View source for Using Git on Windows

= Preamble =
On Windows Git runs via an MSYS shell which is installed with Git. But to run the DMD test-suite you need to have an MSYS installation that has some tools which are missing from the Git MSYS system. Therefore you need a separate MSYS install. Additionally, using the MSYS shell from a Windows command prompt is difficult (lack of easy copy and paste functionality, tiny fonts, limited window size, etc..).

By using Console2 you can improve your workflow with Git.

= Requirements =
Download [http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/ Console2] and extract it somewhere.

Download [http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/files/MSYS/Base/msys-core/msys-1.0.11/MSYS-1.0.11.exe/download MSYS] and install it.

= Setting up Console2 =

== Set up a Git Tab ==
Run Console2, open the '''Edit->Settings''' menu, and select the '''Tabs''' tree on the left. Click on the '''Add''' button and then set a '''Title''' (e.g. ''Git''). Set the '''Shell''' to '''C:\Program Files\Git\bin\sh.exe --login -i''' (or wherever you've installed Git). You can set the '''Startup dir''' so you're always ready to ''cd'' to a project and start using Git.

You can now use '''CTRL+F1''' to open this tab (configurable in settings).

== Set up an MSYS Tab ==
Click the '''Add''' button again, and set the '''Title''' to e.g. ''msys''. Set the '''Shell''' to '''C:\msys\1.0\bin\sh.exe --login -i''' (or wherever you've installed MSYS). Note that using the '''Startup Dir''' may not work, but there's a [[#Set up the MSYS startup dir and aliases|workaround]].

= Working with git-head and release versions of DMD, Druntime and Phobos =
A simple way to work with both an existing D installation and git-head is to have two DMD folders, both of which are in the [[#Editing Environment Variables|PATH]] environment variable, e.g.:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
C:\dmd2    # A release version of DMD
C:\dmd-git # the src subdir inside contains git-head of dmd, druntime and phobos
</syntaxhighlight>

To create and fully prepare the '''dmd-git''' folder you can take these steps:

# Fork DMD/Druntime/Phobos on Github (fork the ones you intend working on, or all if you want to)
# Copy the existing ''dmd2'' dir and rename it to ''dmd-git''
# Delete everything in the '''dmd-git\src''' directory
# Open the Git Tab ('''CTRL+F1'''), enter the src directory and clone your forks (replace ''YourUserName'' accordingly):

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
cd /c/dmd-git/src

git clone git@github.com:<YourUserName>/dmd.git
cd dmd
git remote add upstream https://github.com/D-Programming-Language/dmd
cd..

git clone git@github.com:<YourUserName>/druntime.git
cd druntime
git remote add upstream https://github.com/D-Programming-Language/druntime
cd..

git clone git@github.com:<YourUserName>/phobos.git
cd phobos
git remote add upstream https://github.com/D-Programming-Language/phobos
cd..
</syntaxhighlight>

Then set '''C:\dmd2\windows\bin''' and '''C:\dmd-git\windows\bin''' so they're both in [[#Editing Environment Variables|PATH]]. You can put the release version in [[#Editing Environment Variables|PATH]] before the git version so it overrides it. When you work on the git-head version rename the release version (e.g. ''dmd2'' to ''dmd2_'') so the git-head version is picked up over the release version when running '''dmd''' from a console window.

= Set up the MSYS startup dir and aliases =
You should have a '''profile''' file in the '''C:\msys\1.0\etc''' folder. Open it in a text editor and change '''cd $HOME$''' to the test subdir of wherever you're keeping a local clone of DMD, e.g.:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">cd /c/dmd-git/src/dmd/test</syntaxhighlight>

You can also add some aliases to simplify running the DMD test-suite:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
alias tclean="make clean"
alias tall="make DMD=/c/dmd-git/windows/bin/dmd"
alias tfail="make DMD=/c/dmd-git/windows/bin/dmd run_fail_compilation_tests"
alias tcomp="make DMD=/c/dmd-git/windows/bin/dmd run_compilable_tests"
alias trun="make DMD=/c/dmd-git/windows/bin/dmd run_runnable_tests"
</syntaxhighlight>

Now when you open the MSYS Tab (e.g. '''CTRL+F2''') you can immediately begin running the test-suite by entering '''tall'''.

