How to use the command phpbu (with examples)

The phpbu command is a backup utility framework for PHP, allowing users to easily create and run backups of their PHP projects. It offers flexibility and customization through a configuration file, and provides options for limiting the backups performed or simulating actions without actually executing them.

Use case 1: Run backups using the default phpbu.xml configuration file

Code:

phpbu

Motivation: Running the phpbu command without any additional arguments will make it use the default phpbu.xml configuration file, which is located in the current directory. This is useful if you have already set up your backup configurations in the default file and want to quickly initiate the backup process.

Explanation:

• phpbu is the command to execute the phpbu utility.

Example output:

phpbu 8.0.5 by thePHPcc and contributors

 0.00s done.

Use case 2: Run backups using a specific configuration file

Code:

phpbu --configuration=path/to/configuration_file.xml

Motivation: Sometimes, you may want to use a different configuration file instead of the default phpbu.xml. This can be useful when you have multiple backup configurations or want to keep your backup configurations in different locations.

Explanation:

• --configuration=path/to/configuration_file.xml: Specifies the path and filename of the configuration file to be used. Replace path/to/configuration_file.xml with the actual path to your custom configuration file.

Example output:

phpbu 8.0.5 by thePHPcc and contributors

 0.00s done.

Use case 3: Only run the specified backups

Code:

phpbu --limit=backup_task_name

Motivation: If you have multiple backup tasks configured in your configuration file, you can use the --limit option to specify and execute only a specific backup task. This is beneficial when you want to run a particular backup separately or when you want to exclude certain backup tasks temporarily.

Explanation:

• --limit=backup_task_name: Specifies the name of the backup task to be executed. Replace backup_task_name with the actual name of the backup task as defined in the configuration file.

Example output:

phpbu 8.0.5 by thePHPcc and contributors

 0.02s done.

Use case 4: Simulate the actions that would have been performed

Code:

phpbu --simulate

Motivation: When you are unsure about the actual actions that would be performed during a backup, you can use the --simulate option to run a simulation. This allows you to see the backup steps that would be executed without making any actual changes or modifications to your project.

Explanation:

• --simulate: Enables the simulation mode, where the phpbu utility only demonstrates the actions it would have performed during the backup process.

Example output:

phpbu 8.0.5 by thePHPcc and contributors

observed CONFIGURATION
observed BACKUP
observed SOURCE : Webserver (1)
observed CHECK  : SizeDiff($lt->lt('50 kB'))
observed SYNC   : SyncFtp($lt->lt('backup'))
 - new file:
    ftp://example.com/backup/backup-20210805T120000.tar

Conclusion:

The phpbu command provides several options for running backups, including using the default configuration file, custom configuration files, limiting backups, and simulating actions. By familiarizing yourself with these different use cases and their corresponding command syntax, you can effectively leverage the capabilities of phpbu to perform backups for your PHP projects.