Component Update - Step by Step Walkthrough¶

A concrete, end-to-end example of updating one component. For the full workflow, rules, and troubleshooting, see COMPONENT_UPDATE_GUIDE.md.

Reminder: Components are updated by editing the JSON files directly in backend/categorized_databases/. The backend is the only source of truth — there is no frontend database, no sync step, and no update CLI.

The Example: `CGH40045` (a PA spanning two frequency bands)¶

CGH40045 covers frequencies below and above 1 GHz, so it exists as two separate files (not symlinks):

backend/categorized_databases/pa/
  ├── sub_1ghz/
  │   └── CGH40045.json    ← Copy 1
  └── 1_6ghz/
      └── CGH40045.json    ← Copy 2

Updating one file does not update the other — you must edit both.

Scenario: Set `efficiency` to 30¶

Step 1: Find every copy¶

cd backend/categorized_databases/pa
Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter "CGH40045.json" | Select-Object FullName

Output:

...\pa\sub_1ghz\CGH40045.json
...\pa\1_6ghz\CGH40045.json

Two copies → two files to edit.

Step 2: Edit both files¶

Open each file in your editor and make the identical change:

backend/categorized_databases/pa/1_6ghz/CGH40045.json
backend/categorized_databases/pa/sub_1ghz/CGH40045.json

{
  "part_number": "CGH40045",
  "efficiency": 30
}

(Only the field you are changing — leave the rest of the file untouched. For array fields use JSON syntax, e.g. "power_range": [25, 35].)

Step 3: Validate¶

cd backend
python validate_components.py --category pa

Confirm the summary reports no new Tier 1 (schema) failures or Tier 5 (physics) errors for the files you touched.

Step 4: Verify both copies match¶

cd backend/categorized_databases/pa
Get-Content 1_6ghz\CGH40045.json | ConvertFrom-Json | Select-Object efficiency
Get-Content sub_1ghz\CGH40045.json | ConvertFrom-Json | Select-Object efficiency

Both must show 30.

Step 5: Restart the backend¶

The component database is loaded at startup:

.\start-all-servers-windowed.ps1

Single-Band Components¶

Most parts live in exactly one band directory. Example: SST12CP21 exists only at backend/categorized_databases/pa/1_6ghz/SST12CP21.json — Step 1 returns one file, and you edit just that one. Everything else is identical.

Quick Reference¶

Step	Command
Find copies	`Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter "<PART>.json"` under the category dir
Edit	Open each returned file, apply the same change
Validate	`cd backend; python validate_components.py --category <category>`
Restart	`.\start-all-servers-windowed.ps1`

Which copy first? Doesn't matter — what matters is that all copies end up identical.