Method for operation of an automation system

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with software for a method for operation of an automation system, comprising:

• providing a load object for integration into a control program for a technical process, wherein the load object is transferable from a programming device to at least one automation device;
• and
• assigning a state to the load object, wherein
• a first state assigned to the load object identifies the load object as being available for the control program,
• a second state identifies the load object as being integrated into the control program able to be executed by the automation system, and
• at least a further state is assigned identifying the load object as deleted for load objects that are loaded into the control program but have since been deleted in the source pmram, wherein each load object identified as deleted still remains available for testing in the control program until it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process.

A method for operation and testing of an automation system, comprising:

• receiving load objects from a source program of a programming device representing an offline program state by a control program of an automation device representing an online program state;
• assigning a load state to each load object, wherein the load state comprises one of
• a first state that identifies the load object as being created, indicating the load object is available at the source program but not yet loaded into the control program,
• a second state that identifies the load object as being loaded, indicating the load object is integrated into the control program and able to be executed by the automation system, and
• a third state that identifies the load object as being deleted, indicating that the load object has been previously loaded into the control program but has since been deleted in the source program;
• testing the automation system wherein each load object identified as deleted still remains available for testing in the control program until it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process, thereby allowing debugging of the control program even when the offline program state is not synchronized with the online program state.