No I didn't mean implement `plugman --watch`. I don't think plugman needs a `watch` command.
I was indeed talking about `cordova watch` which should watch for changes in plugins/ (and maybe in merges/ and www/ as well) and update the platform projects (prepare?) on every change. I am happy to know that it's on the wish list. As far as the original proposal, I believe it is a descent temporary solution for plugin developers who want to use cordova-cli. On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 7:17 PM, Michal Mocny <mmo...@chromium.org> wrote: > Braden, thats has been on the wish list (cordova watch), but I suspect Anis > was suggesting something different with plugman --watch, to do specifically > with plugin development. Am I right, Anis? How does your idea compare > with using --link with cordova watch? Would plugman --watch be useful for > non cli projects? > > -Michal > > > On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 10:31 AM, Braden Shepherdson > <bra...@chromium.org>wrote: > >> We've had a vague feature planned for a while now to do a cordova watch. It >> would watch your plugins/, www/, and merges/* for any changes. If any >> changes are detected, it would re-run cordova prepare, so that your native >> projects are always up-to-date. >> >> I'm open to checking (hashes?) which files have changed and which have not, >> but hashing them all is touching them all anyway, and it might be faster >> for small files to just copy them instead of checking first. We'll have to >> try it and see; for v1 I'm going with the simple option of copying >> everything. >> >> Braden >> >> >> On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 9:44 AM, Michal Mocny <mmo...@chromium.org> wrote: >> >> > The idea for plugin dev outside of plugins/ folder was to use "plugin add >> > --link". Matter of fact, braden suggested that "plugin create" should >> > default to --link-ing to some external location so that you don't risk >> > deleting your only copy inside plugins/. (I personally don't think >> thats a >> > necessary concern, but I think its a conversation for later). >> > >> > I'm not even sure what a 'watch' would do, just uninstall & install each >> > time the plugin changes? I think that ends up being just slightly worse >> > than the current proposal if you factor in that we already do support >> > --link (except without the above change its been useless). >> > >> > >> > However, we may still want some form of 'watch' command for devs using >> > plugman directly. I had assumed that those devs just edit in place, >> since >> > they don't use a prepare step anyway. >> > >> > -Michal >> > >> > >> > >> > On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 7:50 AM, Anis KADRI <anis.ka...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > >> > > If we're talking about developing plugins inside the >> > > plugins/org.myplugin.id folder than I think it's a great workflow and >> > > I would just hide the cached version of plugin.xml inside that >> > > plugins/org.myplugin.id folder. >> > > >> > > However, if you're developing a plugin outside of a cordova CLI >> > > project, I think a `watch` (and add --watch) command is more >> > > appropriate. One of the reasons you would develop a plugin outside of >> > > a cordova CLI project is for easier version control (each plugin would >> > > have its own repository). The other cool thing about `watch` is that >> > > it would copy the files that have actually changed and not everything >> > > (some plugins have a LOT of files [1]). >> > > >> > > [1] https://github.com/phonegap/phonegap-facebook-plugin >> > > >> > > On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 3:30 AM, James Jong <wjamesj...@gmail.com> >> > wrote: >> > > > +1 This is a cleaner workflow and should reduce some confusion. >> > > > >> > > > -James Jong >> > > > >> > > > On Sep 24, 2013, at 3:09 PM, Michal Mocny <mmo...@chromium.org> >> wrote: >> > > > >> > > >> Just to add, the reason for the "if" statement in step (2) is that >> > > >> uninstall & reinstall take a lot longer than just moving a few >> files, >> > > which >> > > >> is the 99.9% case for most end users who aren't making modifications >> > to >> > > >> plugins. >> > > >> >> > > >> This way, we only do the heavy lifting if your plugin structure >> > actually >> > > >> changed. Doing it automatically means we no longer have to advise >> > users >> > > >> that making edits inside plugin/ folder is useless. Now we just >> > advise >> > > >> them to run "prepare" after making changes to either www/ or >> plugins/. >> > > >> >> > > >> This key insight was Braden's idea and I think its just an awesome >> > > change >> > > >> for workflow. >> > > >> >> > > >> -Michal >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Braden Shepherdson < >> > > bra...@chromium.org>wrote: >> > > >> >> > > >>> Michal and I were discussing how to make the plugin developer >> > > experience >> > > >>> better, by having `cordova prepare` update the platform projects >> > > properly >> > > >>> when you change a plugin in place. >> > > >>> >> > > >>> I propose the following changes: >> > > >>> >> > > >>> 1. On plugin install, we cache the plugin.xml in $PROJECT/.cordova >> > > >>> somewhere. >> > > >>> 2. On 'cordova prepare', compare each plugin's plugin.xml against >> the >> > > >>> cached one. >> > > >>> a. If they have changed, uninstall the plugin using the old >> > > plugin.xml, >> > > >>> then reinstall using the new one (and update the cached >> plugin.xml). >> > > >>> b. If they are identical, copy all the native code files from >> the >> > > >>> plugin into the project again. >> > > >>> >> > > >>> The idea is that you can change your plugin's native code, JS >> > modules, >> > > or >> > > >>> assets, and after a prepare you'll be running the latest. We >> already >> > > have >> > > >>> cordova plugin add foo --link, but it wasn't very useful. This will >> > > make >> > > >>> plugin development a much smoother flow, without too much >> > > implementation >> > > >>> effort. >> > > >>> >> > > >>> Checking for changes to plugin.xml lets us know that no files have >> > been >> > > >>> added or removed, that <config-file> edits haven't changed, and so >> > on, >> > > >>> meaning that simply copying the native code again will be >> sufficient. >> > > >>> >> > > >>> What do people think? Any gotchas that I overlooked? >> > > >>> >> > > >>> Braden >> > > >>> >> > > > >> > > >> > >>
