Does "update_openLCA_IPC()" implement version control?

[qtu-UBC]

Hi, I wonder if there is a version control mechanism implemented for "update_openLCA_IPC()" or every time I execute the function (even if I only modified one process), the entire existing database will be reimported again (seems to be the case by looking at the code)? Thank you.

[cyrillefrancois]

Hello, Yes, in the current version, when you update a database the function "update_openLCA_IPC()" or "update_openLCA_json()" will delete and recreate the associated database. A solution to avoid that will be to use the "last_change" field or OpenLCA version field. But it needs new fields in BW2 also. Otherwise, it needs a function able to compare bw2 activities with openlca processes, but I believe that this kind of function will be long to execute. I keep this issue open if contributors have ideas to share to improve activities/processes version control.

[qtu-UBC]

Thanks for the insight. Alternatively, is it possible to only update the "foreground data" while keeping the background data (e.g., ecoinvent) unchanged? I think in bw2, once you've written a db to a project (e.g., ecoinvent 3.8 cutoff), it's always there, you just need to update the linkage between your foreground model (i.e., where certain activities from ei 3.8 are involved) and the background db.

[cyrillefrancois]

Yes, the "update_openLCA_IPC()" is made for that. The argument "update_databases={}" is made for that. If your OpenLCA database is structure with folders (e.g. "A:Agriculture, forestry and fishing", "B:..." and "My_project_folders") and in bw2 you have 3 databases for biosphere, ecoinvent and your_project, you have to put update_databases={"your_project":"My_project_folders"}. Then the function will only read the folder "My_project_folders" and replace the database "your_project" in bw2.

[qtu-UBC]

Ah, thanks for the explanation. Do you mean {"your_database":"My_project_folders"} where "your_database" is part of the existing bw project that I'm trying to update? As there is already an argument "project_name" in update_openLCA_IPC().

Yes, the "update_openLCA_IPC()" is made for that. The argument "update_databases={}" is made for that. If your OpenLCA database is structure with folders (e.g. "A:Agriculture, forestry and fishing", "B:..." and "My_project_folders") and in bw2 you have 3 databases for biosphere, ecoinvent and your_project, you have to put update_databases={"your_project":"My_project_folders"}. Then the function will only read the folder "My_project_folders" and replace the database "your_project" in bw2.

[cyrillefrancois]

Yes, exactly. "project_name" is the BW2 project name