Why Upgrade Versions
One of the most complicated questions is 'should you upgrade to the newer version?' In most instances, you should upgrade to the most recent 'patch' issued for your current version. Upgrading to a 'new version' (number) is more complicated:
- If you are the primary administration, you will usually benefit greatly by upgrading to a newer or the most recent version.
- If you are a reseller or site developer providing the web site to another administrator, it may not be practical to provide an 'upgrade' at no cost since some time, troubleshooting, and possible custom theme modifications are involved.
- If you are experiencing a particular anomaly (and have reported it), most reported issues are corrected in the next version.
If an upgraded version is labeled as a 'major upgrade' it likely implements some changes which may adversely affect a production server and should not be installed until after testing.
Additional Help Topics
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Version Patch
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By definition, a patch is simply a set of changed files which are issued to correct some glaring bugs in the issued version. In most cases, a patch will NOT contain any new features. However, since Exponent is continually being developed, some new features may 'creep in' with the fixes. Also, some features which were not fully implemented may be completed. Patches are usually only distributed when a significant issue must be corrected.
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New Version
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A 'new version' will always have a new version number and in most cases will be a 'clean' number with NO patch numbers...(e.g., version 2.3.1 is newer than version 2.3.0 patch #4). A 'new version' typically has new features incorporated in addition to bug fixes.
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