What is the best way to manage contributions

[ashna]

hello everyone,

 

new to oscommerce, learning everyday. Would like to ask a basic question on how to manage contributions that affect similar files.

 

Now most of the contribustions ask you to overwrite existing files and upload the contribution file. But in case I have applied another contribution that actually changed the same file before, I will end up with fixing one thing and beaking other.

 

How do people at oscommerce manage this distributed nature of contribution development.

 

Is there way to manage this

 

 

Suggestions are welcome, I have limited html knowlwedge and can follow instructions quite well

[Jack_mcs]

Unfortunately, there is no way to do this other than you just keeping track of what was changed. Only use the replace files method on a clean shop. From then on, you can still do that but only if the files have not been altered. If you are unsure, you will need to edit the files to make the changes.

 

Jack

[ashna]

I would think this should be at the top of the list for things to do?

[Guest]

there are many applications out there, whick can keep track of the changes in the programs, and evel allow you to go back to a certain version of the change.

of course, if you have modified the database, you need to know ho w to go in there and remove the change related to a particular version.

[ashna]

any suggestions on the software that can track changes with each contributions, as I can manage by taking db back up everytime I make a chaknge.

[mwdesigns]

I have added a good few mods and contributions.

I ALWAYS make the changes to my existing files, and don't overwrite my files.

When installing a contribution, I always use the following method.

 

//New contribution name starts here =>

code code

code

//New contribution name ends here =>

 

I also have a readme file server side and on my pc, that I add to everytime I change files and include info like:

2005/04/10 - includes/languages/english/order.php -changed lines 23-27, 146-148

 

This seems like a pain, but I recently needed help, and was asked to paste the code in the forum. Within minutes I had an answer, and the comment from the person helping me " If your code wasn't marked properly with all the changes, it would have taken me hours, so well done on Good File House Keeping"

 

If there is software that can help me do the above, I'd buy it for sure.

[ashna]

Thanks alot for the help,

 

I understand what you are saying and how it works, I have problem in terms of finding out whats new in the code, its difficult to know the difference in the code unless you have a tool that compares the files and tells you the contributions is different in these areas.

 

I wish there is more thinking on how contributions are made and managed. What I mean here is that so many people are doing things and it can be really difficult to track things.

 

I wish there is a tool that lets you manage this.

 

Also would be nice if the contribustion author posts the changes in the file that is needed along with the complete package.

 

May be I am asking too much, but I do feel if there is some orderly approach to contributions they can go a long way in making everyone's life much easier.

 

I have taken a extreme step of doing my own version control say after every major change or contribution install, i take a complete back up of the files and database.

 

Let see if I can sustain this methodology. If I can may be someone can write a small contribution, which backsup all the files and database whenever you need with a single click and restore them if need.

 

I would do this but unfortunately my PHP skills are very much limited.

[Darklings]

Hi,

 

I have no problem with it, all the contribition i have installed so far (like only 5 so far - i'm relative new to osC) where installed by merging the contrib file with the excisting one, it was easy to do, cause all the contrib i used had what mwdesign described:

 

// Bof contribname

code code

code

// Eof contribname

 

or

 

<!-- Bof contribname -->

code code

code

<!-- Eof contribname -->

 

Its then relative easy to see where the modifications where.

To backup my excisting site - I just use my ftp-upload program - and download my whole shop this way. It takes a while yes - but i have my backup. If you dont use the build in utility from osC to upload you need a program - that can easely download to - so backup created. And in the manager you can backup your database easely by a single click (Tools - Backup). Then i also have a clean osC version backup on my harddisk incase i need a clean file to work from. (ex. to look lines up - or original code)

 

And then, of course, there are many different people making contrib's, and there is a standard, and I think most stick to it. But its inevitable for contrib's to be different if that many different people make it.

 

 

Greets,

Tom