RE: Automate source code backup to SVN

Hi Aaron,

FYI,

Some time ago i was also thinking about how to use CVS (or SVN) and couple it with the sourcefiles on the as/400. But instead of syncing every night i would like to save each version into CVS, thus each time somebody on our team saves a member it is automatically saves into the repository. This way you have a history of each saved snapshot of a source. So that you can compare the current one with the one of yesterdam at 4pm for example. Having this set up it is easy to install for example a PHP app to provide a neat user interface to the repository from which every teammember could look up a snapshot, analyze the changes that were made to a specific sourcemember.

I though of a way to do implement this in a robust way such that each time a member is saved, no matter from which tool, being PDM or WDSCi, the snapshot is saved in the repository.

The basic idea is then to add a trigger to a sourcefile which would be executed whenever a record to the sourcemember is added. When saving from SEU or WDSCi the member is first cleared and then all records are added. This can be captured with a trigger program.

This trigger program does not much except that it puts the added records into a dataqueue which is read by a program running in batch. This program does the more heavy work such as determining the beginning and end of one save. For example by analyzing the timestamp that the triggerprogram adds to each record it puts in the dataqueue in combination with the sequence number of each record.

The program reading the dataqueue then communicates with CVS, for example by calling a script in the PASE environment to save a source into the repository.

It's not trivial, but it's no rocket science either.

Jacobus

From: albartell@xxxxxxxxx
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Automate source code backup to SVN
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:18:24 -0600

Hi all,



I have been playing around with using SVN to change manage my RPG code. I
have installed SVN on the i5 but decided not to go that route once I found
that SVN on the i5 has a good chance of NOT being supported anymore (i.e.
Mark Phippard isn't in the i5 space anymore).



I then started using WDSC's iSeries Projects to get the source into a place
where SVN could be enacted on it using the eclipse tooling and SVN plugin.
This would have been fine except I DON'T do my development from iSeries
Projects and instead like to work directly with the members on the i5
(faster). The problem comes into play when debugging because the debugger
looks at iSeries Projects first for the source member to bring up before
looking on the server - major bummer.



So my next attempt at change management with SVN is as follows:



1) Setup a netserver allowance for
/QSYS.LIB/LIBTOBACKUP.LIB/SRCPFTOBACKUP.FILE

2) Write a script (thinking .bat file or Java) that logs into that folder
each night and downloads the source to a folder on the PC server (Windows).

3) Execute the SVN commands to sync up that folder with the repository.



Right now I have TortioseSVN loaded on the Windows server and am thinking
there must be some automated things I could do with that to get the source
into SVN at 2am each morning.



Before I dive too far into this I am wondering if anybody else has already
tried it, or if somebody has a better way to get code into SVN?



Actually, the more I think of it, a guy could easily write a Java app that
resides on the iSeries and does ALL of this without involving the Windows
side at all. All that would be needed would be a config file stating which
source physical files should be backed up, the repository location/user/pwd,
and you should be set! BTW, I found this completely Java open source tool:
http://svnkit.com



Thoughts?

Aaron Bartell

http://mowyourlawn.com





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