Copy and maintain identical boilerplate across projects
npm install common-copierCopy and maintain identical common code across different projects.
``sh`
npm i -g common-copier
`
common-copier [command]
Commands:
common-copier link
common-copier unlink [projectDir=.] Dereference all symlinks
Options:
--help, -h Show help [boolean]
--version Show version number [boolean]
--commonDir (From) common folder [string]
--projectDir (To) project folder [string] [default: "."]
--fileLimit Limit on number of files [number] [default: 500]
--ignored, -i dir(s)/file(s) to ignore (glob/wildcard) [array] [default: [".git","node_modules","dist"]]
--gitignore .gitignore(-like) files [array] [default: ["~/.gitignore",".gitignore"]]
--yes, -y Assume 'yes' for all prompts [boolean]
--dry, -d Do not make any changes (dry run) [boolean]
--dirty Don't check for uncommitted local changes [boolean]
--config Config files to load settings from [array] [default: ["~/.common-copier",".common-copier"]]
--cwd Current working directory [string] [default: "
--silent, -s Don't log unnecessarily [boolean]
--debug, -d Log debug messages [boolean]
`
Let's say you have a boilerplate and 2 projects based off of it:
`
./common-dir
└── utils.js ─────┐
│
./project-dir1 │
├── index.js │
└── utils.js ─────┤ common "utils.js" file
│
./project-dir2 │
├── index.js │
└── utils.js ─────┘
By doing this:
`sh`
common-copier ./common-dir ./project-dir1
common-copier ./common-dir ./project-dir2
You'll get:
`
./common-dir
└── utils.js ═════╗
║
./project-dir1 ║
├── index.js ║
└── utils.js ═════╣
║
./project-dir2 ║
├── index.js ║
└── utils.js ═════╝
./common-dir/utils.js has been hardlinked across both projects. But index.js in either of the projects has stayed the same (because they were different).
Now you can manage the same utils.js from either your boilerplate (common-dir) or either of the project-dirs.
If at some point you decide you want your utils.js to be different in project-dir1, just destroy the hardlink and make your changes, then when you run it again it won't copy it anymore.
`
cp ./project-dir1/utils.js ./project-dir1/utils.tmp
rm ./project-dir1/utils.js
mv ./project-dir1/utils.tmp ./project-dir1/utils.js
echo changed >> ./project-dir1/utils.js
common-copier ./common-dir ./project-dir1
common-copier ./common-dir ./project-dir2
./project-dir1
├── index.js
└── utils.js // doesn't hardlinks now because it changed
./project-dir2
├── index.js // console.log('this is project 2')
└── utils.js << hardlink >> // still hardlinks because this one didn't change
./common-dir
└── utils.js << hardlink >>
`
In summary, it copies (makes hardlinks) of files\* from common-dir to the project-dir(s) if:
* both files are identical
* file doesn't exist in project-dir
Checking out files from Git may destroy hardlinks. Run common-copier` again to maintain hardlinks.
Tested on Windows only. Uses fs.link