Sometimes our applications require files (e.g. configs) which are stored in a git repository. Different environments may use different git repos, branches or release-tags, and sometimes we need the configs from within a specific branch, but committed before a specific date/time.
PyFilesystem is a Python module that provides a common interface to any filesystem.
GITFS extends PyFilesystem and provides read-only access to files stored in a git repository.
GITFS 'exports' the files related to a branch, release-tag or revision into a temporary local directory or filesystem (e.g. in-memory filesystem), where they can easily be accessed by our application. By default, this directory is auto-deleted upon closing the GITFS.
With our use cases, we do not need a full clone of the git repository. We just need the files related to a branch, release-tag or revision. Which is why we try to export only the files needed from the remote repository.
Install GITFS with pip as follows:
pip install fs-gitfs
Open a GITFS by explicitly using the constructor:
from fs_gitfs import GITFS
gitfs = GITFS('https://github.com/myname/myrepo.git')
gitfs = GITFS('/home/me/my_existing_repo')
gitfs = GITFS('/home/me/my_existing_repo', branch="system_test")
gitfs = GITFS('/home/me/my_existing_repo', release="v1.0.0")
gitfs = GITFS('/home/me/my_existing_repo', branch="master", before=datetime(2021, 2, 3))
gitfs = GITFS('/home/me/my_existing_repo', local_dir="/home/configs", auto_delete=False)Or with a FS URL:
from fs import open_fs
gitfs = open_fs('git://github.com/myname/myrepo.git')
gitfs = open_fs('git:/home/me/my_existing_repo?branch=system_test')
gitfs = open_fs('git:/home/me/my_existing_repo?release=v1.0.0')
gitfs = open_fs('git:/home/me/my_existing_repo?branch=master&before=2021-02-03')Once created, the GITFS object should not be changed, e.g. change the branch. Rather create a new GITFS.
git clone https://github.com/jdonnerstag/py_gitfs.git python -m venv .venv .venv/scripts/activate pip install -e .[dev]