Automating Version Control in Laravel: Using Git Pre-Commit Hooks for Seamless Versioning

In software development, maintaining version control is essential. One effective way to manage versioning in your Laravel application is by using Git hooks, specifically the pre-commit hook. This guide will walk you through automating version updates with a pre-commit hook that updates a version file based on the current date each time you commit.

What Are Git Hooks?

Git hooks are scripts that Git executes before or after events such as commits, merges, and push operations. The pre-commit hook runs right before a commit is finalized. This is the perfect place to automate tasks like updating version numbers.

Setting Up the Pre-Commit Hook

Step 1: Create the Pre-Commit Hook

1. Navigate to Your Project Directory:
   Open your terminal and navigate to the root of your Laravel project.
2. Access the Hooks Directory:
   Go to the .git/hooks/ directory:

   cd .git/hooks/

3. Create or Edit the Pre-Commit File:
   Create a file named pre-commit if it doesn’t already exist:

   touch pre-commit

Step 2: Write the Script

Open the pre-commit file in your favorite text editor and add the following script:

#!/bin/bash

# Define the path to your version.php file
VERSION_FILE="config/version.php"

# Get the current date in YYYYMMDD format
DATE=$(date +'%Y%m%d')

# Update the last_commit_date in the version.php file
sed -i '' "s/'last_commit_date' => [0-9]*/'last_commit_date' => $DATE/" "$VERSION_FILE"

# Stage the changes to version.php
git add "$VERSION_FILE"

# Print success message
echo "Successfully updated last_commit_date to: $DATE in $VERSION_FILE and staged the changes."

Step 3: Make the Hook Executable

Run the following command to make your pre-commit hook executable:

chmod +x pre-commit

How the Script Works

• Fetch Current Date: The script retrieves the current date in YYYYMMDD format.
• Update the Version File: It uses sed to find the line that contains the last_commit_date and updates it with the current date.
• Stage Changes: The modified version.php file is automatically staged for commit.
• Success Message: A message is displayed in the terminal to confirm the update.

Accessing Version Information in Laravel

Update the Version File

Ensure that your config/version.php file has the structure below:

return [
    'major' => 2,
    'minor' => 0,
    'last_commit_date' => 0,
];

Accessing Version Data in Your Code

You can access the version information anywhere in your Laravel application using the config() helper function. For example, in your SMIRDVersion.php file:

class SMVersion
{
    protected static int $major = 2;
    protected static int $minor = 0;

    public static function getFullVersion(): string {
        $lastCommitDate = config('version.last_commit_date');
        return self::$major . '.' . self::$minor . '.' . $lastCommitDate;
    }
}

Conclusion

Using a Git pre-commit hook to automate versioning in your Laravel application can streamline your development process and ensure that version information is always up to date. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also reduces human error when managing version numbers.

By following this guide, you can create a robust versioning system that automatically updates your application’s version information with each commit, ensuring clarity and accuracy in your project’s progress. Happy coding!