Target location for the generated files

[alexandru-elisei]

Last we discussed about this we agreed that we should allow the user to specify a target location for the generated files.

After looking at the manager::init_target_location() function it seems to me that you want the user to specify a target directory and in that target directory you are going to build the entire Moodle hierarchy for the plugin directory. For example, if $moodleroot = /home/david and the component is local_name then the target directory for the files will be /home/david/local/name/.

Is this what you want?

I propose that we create the function public function write_files($moodleroot = null) which will call init_target_location($moodleroot), then it will generate all the plugin files in the directory specified by $this->rootdir.

[mudrd8mz]

Firstly, init_target_location() is actually a relic that is not currently used. And I am not quite sure about what we want. I see two basic use cases:

• The user wants the new plugin be generated inside existing Moodle. They should be protected from common mistakes such as putting block_foo into a directory /block/foo (it must be /blocks/foo). They should be able to simply specify the target Moodle location.
• The user want the new plugin be generated in a standalone directory with arbitrary path, such as /tmp/just_testing.

The main cli/generate.php could support both scenarios via two alternative arguments:

• --target-moodle would allow to specify target Moodle's dirroot and the actual path within that Moodle would be determined by the component type.
• --target-dir would allow to specify target directory explicitly.

Normally just one of the two options would be provided. If both options would be provided leading to different locations, exception would be thrown. If no location would be provided, the script would assume --target-moodle set to $CFG->dirroot of its own Moodle instance.

[alexandru-elisei]

So:

1. php generate.php --target-moodle means that the files will be created in the default location within the moodle installation directory.
2. php generate.php --target-dir=/test means that the plugin files will be created at /test/pluginname
3. php generate.php is the same as the 1.
4. php generate.php --target-dir=/test --target-moodle throws an exception
5. php generate.php --target-dir=/path/to/moodle/root --target-moodle is legal.

Have I understood correctly?

[mudrd8mz]

• php generate.php will generate the plugin into the current Moodle (where the pluginskel is installed)
• php --target-moodle=/var/www/vhost/moodledev will generate the plugin into a Moodle installed at the given location. For example, a skeleton of a new editor_foo would be generated in a directory /var/www/vhost/moodledev/lib/editor/foo/
• php --target-dir=/tmp will generate the plugin into that directory, ignoring the relative path to the plugin type. Skeleton of a new editor_foo would be generated in /tmp/foo/

Let us make it a bit simpler than I originally described: If both these params are specified, throw an error message and explain that only one of them is expected.

[mudrd8mz]

--target-moodle should make no assumptions on whether or not the moodle is actually installed there. In fact, it is valid to call php --target-moodle=/tmp in which case, the editor would be generated into /tmp/lib/editor/foo even if no moodle is actually present in /tmp.

[alexandru-elisei]

Got it, I like it.