Are you using svn:externals, git-submodules or something similar with your Version Control System of choice for connecting third-party libraries to your PHP projects? This presentation explores ways to handle dependencies in PHP projects, just like projects in other programming languages have done for ages. See http://ikoodi.nl/2011/01/25/version-control-dependency-management/ for full article.

1. Version Control
!=
Dependency Management
Patrick van Dissel
http://ikoodi.nl
pvdissel@tricode.nl
@pvdissel
October 29, 2010

2. Note
This presentation is focussed on and for PHP
projects, but the principal can be applied on
projects in other programming language

3. PHP

4. Common project structure
Nice separation:
● Application
● Libraries
● Public

5. Common structure in VCS
Single directory structure
Libraries copied in every project;
causing duplication

6. Subversion
(svn)

7. With Subversion (SVN)
Common structure in VCS
svn:externals to tags
As it should be used

8. With Subversion (SVN)
Common structure in VCS
svn:externals to trunk
As it's often used

9. Getting externals in SVN

10. External fetching on SVN checkout

11. svn:externals
Pros:
● svn:externals fixes duplication
Cons:
● Externals are hidden in SVN metadata
● Externals are NOT read-only(!)
● Externals can ONLY point to a SVN repository
● Makes branching/tagging harder

12. svn:externals
Makes a rudimentary dependency manager from
Subversion

13. How do others handle
dependency management?

14. *nix

15. with Make
A solution the *nix way
● Compile won't succeed until all required
dependencies are available
● Configurable to use optional dependencies
when available

16. Java

17. with Maven
A solution the Java way

18. with Maven
A solution the Java way

19. PHP

20. Solutions available for PHP
a framework and distribution system
for reusable PHP components

21. Solutions available for PHP
Pyrus (PHP5.3.1+) is a tool to manage PEAR
packages. Pyrus simplifies and improves the PEAR
experience. Features include:
● Standalone tool (pyrus.phar)
● Can be integrated into application
● Pear repository management/connection
● Dependency Management
● Packaging in the PHAR format (PHp Archive)

22. Solutions available for PHP
PHing Is Not GNU make.
A PHP project build system/tool based
on Apache Ant

23. Solutions available for PHP
Use a Version Control System like
Subversion to control code versions

24. Solutions available for PHP
Use a build tool like
Phing to "build" projects

25. Solutions available for PHP
Use Pear as repository for
libraries and applications

26. Solutions available for PHP
Use Pyrus to integrate the
Pear repository with
Phing for dependency management

27. So..?

28. It isn't working yet!!
Currently Phing doesn't have
a plugin to work with Pyrus
(October 29, 2010)

29. Resources
● Phing - www.phing.info
● Pear - http://pear.php.net
● Pear2 / Pyrus - http://pear2.php.net
Pyrus presentation: http://slidesha.re/cIAcgp
● Extending Phing -
http://phing.info/docs/guide/stable/chapters/ExtendingPhing.html
● Phar - http://php.net/phar
● Pake - http://pake-project.com
● Make - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_(software)
● Apache Maven - http://maven.apache.org
● Apache Ant - http://ant.apache.org
● Apache Ivy - http://ant.apache.org/ivy

30. Questions?