Update from server does not recognize new version of package

[dakur]

Hello everyone,

I've written my own package (consisting of component and template) and set up a deploy server according to docs with a big help of jEvents source code.

When I choose "Install from URL" in my Joomla administration and type there URL of my pkg_update.xml file, it installs correctly both component and template alongside with the package and everything works. But when I deploy a new version of this package, the pkg_update.xml is updated, but Joomla does not suggest any update notice, even when I hit the "Find updates" button.

Thank you for any tip what to do.

XML file sources:

pkg_update.xml:

Code: Select all

<updates>
	<update>
		<name>Example package</name>
		<description>...</description>
		<element>pkg_example</element>
		<type>package</type>
		<client>site</client>
		<version>a682bed2a</version>
		<downloads>
			<downloadurl type="full" format="zip">https://example.com/pkg_example-a682bed2a.zip</downloadurl>
			<downloadurl type="upgrade" format="zip">https://example.com/pkg_example-a682bed2a.zip</downloadurl>
		</downloads>
		<tags>
			<tag>stable</tag>
		</tags>
		<targetplatform name="joomla" version="3.*" />
	</update>
</updates>

pkg_example.xml:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<extension type="package" version="1.6" method="upgrade">
	<packagename>example</packagename>
	<name>Example package</name>
	<description>...</description>
	<creationDate>2018-11-02</creationDate>

	<version>a682bed2a</version>
	<files folder="packages">
		<file type="component" id="com_example">com_example.zip</file>
		<file type="template" id="tpl_example" client="site">tpl_example.zip</file>
	</files>

	<updateservers>
		<server type="extension" name="BrontoPackage update">https://example.com/pkg_update.xml</server>
	</updateservers>
</extension>

[Per Yngve Berg]

Mod. Note: Relocating the topic to the Coding Forum.

[Webdongle]

https://docs.joomla.org/Deploying_an_Update_Server

[dakur]

@Webdongle: I've linked to this page in my post already.

[SharkyKZ]

Code: Select all

<version>a682bed2a</version>

Your version format is not supported.

[Webdongle]

@Webdongle: I've linked to this page in my post already.

I don't see where you linked to it. I see a link to github but not docs.joomla.

[dakur]

@SharkyKZ It works and better fill my needs. Everything's correctly installed and when I run auto-update on not package, but single extensions, it auto-updates well.

@Webdongle: The word "docs" in this sentence "deploy server according to docs with a big help" goes there.

[SharkyKZ]

Which version of the package do you currently have installed?

[dakur]

@SharkyKZ What do you mean? My package version is generated from commit hash. So each time I deploy the package to my update server, last commit hash is taken as a version number. So the current installed is "40a317ff8b84c6b16437a00ff243a19bd39781aa". And the one to be installed but not recognized is "bdd5a3096a947c87abb66cf8f7ea547ba6cbbdd5".

[Webdongle]

bdd5a3096a947c87abb66cf8f7ea547ba6cbbdd5 is not an increment of 40a317ff8b84c6b16437a00ff243a19bd39781aa

3.3 is an increment of 3.2

afaik the updated version number must be an increment of the original version number. I could be wrong and it may be that it is recognised as an update if it it is different but try using incremental version numbers.

[SharkyKZ]

My package version is generated from commit hash.

That's the problem. You need to use a versioning system compatible with PHP's version_compare().

[dakur]

@SharkyKZ @Webdongle But I do not want to. I don't wanna generate new patch version (tag in git world) for every merge request of that package which I want to try first on my staging Joomla server before going to production. How would solve this, guys? Have you ever? Using version_compare() is kind of limiting in here...
As I am not making package for public, but for purpose of the organization I am doing website for, I do not really care about versions, just need an updating mechanism where user just hits "Update" and it updates without filling any URL or other stuff.

Plus I can not understand, why it works with component with the commit hash, but not with package. Component update does not use version_compare()?

[SharkyKZ]

Using version_compare() is kind of limiting in here...

It's not limiting. Using hashes is just not sensible. Their values end up being random so there's way of telling which one is supposed to be the newer version. No matter whether you use version_compare() or something else to compare.

[dakur]

@SharkyKZ According to docs "A separate <update> definition will be required for each version of your extension you release." which means that version order is guaranteed by order of <update> tags inside of update.xml file. At least I thought so. That is why I started experimented with commit hash version because it is more flexible for my use-case. Then I tried only one <update> tag rewrote each time with newer version and that worked as well. But all of these stuff worked only for component or template, not for package. I would it expect working for all or for none of them. I am really confused by this difference what Joomla (docs) says and what it does in reality.

[Webdongle]

@dakur
Please tell me which of the following is the newest version ?

hy773bg5mz
adG64Vnhw8
MluTwtW


And please explain to me how a computer program/script knows that bdd5a3096a947c87abb66cf8f7ea547ba6cbbdd5 is a newer version of 40a317ff8b84c6b16437a00ff243a19bd39781aa

[dakur]

@Webdongle If I follow docs then my update.xml file would look like this:

Code: Select all

<updates>
	<update>
		...
		<version>hy773bg5mz</version>
		...
	</update>

	<update>
		...
		<version>adG64Vnhw8</version>
		...
	</update>

	<update>
		...
		<version>MluTwtW</version>
		...
	</update>
</updates>

Then I can say that "hy773bg5mz" is the newest because it's on the top position. At least that's how I suppose it works. It would not make sense to list previous versions otherwise.

[Webdongle]

...
Then I can say that "hy773bg5mz" is the newest because it's on the top position. ...

And why do you presume the position defines the date order of the version ?

...
At least that's how I suppose it works. It would not make sense to list previous versions otherwise.

Listing previous makes sense because make it makes sure all previous versions are updated

[dakur]

And why do you presume the position defines the date order of the version ?

Because it makes sense. When some items have an order and it depends one on another, I would guess that the order determines relationships among these dependencies. It is something I would call developer experience that tells one that it should work this way. And when it does not, you are confused. I think that APIs should be subordinated/subjected to this experience, just like web UIs should be subordinated to user's experience - not the opposite.

Anyway, finally I have written a "version faker" API https://gist.github.com/dakur/ae791a1a3 ... e7fd00bff0so that every feature branch in my repository during every deploy obtains a following version number so that Joomla version comparer is satisfied.

Thank you both @SharkyKZ and @Webdongle for your time and help.