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xml-authoring-project

A structured directory where we build and store xmls.

This acts as a project template which forms the base for creating an xml-authoring-directory for a particular client.

Prerequisites

• Git
• PHP
• Composer installed globally

Work with commands

Create your composer.json file

This project comes with a default set of dependencies in composer.json.dist in the root of the project folder.

Make a copy of that composer.json.dist file for the next step.

Install dependencies

For users:

Developers may wish to use --prefer-source to work on git repositories of dependent components):

• Try example hello-world command from xml-authoring-tools:

• (optional) Require additional command packages:

  To study/try commands from required packages - see package's README.md.

Who needs this anyway?

So, you are a staff member who is responsible for creating and editing a client's Xml files.

We have a client who wants some Xmls authored. We need to set up a folder on your computer that acts as a 'working directory' for the client's Xml project.

We use Git SCM to track changes to the files within this directory.

Each instance of this xml-authoring-project has a composer.json file in the root directory which specifies an ever-increasing set of custom software tools that can speed up your most repetitive tasks.

Custom software tools

These tools have been built to work in the context of this xml-authoring-project.

We will use software tools to:

• to manipulate and query the Xmls files that are stored within this directory;
• when run inside Bitbucket Pipelines, to test and report on the state of the Xml files whenever changes are committed.

We also use custom tools (along with the project's configuration settings) to convert the client's Google Sheets into snippets of Xml that are stored here.

Getting started

We assume that you have installed :

• Git SCM
  • (with Git LFS enabled)
• Composer (installed globally)

Navigate to your Projects directory

• On your workstation, open MacOs Terminal or Windows Git Bash
• Navigate to the folder on your computer where you keep Xml authoring projects.

Given a client, we may or may not already have their working directory set up as a git repository in the cloud.

Using an existing working directory.

• Determine the location of the "origin" Git repository for that client's working directory (ask the account manager).
• Run git clone to get a local copy of the client's working directory
• Use cd to change into the working directory.

Now, you should be able to work on the Xml files.

Once your edits are finished, use git to commit your changes to the origin.

Set up a new xml authoring project working directory for a client

We create a new git repository (based on this xml-authoring-project), alter the remotes then push it to our git hosting solution. Effectively, we fork it.

• Ensure the client has an empty "origin" Git repository created for them (ask the client's account manager).
• Run git clone to get a local copy of https://github.com/xmlsquad/xml-authoring-project
• Use cd to change into the working directory.
• Use git remote set-url command set the origin to the client's repository. ie.

Query the setting to ensure it worked:

• git push to push the base project up to the client's origin repository.

Ensure the tools are installed

• Run composer install to ensure that all the tools are installed.

Now, you should be able to work on the Xml files.

Once your edits are finished, use git to commit your changes to the origin.

Configure the tools

As the end user, you will need to add some configuration files to the root of the project:

Connecting to GSuite

NOTE: At the time of writing we have 2 sub-projects that are connecting to GSuite. Each project's developer has been given freedom to solve the issue of Google API authentication as they need. In the next few hours, I will look at all solutions and pick one to be the definitive method.

In the mean time, you could copy the pattern used by another devloper to determine where your credential files will be stored.

Check the project's dev branches and pull requests. The one's that connect to GSuite are:

• gsheet-to-xml - Given the url of a Google Sheet, this Symfony Console command fetches the Google Sheet and outputs it in the form of Xml.
• ping-drive - Symfony Console command that reports its attempts at locating and reading the contents of a Google Drive folder or file.

A third sub project is being built called:

• capture-lookups - A Symfony 3.4 Console command. When given configuration file listing URLs of Google Sheets, grabs them and stores them locally as CSV files.

We have a library for shared code at:

• xml-authoring-library

XmlAuthoringProjectSettings.yaml

One instance of an xml-authoring-project is created for each of our company's clients. This configuration file is used to store client-wide configurations like the location of the client's key files and folders on GSuite.

Using the tools

See: https://github.com/xmlsquad/xml-authoring-tools

Keeping the tools updated

The custom tools are always improving.

To update to the latest versions of the tools.

• First ensure all changes to client files are committed and pushed to the repository
• In the command terminal, navigate to the root of the client working directory and run composer update

Known bugs

We use OAuth authentication for the bin/console inventory:gsheet-to-xml command to access a Google Sheet.

However, when you first run the command, it asks for an Auth code, but does not give any advice on how to get your Auth code.

The workaround is to run a different command, ping-drive, to 'get logged in' and save your authentication token. Once, done, gsheet-to-xml will use that same token to access the Google Sheet.

Example

Assuming you have a Google OAuth Key and XmlAuthoringProjectSettings.yaml defines the OAuth Key (gApiOAuthSecretFile) location and the name of the token file (gApiAccessTokenFile).

Ensure you have navigated to the project folder:

Run ping-drive:

Now you can run the inventory:gsheet-to-xml using the token.

Development Notes

Composer validation notice is OK

Before 2019-11-03, the team used a trick to check dependencies. This trick leaves a validation warning when the project's composer.json file is checked by composer validate.

So, although it might look painful. It is harmless. So, we ignore it. We will remove it once the project is more settled.