When I import CR2 files (Canon RAW) that have XMP files alongside them into my Lightroom 4 catalog, Lightroom correctly reads image adjustments from XMP files and assigns them as Develop settings for the newly imported photos. This is how I expected it to be. Lightroom assigns older process version to these files, as it should be.
One quick question I have though: once I imported all these CR2 files into my collection, is it safe to delete all those XMP sidecar files immediately? I assume that Lightroom stores all Develop settings in the catalog file at the moment of the import and that XMP sidecars are no longer necessary. Is that correct? Or do I have to enter the Develop mode with each imported file first, before deleting the XMP in order to make old settings to "stick"?