MidCOM component packaging

1. Package configuration
1. Example package.xml contents
2. Generating the package
3. Submitting packages to the channel

PEAR packages are used for installation of MidCOM components. To make installation as easy as possible, the packages are served through the pear.midcom-project.org PEAR channel.

While components can be installed without packaging, the PEAR package mechanism makes version control much easier. Here is how to package a component.

Package configuration

PEAR package definitions are handled through component manifests. The manifest keys that are relevant to packaging are:

• name: The component name is used as the package's name with dots converted to underscores (e.g. net_nemein_calendar)
• version: Component's version is used as the package release version. It must correspond to the version numbering guidelines (e.g. 1.0.0)
• state: The release status of the component (e.g. stable)
• package.xml: Array of PEAR packaging specific configurations
  • summary: Short package description
  • description: More verbose package description
  • maintainers: Array of package maintainers with the Midgard website username as the key and array with person details as value:
    • name: Full name of the maintainer
    • email: Email address of the maintainer
    • role: Role of the maintainer (e.g. lead)
  • dependencies: Array of package dependencies of the component with the package name as the key

Example package.xml contents

'package.xml' => Array(
    'summary' => 'Weblog pinger service',
    'description' => 'Tool that pings weblogs.com and other services when de.linkm.newsticker postings have been updated',
    'maintainers' => Array(
        'bergie' => Array(
            'name' => 'Henri Bergius',
            'email' => 'henri.bergius@iki.fi',
            'role' => 'lead',
        ),
    ),
    'dependencies' => Array(
        'de.linkm.newsticker' => Array(),
        'XML_RPC' => Array(
            'channel' => 'pear.php.net',
        ),
    ),
),

Generating the package

The easiest way to generate a package is to use the phing command. Standing in the src/ directory of your MidCOM svn checkout, run the following:

$phing package -Dpackage=net.nehmer.blog

The result of running this command should be a PEAR package file (e.g. net_nehmer_blog-1.0.0.tgz) that can be installed with the pear install command.

Submitting packages to the channel

To make package installation easier you can upload them to the MidCOM PEAR channel. Contact Henri Bergius for access rights.