THE Code

So, you’ve been granted access to the SVN repository and now wish to actually upload your files.

WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?

SVN, Subversion – Basically, an open-source piece of software that allows files and folders to be managed over time as they change easily. It tracks all the changes and allows restoration from a previous point in time. It enables tracking of changing source code, say you have wordpress 2, but a plugin requires WordPress 3 – just use a previous version with WP 2 support. It’s really that simple.

For this tutorial we’ll be using the command line (yes, type controls like in retro films). Now Mac people get it pre-installed with Leopard, and those on windows can download the installer here.

To access it just open up Terminal on Mac or Command Prompt on Windows and we’ll discuss the commands in a second.

Now, it’s quite complicated to understand, but the setup is like this:

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root-folder/
	/trunk/
		some-plugin.php
		readme.txt
	/branches/
	/tags/

And really, there are two sets of files:
local files (on your computer) and remote files (on the server). Both sets should have the same layout.

For the first version we’ll place our files into the /trunk/ directory, and then in the future add new versions to either the /branches/ directory (for major updates) or /tags/ directory (for minor updates).

So,

Once uploaded, your files are stored in the central plugin repository on WordPress servers. From the repository, anyone can check out a copy – for their WordPress. However only you (the plugin author) have the authority to check in new file(s) – update. Using Subversion, any changes made to your local files are mirrored exactly on the server, and eventually reflected in your plugin pages in the WordPress.org plugin directory.

Get on with it grandpa!

Alright, keep ‘yer’ hair on here’s what we have to do:

1. Check out the blank repository
2. Add your files to the local /trunk/ directory
3. Update the repository

And in Terminal or Command Prompt:

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$ mkdir my-local-plugin-directory
$ svn co http://svn.wp-plugins.org/some-plugin my-local-plugin-directory
$ cd my-local-plugin-directory/
my-local-plugin-directory/$ cp ~/some-plugin.php trunk/some-plugin.php
my-local-plugin-directory/$ cp ~/readme.txt trunk/readme.txt
my-local-plugin-directory/$ svn add trunk/*
my-local-plugin-directory/$ svn ci -m 'Add notes to track changes here'

and here’s the same thing (just explaining it a bit more – DO NOT use the following as a template (ignore the comments))

# Create a local copy of the repository
 
$ mkdir my-local-plugin-directory
 
# Download the empty directory structure (to new directory)
 
$ svn co http://svn.wp-plugins.org/some-plugin my-local-plugin-directory
> A	my-local-plugin-directory/trunk
> A	my-local-plugin-directory/branches
> A	my-local-plugin-directoryr/tags
> Checked out revision 11492.
 
# Copy into the local directory (from /Users/yourmacusername/
 
$ cd my-local-plugin-directory/
my-local-plugin-directory/$ cp ~/some-plugin.php trunk/some-plugin.php
my-local-plugin-directory/$ cp ~/readme.txt trunk/readme.txt
 
# Register the files with Subversion
 
my-local-plugin-directory/$ svn add trunk/*
> A	trunk/my-plugin.php
> A	trunk/readme.txt
 
# Update the Repository with the new files
 
my-local-plugin-directoryr/$ svn ci -m 'Add notes to track changes here'
> Adding	trunk/some-plugin.php
> Adding	trunk/readme.txt
> Transmitting file data ..
> Committed revision 11492.
 
# Finished!

Now wait about 15 minutes and you’ll find your plugin available.

Win.