of BRED (BuilderRED) files created by BUILDER Versions 3.3.7 and up will change. You should carefully consider (1) the timing of upgrading to BuilderRED Version 3.3.7, and (2) whether your organization wishes to establish any procedures to minimize confusion about compatibilities.
Note: BUILDER Version 3.3.7 will continue to accept import of BRED files created with previous versions of BUILDER. Older BRED files you have outstanding can always be imported back into BUILDER.
In this explanatory section, "older" BRED files means BRED files created with BUILDER Versions 3.3.0 through 3.3.6
Before the Upgrade
Before upgrading to BuilderRED 3.3.7, you will be able to work only on BRED files created with BUILDER versions prior to 3.3.7.
After the Upgrade
Once you upgrade to BuilderRED 3.3.7, you will be able to work on BRED files created with BUILDER version 3.3.7. You will not be able to work on older BRED files.
After the upgrade you will still be able to import older BRED files back into BUILDER. Then you can re-export them from BUILDER 3.3.7 and work on them.
What Works:
After your system has been upgraded to BUILDER 3.3.7, you will continue to be able to import outstanding BRED files back into BUILDER, whether they have been created with BUILDER 3.3.7 or an older version of BUILDER.
After you upgrade to BuilderRED 3.3.7, you will continue to be able to import outstanding BRED files back into BUILDER, whether they have been created with BUILDER 3.3.7 or an older version of BUILDER.
If you delay upgrading to BuilderRED 3.3.7, you will be able to work directly on your outstanding older BRED files with BuilderRED. However, you will not be able to work on newly created BRED files.
What Doesn't Work:
Working on Old with the New Won't Work. After upgrading to BuilderRED 3.3.7, you will not be able to continue work on older outstanding BRED files in BuilderRED 3.3.7. What to do: First, import the older BRED file back into BUILDER (into Version 3.3.7; or possibly into an older BUILDER version if you are working ahead of the Version 3.3.7 release date). Then, with BUILDER 3.3.7 or subsequent, re-export the information to BuilderRED, creating a fresh BRED file.
Working on New with the Old Won't Work, Either. If you delay upgrading your version of BuilderRED to Version 3.3.7, you will not be able to use your pre-3.3.7. BuilderRED to work on BRED files generated by BUILDER 3.3.7 or subsequent.
An Approach To Consider
If you are comfortable delaying creation of new BRED files for a period of time, you can delay installation of BuilderRED 3.3.7 for that period, using it as a transition time for Inspectors and inventory takers to complete their in-progress work on older BRED files using the older version of BuilderRED, and to import them into BUILDER. Any older BRED files not completed during the transition period can be imported into BUILDER (either before or after the upgrade to 3.3.7) and then re-exported to the new version of BuilderRED.
Author: Mark Fisher, Nisha Aggarwal