Using Basecamp to automatically keep track of product releases Apr 02 2008
15 comments Latest by Jacques Marneweck
Using the Basecamp API, we automatically post product releases to the Deployments project in our Basecamp account.
When we push an update a message is automatically posted to the project. Here’s an example of two recent deploys:
Each deploy lists the changes that were logged into subversion, who logged the change, and a description of the change. We also add a one-line description that sums up the main reason for the deploy.
The bonus is that the Project Overview screen gives us a nice dated list of all the releases. For example, on Tuesday March 25th, Jamis pushed updates for Highrise, Backpack, and Basecamp:
It’s a great way to find out of something was included in a push or not. Plus, you can tell, at a glance, when the last time Highrise was updated (March 31, 2008, in this case).
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15 comments so far
Chris Jones 02 Apr 08
That’s a very cool way to track deployments. We are currently examining ways of doing something similar, our problem is that we have multiple clients on multiple versions of our product which could become a nightmare.
We also don’t do automated deployments which contributes to the management being so laborious.
On a side note though, we do have svn commits being posted to our campfire chatroom with tinderbot!
leethal 02 Apr 08
With 18k revisions, I wonder how large the svn repository is compared to a git repository.
Noah Everett 02 Apr 08
Very clever
jordi 02 Apr 08
Agree with fredo and John S.
Andrew Cornett 02 Apr 08
I’ve been searching everywhere for a good solution to this. Beanstalk is a good hosted subversion that integrates SVN messages into Basecamp. But I want something that just integrates with my current server’s SVN and Basecamp. Being a non-developer could someone point me in the direction of setting something like this up?
Chris Jones 03 Apr 08
Andrew: you might want to check out the Basecamp forum
Brendon Murphy 03 Apr 08
Andrew,
Search the forums for “svn hook”. There’s a script to be used with the SVN post-commit hook that you can probably get working even if you aren’t a developer.
Chris Jones 03 Apr 08
Also, the basic idea is that you want to setup a post commit hook in your subversion repo, which can be anything really. A ruby script or a shell script and then you can use the basecamp api to do all the posting into your account.
Free Article Resources 03 Apr 08
that’s really a fantastic post ! ! added to my favourite blogs list..
Frank 03 Apr 08
And once again, you don’t see DHH name on any of the development work.
DHH 03 Apr 08
I thought I told you last time that I had retired to stroking black cats in my lap and thinking up plans for world domination with the occasional evil laughter?
Loaf of Paint 03 Apr 08
It’s funny ‘cause it’s true… and of course, you use a black cat because Blofeld used a white one, and kept getting his ass kicked by people like George Lazenby.
I’d rather see the descriptive line in the summary list, instead of the revision number, at least… I think I would. Not having anything resembling this at work (sigh) I can only imagine.
Andrew Cornett 04 Apr 08
@Chris & @Brendon thanks guys I’ll check it out…
John 05 Apr 08
Can you access Basecamp via the API from git hooks?
Jacques Marneweck 05 Apr 08
DDH are you going to release your capistrano recipe you are using for your sending those deploy changelog?
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