What is the Features module?
The Features module allows us to build custom features that don't involve programming by hand. We can organize the each part of our Insight page into one or more feature like a custom module. For instance, we could create a new feature like a "Super Event Calendar."
How does this work?
A Feature itself (with a capital "F") is constructed out of exportables created by existing modules that the Features module understands (either intrinsically or because those modules support the Features API). This sounds a lot more complicated than it is.
For example, imagine that you want to create a capability on the Drupal 6 server that involves a few custom Views, and perhaps some custom CCK fields. You can gather these customizations (let's call them "exportables" here) together and give that collection a name using the Features module. The Features module creates a set of custom code, which it can then export as a module. The code can then be managed through a SCM repository, allowing for change management.
General usage
To use Features in general:
- Download the Features module from http://drupal.org/project/features
- Enable the module on http://example-domain/admin/build/modules page.
- Manage the features on http://example-domain/admin/build/features page.
- Create a custom feature on http://example-domain/admin/build/features/create page.
To create a custom super feature, click Create feature at the top on the create feature page. Fill out the requirements (Name, Description, Version) as desired, then select settings in the Edit components section. When finished, select Download feature.
After this process, you can upload your custom feature on the server into the sites/all/modules directory.
To use a custom feature you've created, visit the Features page, select the checkbox for that selected custom feature, and select Save settings.
How Insight uses Features
Git branching and merging
We use two official git branches for Feature management for Insight. The devel branch is used to power our development site, and the master branch is used for the more official staging and production sites.
However, developers are asked not to push directly to either of these branches.
Instead, developers work on their feature on a separate branch of their own. Recommended naming is something like <username>-<feature-description>. An example might be mqjones-social-networking. Push these branches as is, to the repository (making a new remote branch as needed). This way, we can work on multiple features at once, and developers can share or collaborate as needed without leaving any of our live sites in an uncertain state.
When a feature is complete and ready for developer testing, merge that branch to the devel branch. Reference all tickets addressed with this feature in the commit log (the text ticket 423 is fine). Individual references in several commits is fine too. Remember the purpose is to make your work very clear to someone looking at it later when you're not around to explain it.
Once you complete the merge, resolving any problems, tag the resulting commit with the feature name and version, such as social-networking-0.2. The development site will pull any changes within an hour, or one of the admins on the team can manually pull if needed.
Following testing, once the team has approved the change, merge the devel branch into the master branch. The production site will automatically pull the changes from master.
Procedure
- Clone our Features repository
git clone ssh://git.fedorahosted.org/git/fedora-insight-features.git
- Make a new branch for your work
git checkout -b my-new-feature
- Change the directory
cd fedora-insight-features
- Make a new directory
mkdir my_awesome_feature
- Copy your feature files
cp path/to/my/feature/* ./my_awesome_feature/
- Add the directory of feature
git add my_awesome_feature/
- Commit your changes
git commit -a -m "My awesome feature has been added"
- Push your changes
git push ssh://git.fedorahosted.org/git/fedora-insight-features.git/ devel
Use devel branch for pushing
We use a different branch for the production status. Features under development are not pushed directly to that branch without being tested and approved by the team in some fashion.
