Using GdUnit4 as a Git submodule to prevent storing in your repository

[MikeSchulze]

Using GdUnit4 as a Git Submodule

This guide explains how to set up GdUnit4 as a git submodule in your project instead of storing it directly in your repository. This approach is recommended for better dependency management and keeps your repository clean.

Overview

• Use git submodules to manage GdUnit4 dependency
• Set up automatic installation using git hooks
• Configure gitignore to prevent accidental commits
• Use gdunit4-actions for CI/CD

Prerequisites

• Git installed and initialized in your project
• Basic understanding of git submodules
• Project structure compatible with Godot addons

Setup Instructions

1. Add GdUnit4 as a Submodule

git submodule add --name ".gdUnit4" -f https://github.com/MikeSchulze/gdUnit4

2. Set Up Git Hooks

1. Create a .github-hooks directory in your project root
2. Create a post-checkout script in .github-hooks with the following content:

#!/bin/sh

# Sync and update submodules
git submodule sync
git submodule update --init

# Create symbolic link to GdUnit4
rm -rf ./addons/gdUnit4
ln -s -r -P .gdUnit4/addons/gdUnit4 ./addons/

# Remove GdUnit4 tests (optional)
TARGET_DIR="addons/gdUnit4/test"
if [ -d "$TARGET_DIR" ]; then
    echo "Removing GdUnit4 test directory"
    rm -rf "$TARGET_DIR"
else
    echo "GdUnit4 test directory not found"
fi

3. Make the script executable:

chmod +x .github-hooks/post-checkout

4. Copy the hook to git hooks directory:

cp .github-hooks/post-checkout .git/hooks/

3. Configure .gitignore

Add these entries to your .gitignore file:

# GdUnit4 plugin directory
addons/gdUnit4/

# GdUnit4 submodule
.gdUnit4/

4. Project Structure

After setup, your project structure should look like this:

your-project/
├── .git/
│   └── hooks/
│       └── post-checkout
├── .github/
├── .github-hooks/
│   └── post-checkout
├── addons/
├── .gitmodules
└── .gitignore

Usage with CI/CD

For continuous integration, there's no need to set up the submodule. The official gdunit4-action will automatically install the GdUnit4 plugin during CI workflow execution.

Simply use the action in your workflow:

name: GdUnit4 Tests
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: MikeSchulze/gdunit4-action@v1
        with:
          godot-version: '4.3'
          paths: 'res://tests'

This will handle the plugin installation automatically.
GdUnit4 CI documentation for more details on CI configuration.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. If the symbolic link doesn't work:

   • Check if the paths in the post-checkout script match your project structure
   • Ensure the script has execution permissions

2. If submodule isn't updating:

   git submodule update --init --recursive

Notes

• The post-checkout hook runs automatically after checking out your repository
• The symbolic link ensures GdUnit4 is available in the correct location for Godot
• Test directory removal is optional but recommended to reduce project size