Preserving user interface customizations while upgrading an enterprise application

In an embodiment, a system for preserving user interface customizations while upgrading an enterprise application is provided. The system preserves customizations by identifying customizations made to user interface ("UI") objects of an enterprise application, and enabling these UI customizations to function with a newer version of the enterprise application. The system transforms UI customizations so that the transformed UI customizations function with a new UI model. By enabling a portion of an enterprise application to be upgraded while preserving UI customizations, the system dramatically reduces the time and cost incurred by companies when they upgrade enterprise software.