Maximo Mobile - Auto-generate delta files on ZIP upload or during Publish (remove dependency on manual Save)

In MAF v9.1 and earlier, delta files are only generated when the user performs an explicit Save after manually modifying source files. When sources are provided via ZIP upload, users reasonably expect that no manual changes are needed and that Publish can proceed directly. This leads to a usability gap: delta files are not generated unless the user performs a manual modification and presses Save, which is unintuitive and misleading, as the user/developer may not manually modify and press the 'Save' button on each XML file to generate the delta files.

Current Behavior (As Designed in v9.1):

• 9.1: ZIP upload successfully places source files into the application’s workspace (in v8, its equivalent to copying files to respective workspace application folder, using ant scripts)
• Save button remains disabled unless the user manually edits a file in the UI.
• Users can click Publish without Save; however, delta files are not updated or regenerated.

Impact:

• Usability: Users/developers believe ZIP upload is a complete change event and expect Publish to include all necessary delta generation.
• Process Risk: Publishing without Save produces incomplete or outdated delta files, causing inconsistent outputs.
• Training/Support Overhead: Behavior is “working as designed” but non-obvious, prompting confusion, rework, and tickets.

Proposed Change (Enhancement): Introduce automatic delta generation in either (or both) of the following triggers:

On ZIP Upload

• After successful ZIP extraction into the workspace, the system automatically generates/updates all delta files associated with the changed artifacts.
• No need for manual edits or Save to enable delta generation.

On Publish Action

• On clicking Publish, the system verifies whether delta files are current relative to the latest uploaded sources (including ZIP uploads).
• If not current, automatically generate/update all delta files just-in-time, then proceed with publish tasks.

Design Principle: Treat ZIP upload as a full content update equivalent to manual edits—i.e., a change worthy of delta regeneration.