How to Use the Command 'rbt' (with Examples)

RBTools (Review Board Tools) is a set of command-line utilities designed to interact with Review Board and RBCommons. These tools facilitate processes such as submitting code changes, reviewing diffs, integrating changes, and managing patches, all within a developer’s local environment. RBTools streamlines code review workflows by allowing developers to efficiently manage their interactions with Review Board without leaving their terminal. Below are five practical use cases illustrating how to effectively use the ‘rbt’ command.

Use Case 1: Posting Changes to Review Board

Code:

rbt post change_number

Motivation: In a collaborative software development environment, code reviews are crucial for maintaining code quality and ensuring all team members are aligned with the project’s coding standards and objectives. Using the rbt post command, developers can easily submit their code changes to Review Board, enabling other team members to review and provide feedback on the modifications before they are merged into the main codebase.

Explanation:

• rbt: This invokes the RBTools command-line interface.
• post: This subcommand is used to create and submit a new review request on Review Board.
• change_number: This argument specifies the identifier of the particular change or revision that you want to post. This could be a change ID from a version control system like Git, indicating which set of changes to consider for review.

Example Output:

Review request #123 created.
URL: https://reviewboard.example.com/r/123/

This output indicates that a new review request has been successfully created and provides a URL where the details of the review request can be accessed.

Use Case 2: Displaying the Diff to Be Sent to Review Board

Code:

rbt diff

Motivation: Before submitting changes for review, developers often need to verify what changes are being included in the review request. The rbt diff command allows developers to see the diff—the differences between various sets of files—within their working directory. This ensures clarity and accuracy, so developers can confirm that they are sending exactly what they intend to for review.

Explanation:

• rbt: Invokes the RBTools command-line interface again.
• diff: This subcommand generates and displays the differences between the current working files and the last known version, similar to running git diff but formatted for Review Board submission.

Example Output:

Index: sample_code.py
===================================================================
--- sample_code.py     (revision 10)
+++ sample_code.py     (working copy)
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-def old_function():
+def new_function():
     print("This is the old function")

This output shows the differences in the code, highlighting what has been changed or replaced, preparing the developer to modify or confirm the changes before sending them for review.

Use Case 3: Landing a Change

Code:

rbt land branch_name

Motivation: Once a code review is completed and accepted, the next step is to integrate these changes into the main branch of the repository. The rbt land command automates this process, helping developers merge reviewed changes safely while managing potential conflicts and maintaining consistency in the version control system.

Explanation:

• rbt: Calls the RBTools interface.
• land: This subcommand is used to merge code changes into the main repository after they have been reviewed and approved.
• branch_name: The branch name refers to the specific branch of the source code that you want to land or merge into the main trunk or another target branch.

Example Output:

Merging branch 'feature-branch' into 'main'.
Successfully merged.

The system outputs details about the merging process, confirming successful integration of changes from the specified branch into the main branch.

Use Case 4: Patching Your Tree with a Change on a Review Request

Code:

rbt patch review_request_id

Motivation: Often, developers need to apply changes from a review request directly to their local repository for testing or further development. The rbt patch command allows developers to fetch the changes associated with a specific review request and apply them locally, enabling quick testing or additional adjustments.

Explanation:

• rbt: Again refers to the command-line interface for RBTools.
• patch: This subcommand fetches and applies a patch from a review request onto your current working directory.
• review_request_id: The identifier for the specific review request from which you want to apply changes. This ID is typically generated during the initial posting of the review request.

Example Output:

Applying patch from review request #123.
Patch applied successfully.

This output indicates that the specified patch has been successfully applied to the local codebase, ready for testing and further development.

Use Case 5: Setting Up RBTools to Communicate with a Repository

Code:

rbt setup-repo

Motivation: Before using RBTools to access Review Board, it’s crucial to configure the tools to know which repository to interact with. This setup ensures that all subsequent commands executed via RBTools are aware of the exact context—such as the repository URL or authentication credentials—needed to perform their operations correctly.

Explanation:

• rbt: Invokes RBTools.
• setup-repo: This subcommand facilitates initial configuration, guiding the developer through setting up the repository connection details needed for RBTools operations.

Example Output:

Repository URL: [Enter repository URL here]
Username: [Enter username here]
Password: [Enter password here]
Configuration complete.

The output shows a step-by-step configuration process wherein users input necessary details to establish a connection with their version control repository.

Conclusion:

RBTools provides an indispensable suite of utilities for developers using Review Board, facilitating everything from posting changes and reviewing diffs to landing changes and applying patches. Through various command-line operations, developers can efficiently manage code reviews and integrate with review systems seamlessly, enhancing team collaboration and software quality. The examples above demonstrate key functionalities of the ‘rbt’ command, highlighting its adaptability to different stages of the review process.