Using BC for website deployments

[Chris George]

Hey everyone - we use Beyond Compare "lightly" at the moment for html deployments. We have a multi-environment process - for example, DEV-UAT-PROD. When we require website updates, we have to deploy to each server, making backups as we go. It is a very manual process.

I was wondering what sort of best-practices, tips, and techniques people had for this sort of process. I've been looking through the forum archives and haven't found anything real definitive.

What we're looking for is the ability for a "deployment officer" (in other words, someone with the appropriate security level) to confidently deploy website related content confidently: listing the files to be deployed, making backups of the destination files, and then synchronizing the changes.

It seems like BC is _almost_ there... there is a two-pane file/folder syncronization tool (three-pane would allow the deployment officer to copy out the backups first), and there is also a backup utility (that doesn't seem to work with the syncronization utility?), but it doesn't copy the directory structure.

Can it be done? Anyone?

HUGE thanks in advance.

Chris.

[Aaron]

Hello,

A 3-way Folder Merge session is something we are looking into for a future version of Beyond Compare. Currently, you may want to look at the Copy to Folder command. This would allow you to perform a selection on specific files deemed different or equal, use Shift+Arrow Keys to select one or both sides, then Copy to Folder to copy the backup to a 3rd (backup) location. You could then proceed with the sync, and copy the files over.

Folder Structure is controlled by 3 options in the Copy to Folder dialog: Keep Relative, Base or Don't Keep folder structure. You can click the '?' next to the close 'X' in the upper right to see the Help documenation on the 3 options.

You can automate the process if you can narrow it down to a few specific steps (set filters, select all different files, copy to folder, then sync) using BC Script. You can find additional information under Using Beyond Compare -> Automating with Script in the Help file. Since each script action emulates an action that is taken in the graphical interface, I strongly recommend working with the graphical interface until you are comfortable with the steps, and then script a solution.

[Chris George]

Thanks for the help - we will consider these options...

Incidentally - why doesn't the backup functonality have the ability to copy the folder structure? Seems like an easy win to me... especially if you're copying lots of the same filename, in different folders (e.g. default.aspx).

Cheers and thanks again.

Chris.

[Aaron]

Hello Chris,

The backups you are referring to are under Tools -> Options: Backups, correct?

The purpose of this backups area is to be able to replace something that you may have accidentally copied over with a temporary backup file.

BC3 itself is a synchronization and backup software, so for your purposes of 'backing up' a particular drive, you could use the interface to copy those files to a destination (using Copy to Folder).

Having this step applied automatically is something I can add to our Customer Wishlist.