Use AES with a Git source control repository

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Use AES with a Git Source Control Repository

    App Engine Studio (AES) allows developers to efficiently manage their application data repositories by linking applications to a Git source control repository. This integration enables collaborative development and version control for applications in a non-production environment.

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    Key Features

    • Import applications from a Git repository.
    • Pull and apply remote changes from the repository.
    • Commit local changes to the Git repository.
    • Create tags for specific versions of applications.
    • Create and manage branches for multiple application versions.
    • Edit repository credentials and manage branches directly within App Engine Studio.

    It is important to note that changes must be checked into Git to be visible to other developers collaborating on the application.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing Git source control with AES, developers can:

    • Maintain a structured and collaborative development environment.
    • Manage application files and versions efficiently, including the ability to stash changes and resolve conflicts.
    • Ensure application integrity through validation and sanitization processes during integration.
    • Utilize existing MID Server connections for access to repositories behind firewalls.

    Overall, this functionality enhances the development experience by streamlining version control and facilitating collaboration among App Engine Studio users.

    App developers working in App Engine Studio (AES) can manage their data repository in numerous ways.

    After your admin has linked an application to Source control, all application developers on a non-production instance can perform these actions:
    • Import applications from a Git repository.
    • Pull and apply remote changes from a Git repository.
    • Commit all local changes on the instance to a Git repository.
    • Create tags to permanently link to a given version of an application.
    • Create branches to maintain multiple versions of an application simultaneously.
    Note:
    If you’re using source control to collaborate with other developers, only changes that have been checked in are available to other developers. For example, if an admin creates a new flow for an app that’s linked to Git, the new flow won’t be available in the app for other AES users until the admin checks the flow into Git.

    Options available from App Engine Studio

    After an application has been linked to source control, application developers can use App Engine Studio to manage the repository. From App Engine Studio, developers can:
    • Edit the application repository credentials.
    • Commit all local changes on the instance.
    • Apply remote changes from the repository.
    • Create a branch.
    • Switch branches.
    • Import an application from a remote repository.

    Source control integration does not support managing applications on a production instance. Instead, you can manage applications on a production instance using the application repository, an update set, or App Engine Studio. For more information about managing applications on a production instance, see Application sharing.

    Options available from a Git repository

    The ServiceNow platform offers limited support for modifying linked application files outside of an instance. From Git, developers can:
    • Move application files to a different Git directory structure.
    • Edit application files outside of App Engine Studio.

    The system generates a properties text file called sn_source_control.properties at the root level of the repository. To move application files to a different Git directory structure, application developers can set the path parameter to specify the subfolder path containing their application files. For example, if you moved your application to the src/app subfolder, set the path to path=src/app.

    The system generates a checksum.txt file in the Git repository to determine if any application files have been changed outside of App Engine Studio. When the checksum value from the file matches the current checksum value, the integration skips the validation and sanitization process. When the checksum values do not match, the integration validates and sanitizes the application files as part of the source control operation. The sanitization process:
    • Creates upgrade log entries for each sanitization action taken.
    • Removes unsupported folders and files from the repository.
    • Aborts all source control operations when a system application file fails XML schema validation. For example, if a database dictionary record fails XML schema validation, the system aborts all operations.
    • Skips the current source control operation when a non-system application file fails XML schema validation.

    The source control integration sanitizes only content within the application path listed in the sn_source_control.properties file. Repository content outside the application path is ignored.

    MID Server support

    Use an existing MID Server to connect to a source control repository. Accessing an application through a MID Server enables access to repositories behind a firewall.