Essential CVS

Interfacing with External Programs

CVS is rarely used alone. There are a number of project-management tools available, each used to perform a different set of tasks. The scripting files can be used to connect CVS to other project-management tools, such as bug trackers and build scripts.

Interfacing with Bug Trackers

Interfacing with a bug tracker is easiest if the tracker accepts input from standard input or via an email form. Use the rcsinfo file to have the cvs commit editor screen include the template your bug tracker requires, and use the verifymsg file to ensure that all fields are filled in appropriately. Then have a script in verifymsg or loginfo mail the log data to your bug tracker.

Example 7-11 and Example 7-12 show how to integrate with the Bugzilla bug-tracking tool, available at http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/. These examples assume that the Bugzilla email gateway has been enabled. The @resolution field in the message template allows you to change a project’s status and is supported directly by Bugzilla.

Use the verifymsg script in Example 7-11 to separate out the bug ID so it can be used in the mail subject (which must have the format [Bug XXXX]). The rest of the log message can be sent as the mail body. The script uses the read command to get the bug ID from the first line of the log message, checks that the first line it reads uses the format it expects, and then mails the bug ID and the rest of the stdin input to the user bugzilla on the same computer. The script returns ...