M172* structured text version control using git

[obscuresc]

Hi,

I have been using git for version control when developing M172PDG18R software. I would like to be able to branch and merge versions.

Here is my '.gitattributes' file, set so git can effectively diff files

Spoiler

*.plcprj diff
*.PCT diff

And '.gitignore' file, noting that I don't use simulation.

Spoiler

# build files
**/Build
**/*.bin
**/*.a
**/*.CFN
**/*.RSM
**/*.lst
**/*.COD

# download files
**/Download

# previous versions
**/PreviousVersions
**/Restore

# workspace file
**/*.wkpx

# USB files
*_7IO
*_18IO
*_28IO
*_42IO

# backups
**/Backup
**/ChangeTargetBackup

# simulation files
**/Simulation
**/*.imgx.simul
**/*.lst.simul
**/*.WKSX

# other
**/*.exp

# from Schneider
**/*.crf
**/*.sym.simul
**/*.sym.xml
**/*.syt.simul
**/*.syt.xml
**/*_dyn.lst

**/fastListing.flst.gz
**/*_merge_*.*
**/__web-source

**/HMIRemote/*.pagres

**/HMIRemote/*.pll
**/HMIRemote/*.plclib

**/CODEFILETRACE.log

Almost my entire project is in structured text and I'll be avoiding merging FBD code.

For options

• 'Multiple files project (.xplc)' option is enabled
• 'Create downloadable target files' is disabled
• Generate .lst, .exp, .unu.xml, are all disabled

Are there other files that can be safely ignored?

Are there issues with what has been ignored already?

Some specific ones I am interested in

• *.EDS
• Base and HMIRemote directory 'LocalParameters.parx'
• Base directory *.PLK

When merging, most of the issues I am seeing are the files and content related to 'Modbus objects' e.g Status Variables and EEPROM Parameters because the content defined in ESME HVAC seems to be distributed across multiple files (*.parx, *.plcprj, *.PCT) and that some of the XML content does not have the content split accessibly with line breaks.

Is there a way that merging can be done safely?

Are options that may help?

I am using ESME HVAC v1.7.0 on Windows 11 with git v2.50.0.

Thanks!

[tiziano3m]

Hi, I'm using every days GIT + ESME HVAC and the merging process cna not be executed in the file "plcprj". This file shall be managed from ESME at least until R&D will unbrike up im several files as was done for the source file.

If we as a community feel the need to have the plcprj file in a format useful for merging, i.e. separating all its parts into multiple files, we should let you know, perhaps in this discussion.

[ismailozinan]

Hi,

Schneider Electric Machine Expert software already provides an SVN feature. While SVN may not be exactly the same as what has been described as above, it does offer significant advantages by enabling programmers to store and manage their projects centrally.

May I ask if there are any plans to integrate SVN functionality into ESME-HVAC in the future?

For your reference, please find below the related FAQ link:
https://www.se.com/tr/tr/faqs/FAQ000247449

[obscuresc]

Hi yeah, there a few files that seem to have the same content too. I feel as though source should be stored in a format suitable for version control; it is standard practice in other software development fields and merging especially becomes important if we were to use a larger team to develop software. 

[ismailozinan]

The single file project format is practical and reliable, allowing the entire application to be stored, shared, and backed up easily and fastly. While text based formats may be more suitable for GitHub and version control in collaborative work, the single file approach remains very convenient for everyday engineering tasks. Split file structures can certainly help teams working on the same project simultaneously, but for many users who work individually, the current format is often more advantageous. This shows how difficult it can be to fully meet the needs of every user at the same time. 

[FedericoM · Accepted solution]

There is an ongoing project which will improve ESME HVAC vs versioning through GIT...I hope it will be released next year