On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:02 AM, David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> wrote:

support@drupal.org:

I've been searching for a comfortable CMS for years. I deployed a
personal Drupal site ~20 months ago and have been fumbling my way along,
learning as I go (http://holgerdanske.com/). I recently worked my way
through "Using Drupal", and have come to realize Drupal's GUI CMS RAD
nature. Slick, but...

My current development-test-deployment process is as follows:

1. Log in to the production server and take a backup using Backup and
Migrate.

2. Lock out the users.

3. Hack.

4. Do some manual testing. If testing fails, either:

a. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I succeed, then let the users back
in.

b. Restore.

I'm now running Drupal sites for other people, and need a better
process. I'm looking for Drupal features/ tools that allow me to:

1. Export settings, content, uploaded files, etc. (e.g. everything
"dynamic") from the production server and import the same into a
development machine.

2. Export additions, changes, fixes, etc., as deltas from the
development machine and import them into a test/ staging machine.

3. Import validated delta(s) into the production server, quickly and
easily, with the ability to revert. (Referential integrity will need to
be solved, or precluded.)

I would prefer that exports and imports be in the form of a directory
tree of files in suitable standard formats, so that the full range of
command-line tools can be brought to bear -- version control, backup,
archive, mv, cp, diff/patch, hand editing, scripting, etc..

I would prefer that the export/ import functionality be available via
both a Drupal administration control panel and via command-line
utilities.

STFW, this is not a new issue:

http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/support/2009-July/012439.html

I'm wondering what the Drupal project has in mind for solving it, when,
and for who (e.g. 4.x? 5.x? 6.x? 7.x?)?

TIA,

David

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