Development environment
Gordon
Junior Member
Posts: 23
10 years 5 months ago #57
by Gordon
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has... Margaret Mead
Gordon Wright
Old fart developer
Development environment was created by Gordon
Not really a trick. JCC is very good, but eventually you have to modify the code to make the component do something, so here is my environment (tip) that works very well.
Run a good WAMP (Windows) or MAMP (Apple) local environment. I use both with many browsers and versions of browsers installed as possible.
Use a good IDE for the code, I use PHPStorm and a little BBEdit as I cut my teeth on it and it is familiar. PHPStorm has good code checking as you go, and an excellent code TRACE system.
Get a good book on CSS. SitePoint is a good place to start. Seek help when you are stuck. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Download from JED similar FREE components to the one you are making, as it does help to see how other approach the same task.
Run a good WAMP (Windows) or MAMP (Apple) local environment. I use both with many browsers and versions of browsers installed as possible.
Use a good IDE for the code, I use PHPStorm and a little BBEdit as I cut my teeth on it and it is familiar. PHPStorm has good code checking as you go, and an excellent code TRACE system.
Get a good book on CSS. SitePoint is a good place to start. Seek help when you are stuck. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Download from JED similar FREE components to the one you are making, as it does help to see how other approach the same task.
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has... Margaret Mead
Gordon Wright
Old fart developer
The following user(s) said Thank You: Søren Beck Jensen, Andres Maeso
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Søren Beck Jensen
Administrator
Posts: 81
10 years 5 months ago #83
by Søren Beck Jensen
Søren Beck Jensen
Founder, Component-Creator.com
Replied by Søren Beck Jensen on topic Development environment
Good advise, thanks Gordon!
I would add: Use a versioning tool such as Git or Mercurial to track your changes. Especially if you go back to www.component-creator.com and add more tables/fields after having made changes to the already installed component. That way you can merge your changes with the updated code generated by component-creator.com
I would add: Use a versioning tool such as Git or Mercurial to track your changes. Especially if you go back to www.component-creator.com and add more tables/fields after having made changes to the already installed component. That way you can merge your changes with the updated code generated by component-creator.com
Søren Beck Jensen
Founder, Component-Creator.com
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Rob LeVine
New Member
Posts: 7
10 years 3 months ago #138
by Rob LeVine
Replied by Rob LeVine on topic Development environment
Søren,
Can you possibly explain in more detail the merging process both with and without a source control system? I've been using Component Creator for a while and just now I'm getting to alter the code that component creator generates and don't want to lose it each time I rebuild the component. For example, I created a component and then I edited its xml file in administrator\<component>\model\forms directory and I want to make sure it doesn't get overwritten.
It would be great, in general, if you had a page that explained, in detail, how one does incremental development using Component Creator.
Regards,
Rob
Can you possibly explain in more detail the merging process both with and without a source control system? I've been using Component Creator for a while and just now I'm getting to alter the code that component creator generates and don't want to lose it each time I rebuild the component. For example, I created a component and then I edited its xml file in administrator\<component>\model\forms directory and I want to make sure it doesn't get overwritten.
It would be great, in general, if you had a page that explained, in detail, how one does incremental development using Component Creator.
Regards,
Rob
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Rob LeVine
New Member
Posts: 7
10 years 3 months ago #143
by Rob LeVine
Replied by Rob LeVine on topic Development environment
Hi Andrés,
That would be fantastic. I'm a good person to give feedback on these types of things because I follow the directions and I make notes of issues I had along the way.
Do you have an estimate on your timing for this? For me, the sooner the better. I would just like to have an idea of how longer I should wait to see something.
Regards,
Rob
That would be fantastic. I'm a good person to give feedback on these types of things because I follow the directions and I make notes of issues I had along the way.
Do you have an estimate on your timing for this? For me, the sooner the better. I would just like to have an idea of how longer I should wait to see something.
Regards,
Rob
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Rob LeVine
New Member
Posts: 7
10 years 3 months ago #149
by Rob LeVine
Replied by Rob LeVine on topic Development environment
Hi Andres,
I think I'm not communication my question/desire well or maybe you're answering it and it's just not what I want to hear.
Let me cite a simple example to try to illustrate my question. Let's say I have a component with 1 table. So I go into Component Creator UI and do all the necessary stuff and create my wonderful Admin and UI pages. In doing so, I manually edit, post-build, several files so that they are now different from the Component Creator gave me. Now we get to the important part. Let's say I want to add table #2 to my component. I go into Component Creator and add the second table and once again create Admin and UI pages. When I build the component again, should it be my expectation that, if I were to not backup all my files from table #1, that they will all get overwritten? NOTE: The same example can be "I have table #1, build, modify files and then add a single column to table #1".
I have to admit that I find that problematic if I have to store my manual changes and merge them into the code each time I rebuild. I'm not saying that I have any great solution for that, only that's a real pain to do so.
So the bottom line is that, aside from source control, it would be nice to know what the expectation is for a Component Creator user doing incremental changes. Actually I do see how source control code, in theory, help by being able to refresh from source control into the build directory and copy over the manually changed files that I made post-build, so maybe that's the answer.
Regards,
Rob
I think I'm not communication my question/desire well or maybe you're answering it and it's just not what I want to hear.
Let me cite a simple example to try to illustrate my question. Let's say I have a component with 1 table. So I go into Component Creator UI and do all the necessary stuff and create my wonderful Admin and UI pages. In doing so, I manually edit, post-build, several files so that they are now different from the Component Creator gave me. Now we get to the important part. Let's say I want to add table #2 to my component. I go into Component Creator and add the second table and once again create Admin and UI pages. When I build the component again, should it be my expectation that, if I were to not backup all my files from table #1, that they will all get overwritten? NOTE: The same example can be "I have table #1, build, modify files and then add a single column to table #1".
I have to admit that I find that problematic if I have to store my manual changes and merge them into the code each time I rebuild. I'm not saying that I have any great solution for that, only that's a real pain to do so.
So the bottom line is that, aside from source control, it would be nice to know what the expectation is for a Component Creator user doing incremental changes. Actually I do see how source control code, in theory, help by being able to refresh from source control into the build directory and copy over the manually changed files that I made post-build, so maybe that's the answer.
Regards,
Rob
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Søren Beck Jensen
Administrator
Posts: 81
10 years 3 months ago #150
by Søren Beck Jensen
Søren Beck Jensen
Founder, Component-Creator.com
Replied by Søren Beck Jensen on topic Development environment
Hi Rob,
You are correct that if you have modified the files that is built by Component Creator and re-install the component (modified or not) you file modifications will be overwritten. You can relatively easily re-apply these manual changes again after re-installation using version control. We are working on writing a guide for doing this using git.
If you are a premium member your database data will be maintained and incremental modifications will be made to the database every time you modify your component, rebuild and re-install.
So the bottom line is, I guess. That you should plan your component in detail before building, then test and make sure you have everything you want for the base before you start modifying files. And when you start modifying files then make sure you use version control.
You are correct that if you have modified the files that is built by Component Creator and re-install the component (modified or not) you file modifications will be overwritten. You can relatively easily re-apply these manual changes again after re-installation using version control. We are working on writing a guide for doing this using git.
If you are a premium member your database data will be maintained and incremental modifications will be made to the database every time you modify your component, rebuild and re-install.
So the bottom line is, I guess. That you should plan your component in detail before building, then test and make sure you have everything you want for the base before you start modifying files. And when you start modifying files then make sure you use version control.
Søren Beck Jensen
Founder, Component-Creator.com
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