Setting up a Git repo for Profound.js Modules on IBM i

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Aug 16, 2023 by Jessica Tomkins
2 min read



Maintaining versions of your code is important in a modern development environment. Git can be installed via a PTF: 5733OPS, option 6.

This guide will show you two methods of development with Git:

  1. All development is done from the IBM i - single repository over the Profound.js modules folder (non-bare) where developers make individual commits from the same folder.

  2. All development is done locally and changes are pulled into the IBM i - remote repository hosted on cloud/local-network server where developers develop on their local machines and make commits to the remote repository. Some cloud services provide private repositories.

Option 1 - Develop on the IBM i

This option is the easiest to setup. Via pase:

  1. Change your current directory to your Profound.js modules folder (or one of the subfolders): cd /profoundjs/modules

  2. Create the non-bare Git repository: git init

  3. If there are existing files in the folder

    1. Index and stage all the existing files: git add --all

    2. Commit the staged files to the repository: git commit -m "YOUR MESSAGE HERE"

When people are creating, deleting or modifying files, each individual should make commits to the files they change.

Video Tutorial

Option 2 - Develop Locally with a Cloud Repository

This option is best for distributed development. First, you will want to setup either a local-network repository or use a cloud hosting service such as GitHub or BitBucket.

  1. Create a repository on your local-network or on a cloud service 

  2. Install Profound.js on your local machine

  3. Clone your repo within your Profound.js installed on your local machine, with a final parameter of 'modules - which tells the clone to 'clone' into the modules folder: git clone https://github.com/user/myproductmodules.git modules

  4. Run through Step 1 and Step 2 in the Profound.js Debugging with VS Code guide to run code locally

  5. Make commits back to the repo as normal.

Note: I found that adding "modules" on the git clone command is problematic.  Instead first change directory into the modules folder and then run the clone command git clone https://github.com/user/myproductmodules.git  

This wlll create the git repository in a sub-folder within modules.

Pulling the changes onto your IBM i

  • Clone your repo within your Profound.js installed on your IBM i, with a final parameter of 'modules - which tells the clone to 'clone' into the modules folder: git clone https://github.com/user/myproductmodules.git modules

  • Use git pull every time you'd like to pull new commits down to your IBM i.