Index: README.gclient |
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+# Copyright 2008-2009, Google Inc. |
+ |
+gclient is a tool for managing a modular checkout of source code |
+from multiple source code repositories. It wraps underlying source |
+code management commands to provide support for distributing tree |
+updates, status commands, and diffs across multiple checked-out |
+working directories. |
+ |
+ |
+The gclient script is controlled by a ".gclient" file at the top |
+of a directory tree which will contain source code from multiple |
+locations. A ".gclient" file is a Python script that defines a list |
+of "solutions" with the following format: |
+ |
+ solutions = [ |
+ { "name" : "src", |
+ "url" : "svn://svnserver/component/trunk/src", |
+ "custom_deps" : { |
+ # To use the trunk of a component instead of what's in DEPS: |
+ #"component": "https://svnserver/component/trunk/", |
+ # To exclude a component from your working copy: |
+ #"data/really_large_component": None, |
+ } |
+ }, |
+ ] |
+ |
+A "solution" is a collection of component pieces of software that will |
+be checked out in a specific directory layout for building together. |
+ |
+Each entry in the "solutions" list is defined by a Python dictionary |
+that contains the following items: |
+ |
+ name |
+ The name of the directory in which the solution will be |
+ checked out. |
+ |
+ url |
+ The URL from which this solution will be checked out. |
+ gclient expects that the checked-out solution will contain a |
+ file named "DEPS" that in turn defines the specific pieces |
+ that must be checked out to create the working directory |
+ layout for building and developing the solution's software. |
+ |
+ custom_deps |
+ A dictionary containing optional custom overrides for entries |
+ in the solution's "DEPS" file. This can be used to have |
+ the local working directory *not* check out and update specific |
+ components, or to sync the local working-directory copy of a |
+ given component to a different specific revision, or a branch, |
+ or the head of a tree. It can also be used to append new entries |
+ that do not exist in the "DEPS" file. |
+ |
+Within each checked-out solution, gclient expects to find a file |
+named "DEPS" which defines the different component pieces of |
+software that must be checked out for the solution. The "DEPS" |
+file is a Python script that defines a dictionary named "deps": |
+ |
+ deps = { |
+ "src/outside" : "http://outside-server/trunk@1234", |
+ "src/component" : "svn://svnserver/component/trunk/src@77829", |
+ "src/relative" : "/trunk/src@77829", |
+ } |
+ |
+Each item in the "deps" dictionary consists of a key-value pair. |
+The key is the directory into which the component will be checked |
+out, relative to the directory containing the ".gclient" file. |
+The value is the URL from which that directory will be checked out. |
+If there is no address scheme (that is, no "http:" or "svn:" prefix), |
+then the value must begin with a slash and is treated relative to the |
+root of the solution's repository. |
+ |
+The URL typically contains a specific revision or change number (as |
+appropriate for the underlying SCM system) to "freeze" the external |
+software at a specific, known state. Alternatively, if there is no |
+revision or change number, the URL will track the latest changes on the |
+specific trunk or branch. |