Partial Build System for Source Code Version Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large code bases, the process of updating and building applications is time-consuming for developers, especially in collaborative environments where multiple developers work on different modules, leading to significant hours spent on the development process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a partial build method that updates source code and binary code by determining differences between versions in central and local repositories, allowing only modified modules to be rebuilt and tested, thereby reducing the need to rebuild the entire code base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the entire code base is rebuilt to ensure all developers have the latest version, then version consistency is improved, but build time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The build process is segmented into two parts: (1) a full build that creates a baseline version stored in a binary repository, and (2) a partial build that only recompiles modified modules by comparing source code differences. This segmentation allows the system to maintain version consistency while avoiding unnecessary rebuilding of unchanged modules, thus reducing build time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing binary versions of previously built applications in a binary repository. Before performing a new build, it compares the current source code with the stored version to identify changes. This preliminary comparison action enables the system to skip building unchanged modules, resolving the contradiction between ensuring version consistency and minimizing build time.
2Productivity
If only modified modules are rebuilt to reduce build time, then productivity is improved, but ensuring version consistency becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A binary repository acts as an intermediary between the source code and the final application. It stores binary versions of previously built applications and provides them to the build system. This intermediary simplifies the partial build process by enabling the system to retrieve pre-built binaries for unchanged modules, thus improving productivity without significantly increasing build process complexity.
3Reliability
If all source code is downloaded to ensure completeness, then code completeness is improved, but update time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary information from the source code repository—the differences or deltas between versions—rather than downloading the entire code base. By using diff tools to identify changed modules and retrieving only those specific modules along with their corresponding binaries from the binary repository, the system maintains code completeness while significantly reducing update time.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the present invention include updating an existing version of a source code stored in a local source repository using differences between a most current version of a source code stored in a central source repository and the existing version of the source code stored in the local source repository, the most current version of the source code associated with an application; updating an existing version of a binary code stored in a local binary repository to a most current version using differences between a most current version of a binary code stored in a central binary repository and the existing version of the binary code stored in the local binary repository; updating the most current version of the binary code stored in the local binary repository using binary code of one or more modified source code modules to generate a first binary code; and enabling testing of the application using the first binary code.