Is using box-scripts the correct implementation for the API?

[clubdeuce]

While implementing this first version of the API, I have begun to question whether calling the CLI is the correct way to do this.

The issues are:

1. BASH scripts can only return exit codes. As a result, it is difficult to get information from the commands, e.g. which version of PHP is the current default? (This can most likely be addressed using wplib.box.json, provided we can find a way to unequivocally ensure that the state of the box matches the information in the json file.)
2. Currently, there are no exit codes implemented for the CLI. As a result, the API must assume that the command succeeded even though it may not have (see Should we implement exit codes? wplib/box-scripts#10).

Other issues may arise, but these two are most obvious now that we are implementing the box console.

[mikeschinkel]

@clubdeuce

BASH scripts can only return exit codes.

Depends. We could use conventions that if you call the commands with a --json switch (or something like that) then the commands could output JSON and thus any information you might need.

Then we can use return codes 1 and 0 to determine success or failure.

BTW, jq works really nicely for generating JSON.

Currently, there are no exit codes implemented for the CLI.

That can be fixed, as I see you already did.

My preference for Bash is because we will be certain not to have compatibilities problems with it and the O/S, and there will be nothing it cannot do as sometimes calling O/S level capabilities from PHP can be problematic. If we stick with Bash we'll know we can always make it work.

However, assuming we do not use Bash scripts, what alternative would you propose? And why?

For Reference

[clubdeuce]

@mikeschinkel I did not have any suggestions, just wanted to start the discussion. The idea of the --json switch addresses the issues, I believe.

[mikeschinkel]

@clubdeuce Okay then, we should probably create a priority list of the commands that need to get updated to add this support. Can you do that here?