Inspired by a [recent thread][1], I've come up with a couple of commands to facilitate using TextMate's project features on a remote directory. To sum up, the problem is: I want to work with files in a TextMate project from the local filesystem (for speed, Subversion compatibility, and other reasons), but the files I'm working on are useless unless they're on some remote machine.

I say "remote projects" in quotes because the project is actually local, but created from a directory that is intended to be an exact copy of one from a remote machine. The commands are similar in spirit to some of Dreamweaver's "Site" features, for those who care about such things. I've been using these commands pretty heavily on a project at work and am pleased with the results, so I thought I'd share.

The two commands are "Get Remote Project" and "Upload Project Changes". The commands have a global scope (ideally, they would be scoped to "files that belong to a project", but I don't know if that's possible). They essentially save all files and call `rsync - au` on your directory in different directions. The basic process is that you create a project in TextMate from a local directory, then set a variable in that project called `WHERE_I_CAME_FROM` that contains a location rsync understands, like `user@server:/remote/ path`. When you're ready to see the changes on the server, use the "Upload Project Changes" command.

## Setting up a project

Here are two ways to set up such a project: (Note the trailing / on the rsync "source" path. It matters.)

* Get the files and create the project

1. Make a local copy

mkdir foo rsync -au user@server:/remote/path/ foo

2. Open the directory as a project in TextMate

mate foo

3. Set `WHERE_I_CAME_FROM` in the project to `user@server:/ remote/path/` 4. Save the project

* Create the project and get the files

1. Create and open the project in TextMate

mkdir foo mate foo

2. Set `WHERE_I_CAME_FROM` in the project to `user@server:/ remote/path/` 3. Run the "Get Remote Project" command (currently ⌃⌘P) 4. Watch your files appear in the drawer 5. Save the project

I prefer the second method right now, but if the final two steps in the first method could be automated (set a project variable and save the project), the whole process could be turned into a shell script, or possibly a command in TextMate.

## Subversion

I haven't had any issues using this method when the remote directory in question is a Subversion working copy. You basically end up with another working copy (and it's normal with Subversion to have working copies spread everywhere, so this is no big deal). I've been doing commits and other modifications to the working copy locally and have had no issues using rsync to update the remote side afterward (although, theoretically, you could acheive the same thing by running `svn update` on the remote copy).

## Outstanding Issues

* Deleted files

If you delete a file from your disk/project, the deletion won't be replicated. You need to either remove the file in both places manually, or if using Subversion `svn update` the other end after the removal has been committed to the repository. There is a `--delete` option in rsync, but I consider it too dangerous to be on by default.

* Keyboard Shortcut

⌃⌘P wasn't my first choice. I'm open to suggestions. According to the manual, project related shortcuts should use ⌃⌘, but I don't think this has been stricly followed which made it hard to find something. There are other commands using ⌃⌘P and since they have a more specific scope than these "remote project" commands, they will win in those scopes.

As for overriding ⌘S to run these commands, that would be convenient in many situations, but innappropriate in most. The commands really only need to be used if you're in a project and `WHERE_I_CAME_FROM` is set, so it wouldn't really be appropriate to have ⌘S trigger them unconditionally as they currently exist.

* Extended Attributes

If you're going from Mac to Mac, you might consider adding the - E option to the rsync command to be sure metadata is included. It's not there by default because most of my remote machines are running Solaris and -E makes rsync on Solaris poop in its pants. Perhaps there should be another variable that could be set in TextMate or a specific project that holds your preferred rsync options for these commands.

* Project variable name

I'm sure I should use something more grown-up sounding than `WHERE_I_CAME_FROM` in the long run, but what? I didn't see any naming conventions for project variables in the manual. Are `TM_*` variables meant to be only things that the application is aware of or should all TextMate specific variables start with that?

## Other commands?

I've thought about adding a TextMate command that will do an `svn update` on the remote path. This would be for deleted files or for people who aren't comfortable updating the various `.svn` directories using rsync (I know you're out there).

I've also considered adding a command that will run `rsync -aun` in both directions to show you what will happen if you run one of the commands without actually making the changes. Would either of these be useful?

If you have need for something like this, try these commands out and let me know what you think. Thanks.

[1]: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.editors.textmate.general/18573

--- Rob McBroom http://www.skurfer.com/ I didn't "switch" to Apple... my OS did.