Minute Configurator

Datasheet Download Fails in Developer Mode

Troubleshooting

Details

When running MinuteView in Developer mode, attempting to download a datasheet may fail with an error such as:

"Download failed. Please try again""Parent ID must be an integer"

This behaviour is expected and by design, not a defect.

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Why This Happens

Developer Mode Behaviour

In Developer mode, MinuteView intentionally does not persist iteration data to the database.

Instead:

• Each iteration generates a temporary GUID
• This allows configurations and outputs to be tested safely
• No records are stored until the iteration is considered production-ready

This prevents partially configured or experimental data from polluting production tables.

How Datasheet Generation Works

The datasheet download endpoint operates differently from standard iteration execution:

1. It requires a parent item ID
2. It retrieves the parent record from the database
3. It generates the datasheet based on persisted data

Because Developer mode does not write anything to the database, the datasheet endpoint has nothing to retrieve.

As a result:

• The request fails
• The system returns an error indicating that the parent ID is invalid

The "parent id must be an integer" message is intentional and acts as a signal that the operation requires a production-ready iteration.

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Is This a Bug?

No.

This behaviour is intentional and exists to clearly distinguish:

• Configuration & iteration testing (Developer mode)
• Data-dependent operations like datasheet generation (Production mode)

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Solution

To test datasheet generation correctly, follow this recommended workflow:

1. Complete and validate your iteration configuration in Developer mode
2. Generate a production (default) iteration using the final configuration
3. Use that production iteration to trigger the datasheet download

Important Note

Datasheets are:

• Generated on demand
• Not persisted in the same way as iterations
• Always require a valid database record to function correctly

Expected Behavior

This is not an error that needs fixing. Developer mode is designed to prevent database writes, and datasheet generation requires database records. Always use production iterations when testing datasheet functionality.

Related Documentation

See Minute Configurator Configuration Guide for more information about Developer mode and production iterations.