Working with Source Control

Projects in the IDE can be stored in source control systems to be shared with other users.

Sharing Project Files with CVS or Another Integrated Source Control System

Eclipse has integrated features for working with CVS repositories. You may also install a plugin that integrates your source control system with Eclipse.

To share a project through CVS or another integrated source control system, right click on the project in the Page Explorer or Navigator view and choose Team > Share Project. You can then use the standard Eclipse commands for storing the project in a source control repository.

For more information, click Help > Help Contents and click on the Workbench User Guide for more information about using CVS with Eclipse.

Sharing Files with other Source Control Systems

If your source control system is not integrated with Eclipse, you can share a workspace by checking in the workspace directory and its contents EXCLUDING these directories from checkin:

• .metadata (workspace-level)
• build (project-level)

Making a Portable Workspace ZIP File

You can also create a ZIP file that contains the workspace and projects.

If you are making a ZIP file manually or through an Ant task, make sure to exclude these directories from the ZIP file:

• .metadata (workspace-level)
• build (project-level)

If you are making a portable ZIP file with Workshop for WebLogic, select File > Export > Archive file > Next. In the left-hand pane, select the projects you want to include, but unselect the following directories within each project:

• build

To retain the original directory structure when your workspace has multiple projects, make sure to place a checkmark next to Create directory structure for files.

To uncompress the ZIP file and use the workspace:

1. Select File > Switch Workspace. If you want to open the zipped projects in their own directory, then create a new empty workspace directory, or select the directory where the ZIP file resides. If you want the sample projects to be co-located with other, already existing projects, then select the workspace where those projects reside.
2. Select File > Import > Existing Projects into Workspace > Select archive file > Browse to the ZIP file and click Open. Finally click Finish.
   

This will cause the ZIP file to decompress into the workspace directory.

Other Issues when using Source Control

There are two common methods for organizing your projects in workspaces:

1. All projects within the workspace. In this structure, the project folders are created a sub-folders of the workspace folder. This organization has the advantage of keeping all application files together in one folder.
2. Component (source) projects stored outside the workspace. In this structure, the project folders are created outside the workspace folder. This organization has more flexibility for linking projects together, especially where you are working with multiple web applications that share classes. This organization also allows for easier reassembly if the web application is restructured, since the workspace folder can be recreated without affecting the project folders.

When projects are to be shared using source control, you may want to save your source files outside the workspace.