Eclipse Team Etceteras - Project Config Plug-in User's Guide

Overview

Introduction

The Remote Project Configuration Plug-in provides functionality to configure projects within the workspace using a a very simple, shell script like command file. This so called Eclipse Project Configuration Script (EPCS) file is either fetched using a HTTP transfer or from a local file.

Workflow

The project configuration process consists of two to three logical steps:

If multiple EPCS scripts are configured, the user is prompted to select to one to run.
Fetch the EPCS script from a web server using HTTP or a local file.
Execute the commands of the script file on the selected projects.

Applying Remote Project Properties

Provided at least one valid URL to a EPCS file is configured, the following steps initiate a project configuration:

Select one or more projects in the Package Explorer.
Run the command Apply Default Properties to Projectfrom the context menu.
If multiple scripts are configured, the user is prompted to select the one to execute.

Creating a Project Configuration Configuration File

Eclipse Project Configuration Script (EPCS) files are plain text files that are organized in lines. A line may contain either a comment, nothing at all or exactly one command. The basic syntax can be seen in the following diagram and each command it is described in detail below:

Supported Commands

Command	Description
`#`	Lines starting with the character '#' are treated as comment.
`mkdir DIRECTORY`	Creates the DIRECTORY if it does not already exist. The path to the DIRECTORY is relative to the project root.
`rm FILE`	Deletes the FILE if it exists. The path to the FILE is relative to the project root. Directories must be deleted with the rmdir command.
`rmdir DIRECTORY`	Deletes the empty DIRECTORY if it exists. The path to the DIRECTORY is relative to the project root.
`download [overwrite] SOURCE to FILE`	Downloads the SOURCE to the FILE if the FILE does not already exist. The SOURCE must be a valid URL and FILE a filename relative to the project root. To replace a possibly existing FILE, use the optional overwrite parameter.
`addnature NATUREID`	Adds the nature defined by NATUREID to the projects.
`removeature NATUREID`	Removes the nature defined by NATUREID to the projects.

Example File

The following example EPCS file shows some cases used to test the plug-in:

  # sample project configuration command (epcs) file
 
  # mkdir on not existing directory
  mkdir testdir
 
  # mkdir on existing directory
  mkdir existingdir
 
  # download file not existing in target
  download http://www.foo.com/test/test.file to testdir/test.file
  
  # download file existing in target (don't overwrite)
  download http://www.foo.com/test/test.file to test.file
 
  # download file existing in target (overwrite)
  download overwrite http://www.foo.com/test/test.file to test.file
 
  # delete file
  rm testdir/test.file
 
  # delete not existing file
  rm testdir/bla.file
 
  # delete directory
  rmdir testdir

Preferences

Workspace Preferences

The behavior of the Remote Project Preference plug-in can be configured in the Eclipse preferences dialog. Open the dialog from the Window > Preferences menu. The settings are located on the General > Remote Project Properties page.

List of project configuration script URLs: Add, remove or edit the URLs of the EPCS files to the list using the buttons to the right. The editing itself is done in a separate dialog that will pop up. The protocolls supported are http(s):// and file://. The URLs need to comply with the following rules:

Each URL may only be added once to the list
The URL must start with either 'http', 'https' or 'file'
The URL must not contain the hash-character '#'

Default Settings

There are no built-in default settings, but you may provide them by editing the property file $ECLIPSE_HOME/plugins/ch.netcetera.eclipse.projectconfig.ui.fragment_$VERSION_↵ /ch.netcetera.eclipse.projectconfig.ui.fragment/default.properties.

Command File URL Configure a default using the property key project.config.url. Multiple URLs are separated by the character #. The character # itself is therefore unsupported within URLs.