How to check out the Application layer source code

Owned by Jessi Weithman
Apr 18, 2024
3 min read

Task Description

This document explains how to download the Application layer source code from the CollectionSpace source code repository.

Prerequisites

Depending on which set of instructions you follow below:

  • You will either need a basic level of experience with downloading and unzipping/expanding files from links on a web page.
    or
  • git client software must be installed on the machine onto which you will be checking out source code, and you will need a basic level of experience with this software.

Procedure

If you plan to view or work with CollectionSpace Application source code, but don't plan to manage your changes to that code via the git version control system, you can simply download it in this way:

To download the stable Application layer source code for a particular version of CollectionSpace, such as a version of CollectionSpace that your museum is targeting:

When you expand the downloaded file, this will create a new directory whose name will begin with application-, followed by the relevant version number. For example, for version 4.0 ("v4.0"), this directory will be named: application-v4.0 (It is strongly recommended that you immediately rename this directory to simply application, as some documentation may refer to it using that name. Starting with version 4.0, some installation behavior also now depends on that name.)

To download the very latest, albeit unstable (i.e. being actively worked on and thus subject to change) Application layer source code:

When you expand the downloaded file, this will create a new directory with the name application-master (It is strongly recommended that you immediately rename this directory to simply application, as some documentation may refer to it using that name. Starting with version 4.0, some installation behavior also now depends on that name.)

Checking out the Application layer source code via a git client

If you plan to view or work with CollectionSpace Application source code, and want to manage your changes to that code via the git version control system, follow these steps to check out the CollectionSpace User Interface (Application) layer source code via your git client software:

  1. Create a directory for this source code.
  2. Change into that directory.
  3. Check out the source code from the project's source code repository using your git client software.
  4. Change into the new directory that will be created as a result of your checkout.

All of the examples below use the git command-line client. (You can also use equivalent commands in your graphical git client software.)

To check out the Application layer source code:

You will then see a newly-created application directory. Change into this directory.

You will now be working in the "master" branch (also known as "trunk" in some equivalent version control systems). This is the very latest, albeit unstable Application layer source code.

To view (read-only) the stable Application layer source code for a particular version of CollectionSpace, such as a version of CollectionSpace that your museum is targeting:

Be sure to substitute your desired version number, such as v7.0.1., for {version_number_goes_here} in the command above, as in this example:

git checkout v7.0.1



To work with the stable Application layer source code for a particular version of CollectionSpace, in a newly-created local branch - a place in which you can make your own changes based on that version:

Be sure to substitute your branch name for {your_branch_name_goes_here}, and the desired version number, such as v7.0.1, for {version_number_goes_here} in the command above, as in this example:

git checkout -b mybranch v7.0.1


To view a list of available version numbers, each representing the stable Application source code ("tagged" release) for a particular version of CollectionSpace:

Test

Within the directory into which you just downloaded the Application layer source code, you should see a set of files and directories that looks much like the ones listed here:

Example for the master branch:
https://github.com/collectionspace/application

See Also

For additional information on checking out source code see the following documents: