Introduction

• An app to compare and diff two different parts of the configuration tree, or two different configuration trees that can be loaded from file or the JCR
• Uses either a split view or a collated view to display the trees being compared
• Uses row colors to highlight what one tree has that the other doesn't
• Can quickly create a node or property in one tree that the other tree has but this tree does not
• Can use the existing configuration tree in the JCR or load a tree from a previously exported to XML
• Can pick the root for each tree to begin comparison from
• Can define equivalences between nodes with different names in the two trees to treat them as if they have the same name

User Stories

Model configuration based on existing configuration

• The Problem: An easy way to start configuring a business object such as a content app is to model it off of an existing content app. However, when there is a lot of configuration, it is difficult to tell what configuration one one has that the other doesn't and whether these differences are on purpose or by accident. One must also either scroll a lot to do the comparison or go through the annoyance of placing two windows next to each other.
• The Solution:
  
  • In the Compare Config App, select the root node for the baseline business object on the left of the split view and the root for the new business object on the right
  • Use the colored rows to easily tell what nodes and properties the baseline business object has that the new business object does not
  • Use actions supplied by the Compare Config App to quickly migrate these differences from the baseline business object to the new business object
  • Use the colored rows to review the differences between the baseline and new business objects to make sure all differences are on purpose
  • Use sample business objects supplied by Magnolia to get started quickly

Know what to export and write version handlers for

• After doing many edits in the configuration tree to accomplish some higher level goal, one can compare the current tree with an export of the starting tree to easily see all the bootstrap files and version handlers that need to be updated.

Check that bootstrap files and version handlers are correct

• After creating bootstrap files and version handler, one can compare the tree created from bootstrap/version handlers against an export of the hand-crafted tree to see if the bootstrap files and version handlers correctly recreates the hand-crafted tree.

Analyze and merge changes from other developers