Hello,
I believe this question may already have an accepted solution but I did not find it.

Let's say I have a running survey which uses a custom theme which I have imported by a zip file.

After a while, a new version of the theme is released.

How can I upgrade it "in place"?

If I try to import it the system says it can't because a theme with the same name already exists.
If I delete the old one and then import the new version, all running surveys switch to the server default theme and don't go back once the theme is back in place.

I don't rather not do this at filesystem level.

How do you manage theme upgrading?

I'm working in a LimeSurvey 3.* installation.


Many Thanks.
Rita

No way currently
bugs.limesurvey.org/view.php?id=14207

I would give the theme "versions".

E.g. mytheme_v2

This way you can upload it without problems, you can make it the default theme, etc.

While the old surveys are still running mytheme_v1 until they run out or until you switch them to v2.

You are right but indeeed what I would like to achieve is "hot-swapping" themes.
This way, if I get a new and better version of a theme, I'll be able to deploy it to all active surveys which are currently using it.

I understand that. It sounds like a great idea. But on the other hand I personally would try to avoid "hot swapping" themes with running surveys. You never know if there are specific things, workarounds, features that might suddenly not work anymore with a running survey. For new surveys the survey owner usually should test throroughly and should find major issues. But a running survey usually no one checks for those things anymore.
So while I understand that hot swapping might sound interesting and attractive, I personally would probably refrain from that. Because if the old survey ran well with the old theme, I would not want to change it. Or at least not without a new test run.

I see your point.
Anyway, isn't it what actually happens when you change a "parent" theme which other designers extended?

SkelVanilla are at version 9 ,
Because there are (very rare) issue where you can have a broken survey when updating …