Modes of Operation

container mode

In container mode, ape manages your features and products in a directory structure. It provides special tasks to switch between products.

standalone mode

In standalone mode, ape checks the environment variable PRODUCT_EQUATION to get the list of features in composition order. Use container mode! This is for development of ape.

Container Mode

In container mode, ape manages your features and products in a directory structure. It provides special tasks to switch between products.

All files managed by ape are placed inside a directory that we will refer to as APE_ROOT_DIR in the following. If you followed the installation instructions, this folder is called aperoot.

It contains:

  • a directory named _ape. This directory contains the activation script and other global ressources like the global virtualenv.
  • multiple SPL Containers. These are installations of specific versions of software product lines you manage using ape.

Tasks in container mode

cd poi

cd to a container or product inside a container. poi is a string in one of these formats:

  • <container_name> e.g. ape cd mycontainer
  • <container_name>:<product_name> e.g. ape cd mycontainer:myproduct

switch poi

activate the environment of product specified by poi poi is a string in this format:

  • <container_name>:<product_name> e.g. ape switch mycontainer:myproduct

teleport poi

ape switch and ape cd in one operation.

poi is a string in this format:

  • <container_name>:<product_name> e.g. ape teleport mycontainer:myproduct

Since teleport is quite long, and it`s all about productivity, zap is available as an alias for teleport ;)

Standalone Mode

In standalone mode, ape checks the environment variable PRODUCT_EQUATION to get the list of features in composition order.

It needs to contain the names of the features seperated by spaces, e.g. "basic_tasks extra_tasks my_adjustments". For details on how features are specified, see Feature modules.

Feature modules need to be placed on the PYTHONPATH so ape can find them. In container mode, ape can manage that for you.