Re: xmlpoke vs token replace for Config Files

I went through a similar process a few years ago and decided to switch from
Token Replace to XML Poke. I think you've done a good job of documenting the
strengths and weaknesses of each approach. in general I think XML Poke is
cleaner. The only real problem I found was that XML Poke wouldn't work with
some specific XPath expressions. I don't remember what the scenarios were,
and I was able to find a work around.
---
Chris.

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. - Mark Twain


On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 11:49 AM, Scott Pennington
<[email protected]>wrote:

> This is a long post.  The simple question is what methods have you chosen
> to maintain config files when deployed to multiple environments?****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> I am in the process of reworking a set of build, package, install NAnt
> scripts that mainly use Token Replace and I am trying to decide if it is
> better to switch to a method I have used before of XMLPoke. ****
>
> ** **
>
> The current method is to take the existing config file and replace the
> AppSettings with a version of the AppSettings that have all of the values
> replaced as tokens with the token name being the same name as the key.  When
> the script comes to the part where it needs to set the values for the
> environment it will pass the each config file to a single target.  In the
> target it has all of the replacestokens for each file seperated by an if in
> the  ****
>
> ** **
>
> <replacetokens if="${output.config.name == 'MailerService.exe.config'}">**
> **
>
> ** **
>
> and then it sets the tokens for that specific config file.  Once it has
> gone through all the ones it know s about it has a section that it tries to
> catch the ones that might be there.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> I see some good things and bad things with this method.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Bad****
>
> 1)  I don't really like the Target being the all in one place for each
> config file (this could be fixed with refactoring)****
>
> 2) Lots of repeated values (this could be fixed with refactoring)****
>
> 3) If new appsettings are added the token will need to be added.****
>
> ** **
>
> Good****
>
> 1)  Each config could have unique values****
>
> 2)  When a appsetting is missed the build will fail allowing new
> appsettings to not be forgotten****
>
> 3) it is already built****
>
> 4) The name of the token is always the name of the appsetting****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> A method I came up with to handle config files would work here but I am not
> sure it is worth the effort in the long run.  I will share the basic method
> below.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> There are 4 files.****
>
> 1) Run.build is where you will be determining what values need to be set in
> the config file and what config file to work with****
>
> 2) config.helper.build is where the actual replacement happens.****
>
> 3) config.xpath.build is where the actual xpaths of where the specific item
> is located in the config file****
>
> 4) env.properties.build is where the specific values are set for each
> value.  This is the file you would be changing for each environment.  change
> all you need in one file.****
>
> ** **
>
> The over view of the process is that you create a file that holds all the
> xpath to each of the settings.  if the values need to be different in
> different config files for the same key and xpath you will need to create a
> unique property/target combo name that is unique.  Each item that you want
> to set in a config file has a property and a target of the same name.  This
> way you can easily find the property and xpath match.  For each time you
> want to set the property in your config file you simply need to set the
> config file you want to change and call the target of the item you want to
> replace.  This is really clean and easy to read.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Bad****
>
> 1) need to track down all the valid XPaths ****
>
> 2) need seperate property / target when the same xpath and different values
> are needed****
>
> 3) could miss values set for keys that are not specifically called out
> leaving dev or other values in the deployed version.****
>
> ** **
>
> Good****
>
> 1) easy to see what all the values are****
>
> 2) know specifically what is being replaced for each config file****
>
> 3) one file for each environment****
>
> 4) no need to create and replace tokens****
>
> 5) can replace any attribute in the config file as long as you can create
> an XPath to it.****
>
> 6) more likely to reuse properties for configs****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Run.build****
>
> <project name="SupportConfig" default="config.update">****
>
>   <property name="property.values.file" value="env.properties.build" />***
> *
>
>   <include buildfile="${property.values.file}" />****
>
>   <include buildfile="config.xpath.build" />****
>
>   <include buildfile="config.helper.build" />****
>
> ** **
>
>   <target name="support.config.update">****
>
>     <property name="this.config.file"
> value="${Depot_Path}\projects\Support\web.config" />****
>
>     <call target="PUBLIC_SITE_URL" />      ****
>
>     <call target="PUBLIC_SITE_SECURE_URL" />****
>
>    </target>****
>
> </project>****
>
> ** **
>
> config.helper.build****
>
> <project name="config.helper">****
>
>   <property name="this.config.file" value="" />****
>
>   <property name="this.xpath" value="" />****
>
>   <property name="this.value" value="" />****
>
>   <target name="config.poke">****
>
>     <if test="${file::exists(this.config.file)}">****
>
>       <xmlpoke file="${this.config.file}" value="${this.value}"
> xpath="${this.xpath}" />****
>
>       <echo message="Poked ${this.config.file}.  Changed value @
> ${this.xpath} to ${this.value}" />****
>
>     </if>****
>
> ** **
>
>     <if test="${not file::exists(this.config.file)}">****
>
>       <echo message="The version file ${this.config.file} doesn't exist!"
> />****
>
>     </if>****
>
>    </target>****
>
> </project>****
>
> ** **
>
> config.xpath.build****
>
> <project name="config.xpath">****
>
>   <target name="PUBLIC_SITE_URL">****
>
>     <property name="this.xpath"
> value="/configuration/appSettings/add[@key='PUBLIC_SITE_URL']/@value" />**
> **
>
>     <property name="this.value" value=" ${target::get-current-target()}"
> />****
>
>     <call target="config.poke" />****
>
>   </target>****
>
>   <target name="PUBLIC_SITE_SECURE_URL">****
>
>     <property name="this.xpath"
> value="/configuration/appSettings/add[@key='PUBLIC_SITE_SECURE_URL']/@value"
> />****
>
>     <property name="this.value" value="${target::get-current-target()}" />
> ****
>
>     <call target="config.poke" />****
>
>   </target>****
>
> </project>****
>
> ** **
>
> env.properties.build**
>
> <project name="env.properties">****
>
>   <property name="Platform_Domain"
> value="wwww.mydomain.com" />****
>
>   <property name="Depot_Path"
>   value="c:\perforce-depot\Branch" />****
>
>   <property name="PUBLIC_SITE_URL"
>                  value="http://${Platform_Domain}"/> ****
>
>   <property name="PUBLIC_SITE_SECURE_URL"
> value="https://${Platform_Domain}"/>****
>
> </project>****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *Scott Pennington*
>
> *Senior Software Engineer*
>
> *Prosper Marketplace, Inc. *
>
> 111 Sutter Street, 22nd Floor****
>
> San Francisco CA 94104****
>
> www.prosper.com****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
>
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