= Set up a 3rd party diff tool with Git =

As an example, to use [http://www.scootersoftware.com/moreinfo.php BeyondCompare] as your diff editor on command you can edit your '''.bashrc''' file (usually located in your '''Documents and Settings\YourName''' folder) and add some aliases:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
# diff all changes in the dir, optionally followed by an argument
alias bdiff='git difftool --dir-diff'

# diff only cached changes (staging area)
alias bcdiff='git difftool --dir-diff --cached'

# diff the head commit with the previous commit
alias bhdiff='git difftool --dir-diff head~1'
</syntaxhighlight>

The first command allows you to diff between specific revisions, e.g. '''bdiff head 8f9ee7b11'''. The others are there just for convenience.

Additionally you will have to add these lines to your '''.gitconfig''' file (located in the same dir as '''.bashrc'''):

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
[diff]
	tool = bc3
[difftool "bc3"]
	path = c:/program files/beyond compare 3/BCompare.exe
</syntaxhighlight>

Ensure you set the right path to '''BCompare.exe'''. Note that you need to use BCompare.exe rather than BComp.exe, since the latter will not block Git while viewing the diff and will make git delete the temporary diff files before you can view them.

= Checking out pull requests =

If you want to test other people's pull requests you can define a function in your '''.bashrc''' file (usually located in your '''Documents and Settings\YourName''' folder):

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
# note: the function opening brace must be followed by a newline and indentation
# grab a pull request
function grabpull() {
    git fetch upstream pull/$1/head:pull$1
}
</syntaxhighlight>

This will allow you to quickly fetch a pull request by calling '''grabpull 1234'''. (replacing 1234 with the pull request number). And then you can test the pull locally by checking it out via '''git checkout pull1234'''.

= Building DMD git-head =

Once you have your '''C:\dmd-git\src\dmd''' clone prepared, you can add a build script to simplify building DMD and copying it to the ''windows\bin'' directory. Add this '''build.bat''' file to '''C:\dmd-git\src\dmd\src''':

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
@echo off
:: Uncomment this to clean out the dir to force rebuilding entire DMD (typically required when you have linking errors)
:: make -f win32.mak clean > nul 2>&1
make -f win32.mak > log.txt && copy dmd.exe C:\dmd-git\windows\bin\dmd.exe /Y > nul
if errorlevel 1 GOTO ERROR
goto :CONTINUE

:ERROR
type log.txt
goto :EOF

:CONTINUE
:: These are examples of automatically running DMD (e.g. when developing and testing some code):

:: Run dmd on a test-file
cd C:\dfiles\ && dmd Fix2171.d

:: Run dmd from the windbg debugger (useful during an access violation or assert(0))
:: Tip: use F5 in windbg to run DMD, use "k" to show the stack trace
cd C:\dfiles\ && windbg dmd Fix2171.d

:: When testing ddoc you probably want to generate an html file
cd C:\dfiles\ && dmd -D -w -o- -c ddoc1000.d
</syntaxhighlight>

You also need to add this file (and the log file) to your local exclude file. Open the '''C:\dmd-git\src\dmd\.git\info\exclude''' file, and add these lines:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
src/build.bat
src/log.txt
</syntaxhighlight>

To build DMD run '''build.bat''', this will copy DMD to your ''windows\bin'' directory or print out an error.

Note that you typically need a fresh version of Phobos in order to use the new DMD.

= Building Phobos git-head =

Building Phobos requires building Druntime first. The workflow is typically:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
cd C:\dmd-git\src\druntime
make -f win32.mak

cd ..\phobos
make -f win32.mak && copy phobos.lib C:\dmd-git\windows\lib\phobos.lib /Y > nul
</syntaxhighlight>

When you build Phobos, Druntime is included into the phobos.lib library.

= Editing Environment Variables =
You can use the freeware [http://www.rapidee.com/en/about Rapid Environment Editor] to edit the '''PATH''' and other environment variables. Remember that after editing the environment variables you may need to re-login so the system can pick up the new changes.

= Common Issues =
See [[Building DMD#Common_Windows_issues|Building DMD]]