Git is a famous source control solution used by millions of organizations around the world.
Using Git in PageFabric
Note: The following features are not available yet:
- Merging modifications
- Having multiple branches
- Online Git repositories such as GitHub.com, GitLab.com...
Application settings
Git requires that you specify a user name and an email. By default, PageFabric will fill these details with your current Windows details. If you want to change them, go to Application Settings > Git.
Enable Git for your website
To use Git with a PageFabric website, you have to enable the option in the Website settings dialog, then turn on the Enable Git repository for this website.
Supported Git features in PageFabric
Watch files
To enable Git features such as commit, history... you have to Watch files. To watch a file, right click a file in the Website Explorer, then click File versioning > Watch file. The red tick will appear next to the file, indicating that the file is watched and has pending changes.
Note: Watching a file means adding the file to the local Git index.
This figure shows the several status of files in the Website explorer pane:
Description of the different statuses:
| Symbol | Description |
| Little Red tick (like number 1 on the image) | This file has pending changes in your folder. You can commit this file to save it to your local warehouse. |
| Little Blue lock (like number 2 on the image) | This file has not pending changes and is watched by the application. When you edit the file, the lock automatically transforms to a red tick. You can use Git features with this file, such as history, commit... |
| No symbol (like number 3 on the image) | This file is not watched by the application. You cannot use Git features because it is not present in your local warehouse. You have to use the File versioning > Watch file feature to add it to the Git Index. |
Commit changes to local repository
Once you have modified your files, you have to commit them to your local repository. This action is called Commit.
All your pending modifications will be stored in the local repository, and files will be marked as synced.
To commit your changes, follow these steps:
- In the ribbon, select Git > Commit, the Commit dialog opens
- Type a comment about your changes
- Include or exclude files to commit to your repository (right click files and select Include or Exclude in the two list boxes)
- Click the Commit button to proceed
Set the remote repository on an existing project
If you want to store your repository on a remote location, you have to add the location in Git ribbon tab > Add remote repository link.
Provide the network location of the remote repository. If network credentials are required, enable the Specify network credentials option and provide User login and User password.
Push changes to the remote repository
When you want to share your modifications with the other members of your team, you have to push your modifications to the remote repository.
Click the Git ribbon tab, then click the Push to remote repository button.
Note: This operation is the equivalent of the Push force Git command. It will replace the remote files with the latest version from your local repository. It is currently not possible to merge files.
Get changes from the remote repository
When you want to get the modifications made by other members of your team:
Click the Git ribbon tab, then click the Pull from remote repository button.
Note: This operation is the equivalent of the Pull force Git command. Conflicts will be replaced with the latest version from the remote repository. If you have pending modifications on files that are not subject to conflict, your modification will remain. It is currently not possible to merge files.
Show file history
One of the biggest advantages of using Git (or any Source Control solution), apart of collaboration is to be able to save file history. You can can of course see an old version of your pages, compare the current version to an old one, and even restore a file if you want.
Compare file versions
To compare the current version of a page to an older one, follow those steps:
- Right click the page in the Website explorer pane
- Select File versioning > Show file history
- If the selected page has been committed several times in the past, you will see the history of all changes store in your local Git warehouse
- Right click the version you want to compare with the current version, then select Compare
Restore an old version of a file
To restore the contents of an older version of an existing page:
- Right click the page in the Website explorer pane
- Select File versioning > Show file history
- If the selected page has been committed several times in the past, you will see the history of all changes store in your local Git warehouse
- Right click the version you want to restore with the current version, then select Restore the contents of this state
Note: This operation will replace the whole file. It means that all the languages of the page will be replaced. It is not currently possible to only restore a specific language version of a page.
Discard pending modifications of file
To restore the contents of an older version of an existing page:
- Right click the page in the Website explorer pane
- Select File versioning > Discard pending changes
- A message box will ask for your confirmation, click the Restore button
Note: This operation will replace the whole file. It means that all the languages of the page will be replaced. It is not currently possible to only restore a specific language version of a page.