[Zope-dev] understanding FORCE_PRODUCT_LOAD

[jeffrey]

After a hell and back and hell and hell and back and hell and back and hell
and back again morning trying to update a Zope 2.3.3 site (as ZEO client)
to be a Zope 2.5.1 site (including installation of some new products), I
finally re-discovered the magic of FORCE_PRODUCT_LOAD environment variable.

The only reason I even remembered this variable existed was because of
Chris McDonough mentioning it a long long time ago (before the new Zope
Corp offices).

Not only is it undocumented, it's undocumented incorrectly ;).  At the end
of doc/ENVIRON.txt, it's listed as FORCE_PRODUCT_RELOAD with the wording
"unknown (Shane's Refresh product ???)".

If someone with a deeper understanding of what this environment variable
does - and of the correct times to use it - I'm sure there are other people
it would help.  I'd document it myself, but I don't want to spread more
misinformation.  I've guessed at what it does - I believe it's forcing a
write to ZEO of the currently installed disk products running at the client
side - but that's the nearest I could figure out.

j.shell