Package linking
Yeah, that’s the question of how to deal with all that stuff. Personally, I normally have multiple ways how I deal with packages.
Because I deal with zammad on daily bases, I slam a lot of code and directly prepare the structure in my external package folder. After I created all base files I need for my development, I will link them into my source installation of zammad an continue development from there:
For example if we have the database migration package from the last tutorial, you can simply do this:
ubuntu-rs@ubuntu-rs:/workspace/git_zammad/zammad$ git zammad-link Example-Setting
Loading development environment (Rails 6.1.7.6)
[1] pry(main)> Package.link(%q!/workspace/git_zammad/Example-Setting!)
Create dir: /workspace/git_zammad/zammad/db/addon
Create dir: /workspace/git_zammad/zammad/db/addon/example_setting
Link file: /workspace/git_zammad/Example-Setting/db/addon/example_setting/20230825000000_create_base.rb -> /workspace/git_zammad/zammad/db/addon/example_setting/20230825000000_create_base.rb
Link file: /workspace/git_zammad/Example-Setting/example-setting.szpm -> /workspace/git_zammad/zammad/example-setting.szpm
=> nil
This will link all files into your zammad directory, and you can continue your development there.
This is also the reason why we set the ENV DEVELOPMENT_FILE_WATCHER in the requirements. It will make sure that we detect changes of our custom development better in development mode, and the rails server will catch more changes.
Be aware that there are directories which will force you to a server restart any ways. For example, if you want to monkey patch something in the config/initializers, then you will always need to restart your application.
Sometimes it also makes sense to prepare the code in the zammad codebase. E.g. when I work on a proof of concept for something.
Then you want to have a way to copy your zammad files into a package folder:
ubuntu-rs@ubuntu-rs:/workspace/git_zammad/zammad$ git cf /workspace/git_zammad/Example-Setting/ app/models/ticket.rb
This command will copy the ticket.rb file from your zammad into your package folder and create the parent directories as well.