VMD files are now stored in the Git repository

In Iguana 6 we completely reworked our source control by switching over from Fossil to Git. We greatly extended the scope of source control includes, not just Lua translator projects, but entire Channels, including VMD files – in fact the complete configuration of the entire Iguana instance.

Iguana 6 copies VMD files into its local GIT configuration repository, this is a big improvement as it gives you all the benefits of version control for your VMD files.

For example see this screen shot of an “autoack.vmd” on a LLP listener channel:

Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 6.04.34 PM

See how the ack.vmd is now stored in the IguanaConfigurationRepo?

The beauty of this is that now you never need to worry about keeping backups of old vmd file versions – every time you change a vmd file it is automatically versioned and committed into Iguana’s internal GIT repository. No more having to keep track of your VMD versions independently of Iguana.

To show you the benefits lets change the ack.vmd file:

  1. Edit the ack.vmd file in Chameleon and add a new message.
  2. Edit the channel to point to the updated ack.vmd file.
    • Iguana copies the updated VMD, creates a new version, and commits it into the internal GIT repository.
  3. Now we can go to Iguana 6 History menu and see what changed in source control!
    At the top level screen:
    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 6.16.27 PMAnd then drilling in we can see exactly what changed:
    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 6.18.27 PM

This is a game changer! If you make an error and need to rollback a change to an external vmd – no problem. With a click of a button in the Iguana history you can revert to your previous good configuration. There is no possibility of changing a vmd file without it showing up in the history for the Iguana instance.

Tip: How to organize your VMDs for editing

Iguana keeps your VMDs organized and makes your channels fully portable. What’s the best way to organize them for convenient workflow when you need to edit them?

Give them names that make sense to you.

We suggest using a naming convention such as client-type.vmd

e.g.:
radiology-filter.vmd
emergency_room_admit-ack.vmd

Iguana shows you the path to the VMD a channel is currently using, so if you don’t know where the original is, you can always copy it from its run location, then edit it, then upload the edited version.

If you use easy-to-read names, you can skip the copy step, and simply edit the VMD and upload it.

Warning: Never edit a VMD file when a channel is running.

Always copy the running VMD file to a separate location and edit it there, or follow the tip above to keep a separate collection of VMDs for editing, and upload the file after you have saved changes.

Editing a running VMD is a risk for instability.

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