I develop a number of MODX Extras, both open source and bespoke code, which I typically build on the latest stable release. Using a build script the code is transformed into a transport package, which by default ends up in "core/packages" of the MODX installation. This short how-to will explain you how to adjust your build script and project setup and stay in control of your packages.

My Localhost

Now, before I go into detail on how to make this ridiculously easy change, I want to briefly discuss my project set up as that is of course a vital part of staying in control of your data. I've found this works for me, but of course different developers will have different strategies.

All my files are accessible via http://localhost/, ie they are in the "www" folder of WAMP. In there I have a number of MODX installations of various versions. These are for development & testing of stuff I develop and act as a source of documentation as well. On the same level (so immediately under "root") I have a folder called "projects". So to recap, we've got this:

• www
  • modx-1.0.5
  • modx-2.0.8
  • <...>
  • modx-2.1.3
  • modx-git
  • projects

This allows me to keep my MODX installs totally separate from my project files. Using system settings I then "link" my project into the MODX install I'm developing that project in, and we're set (possible a more extensive blog post on that later!). If I break a MODX install or otherwise screw up, I can simply delete all the files of that install and start over.

In my projects directory I have one directory per project, which in 99% of the cases is also a Git Repository (Like VersionX2, or HandyMan). In there I have a _build, core and assets directory with the right contents - I assume you're familiar with that if you're reading this article.

The Problem..

When I develop a lot of addons, or make a lot of builds, all these are added to the core/packages directory of the MODX install I linked my package to (through a config.core.php file). May be fine if you then want to install the package there, but I don't to keep my links pointing to my own files. And after some time it gets tough to find that one package in between one of the other 100's..

What I want is store packages in a _packages dir in my project Git repository so I instantly know where a package should be (in the projects dir) and as an added bonus the package is also uploaded to Git - giving an easy way to distribute it for people that do not know how / don't want to run the build but do want to check out development.

Aha! The Solution!

In a random moment where I was again browsing into the MODX install dir to get a package, I decided to check out the modPackageBuilder class API docs.

As often is the case, this problem had already been foreseen and there is a very easy way to change the directory the files and transport zip are outputted to. It's so easy, it would have fit in a tweet - but how much fun would that be? So that's why you''ve been reading this blog.

Oh you want to know how now you got this far?

Okay.

Let's say this is part of our regular build script:

$modx->loadClass('transport.modPackageBuilder','',false, true);
$builder = new modPackageBuilder($modx);
$builder->createPackage(PKG_NAME_LOWER,PKG_VERSION,PKG_RELEASE);
$builder->registerNamespace(PKG_NAME_LOWER,false,true,'{core_path}components/'.PKG_NAME_LOWER.'/');

That's where it instantiates the modPackageBuilder class. So that's where we'll want to tell it where to output to. We'll be using a public property of the modPackageBuilder for that: $directory. Hah, bet you didn't see that coming!

So let's just make that single small adjustment to our build script that you've been reading this for..

$modx->loadClass('transport.modPackageBuilder','',false, true);
$builder = new modPackageBuilder($modx);
$builder->directory = dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/_packages/';
$builder->createPackage(PKG_NAME_LOWER,PKG_VERSION,PKG_RELEASE);
$builder->registerNamespace(PKG_NAME_LOWER,false,true,'{core_path}components/'.PKG_NAME_LOWER.'/');

We're simple traversing up two directories (first we're in _build, then we go up to the root, and lastly add _packages to it, putting it in our all new special directory :)

Now hold on.. what about all those files?

Yes - the package builder also creates a lot of files (that's what gets zipped up, actually) and we probably don't feel the need to upload all that to our git repository. To fix that, we'll create a real simple .gitignore file and put that in our _packages directory.

# This ignores all directories - but does include files (packages)
*/

It will ignore all folders, but not files in the root (our transport package).

And that's it folks. :) Thanks for the masterminds Shaun & Jason for thinking of stuff like this ahead of time!