>_Chaotic Java

Migrating the code to JavaForge

· Java

So I opened a project in JavaForge, and now I want to migrate my code from SourceForge's CVS to JavaForge's SVN. The operation should be simple: cvs -d:ext:aviadbd@<<SourceForge's CVS repository for my project>> export -r HEAD x2j mv x2j xml2java svn import xml2java http://<<JavaForge's SVN repository for my project>> Can't be any simpler than that, right? Wrong. Much bad can be said about SourceForge, but a very good thing about them is their interface and ease of use: From your project's page you can reach your CVS page, which will tell you:

Developer CVS Access via SSH

.. .. export CVS_RSH=ssh cvs -z3 -d:ext:developername@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/x2j co -P modulename
Obviously some things need changing, as we want to export, but at least its clear what is the CVS repository's location. Next, I go to JavaForge and log in. The first thing I look for is a "my projects" page, and I can't find one. Eventually I get tired of searching and just take a look at the enormous list (currently 448) of projects in JavaForge, placed on the left sidebar of every page. I find mine there, even though it's not even marked as mine. No sign at all that I am an administrator in the project and a developer in it. Viewing the site I have a Source Control tab. That tab gives me no information at all about where I can retrieve a copy of the code - It provides statistical information about the trends in the source control management system. There is a button there which would lead me to the admin panel of the source control, which will incidentally note that SVN's are located in http://svn.javaforge.com/svn/<projectname>. As a side note, VSS and CVS, even though enabled for use, are not showing their repository location. I couldn't, at the moment, find any help to use the CodeBeamer system. Maybe in the product's site; but it should've been provided by JavaForge, especially the site-specific variables such as repository locations. Sigh... At least it worked. Some conclusions though, mostly for JavaForge but it's useful for anyone considering their host:
  • Better UI for JavaForge is a must!
  • Documentations for JavaForge are also highly needed.
  • If JavaForge wants to "beat" SourceForge, it needs to really provide a better solution, and not just in speed. It is true that JavaForge is faster; but speed is not the whole deal, and not everyone would be willing to go through a lot of undocumented trouble before giving up and switching a host.