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Using Web Author with a Git Repository

Oxygen XML Web Author includes a Git plugin that allows you to edit files stored in a Git repository (including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and generic Git integrations). To access the files in these repositories, it is assumed that your system administrator has enabled and configured this plugin in your installation of Oxygen XML Web Author.

Opening or Creating Files

To open a file stored in a Git repository or create a new file, go to the main Dashboard, click the tab for your particular Git file repository integration (GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, or Git), and log in. To create a new document, click on New in the top-right corner. To open an existing document, browse for the file and double-click it (or tap on a mobile device). If you need to change the repository or branch, click the Edit button.

Tip: If a file is not already in your repository, you can use the

Upload File button to upload it before selecting it. You can also drag a file from your system file browser and drop it into the Web Author file browser.

Note: If your connection has not yet been configured, a dialog box will be displayed that provides instructions for configuring and selecting the URL for the connection. For more information, see Configuring a Plugin.

Committing Files to a Git Repository

To commit a file to a configured Git repository, select Commit from the Git drop-down menu located on the toolbar (or use the Ctrl + S (Command + S on macOS) shortcut). If you have push access to the repository, a Commit on Git dialog box will be opened that allows you to enter a commit message and choose the branch where the commit will be processed (you can also edit the name of the branch in this dialog box).

The Commit on Git dialog box includes the following options:

Commit message - Use this text box to enter a commit message.
Choose a previously entered comment - Use this history drop-down to select a previously used commit message.
Signed-off-by - Use this option to specify a person who signed off on the commit.
Attention: This option is only visible if the Allow users to add a Signed-off-by trailer to commit messages option is enabled in your organization's Git configuration.
Branch - You can choose to commit on the current branch or a new branch. If you choose Commit on a new branch, the new branch will be created automatically and you also have the option to automatically create a pull request.
Open this dialog with Ctrl+S - If this option is selected, the Commit on Git dialog box can be opened by using the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut.

Note: If your organization uses GitLab protected branches and you do not have access to the current branch, you will only have the option to Commit on a new branch.

If someone else has committed the current document since you last opened it (causing conflicts), a Commit Status confirmation dialog box will appear.

The Commit Status dialog box allows you to choose the following options:

Click here link - You can click the link at the top of the dialog box to see the difference between the two commits.
Merge and commit - Merges your changes with versions that were committed by other people and commits the merged changes.
Commit on a new branch - Creates a new branch that contains your version of the document so that you can merge the changes at a later time, after the conflicts have been solved.
Commit only my changes - Commits your changes regardless of whether or not there was a conflict, and the changes made by the other user are lost.
Cancel - Cancels the operation and your changes are not committed to the repository. Before canceling, you could click the link at the top to see the differences, correct the conflicts manually, and then commit afterward using the Commit only my changes option.

Committing to a Repository Without Access Rights

If you try to commit a file on a repository that you do not have access to, a dialog box is displayed that allows you to enter or choose a commit message but you cannot choose a branch. It warns you that continuing will commit the file to a new branch and allows you to create an automatic pull request.

When you tap or click the Commit button, the Git connector will automatically do the following:

Fork the project into your account, if it is not already.
Create a new branch from the edited branch.
Commit your changes on this newly created branch.
Create a pull request from your newly created branch to the originally edited branch.
Switch the editor to your branch so further save operations will just add new commits to your branch, thus updating the pull request with new changes.

Working with and Connecting to a Generic Git Repository Stored on a Central Server

If you use Oxygen XML Web Author to access a generic Git repository stored on a central server, a clone of that repository is created on the Web Author server. This clone remains in sync with its original repository as follows:

When you open a file, it is pulled from the original repository.
When you commit a file, it is automatically pushed to the original repository.

Note: Web Author cannot be used to edit files stored in a local repository on a user's computer.

How to Connect to a Generic Git Repository

To connect to a Git repository using the built-in generic Git connector, follow these steps:

Go to your repository page (for example, https://github.com/owner/repo) and copy the Git HTTPS URL (usually, this can be found using the Clone action and in some cases, you will need to copy the URL from within the displayed command).
Go to the Web Author Dashboard and click the generic Git icon.
Log in using your repository credentials.
Paste the repository URL you copied in step 1 into the input field and click Connect.

View on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket

The Git drop-down menu located on the toolbar includes an action to view the current document on your particular repository. Depending on your type of configured Git repository, the action is named View on GitHub, View on GitLab, or View on Bitbucket. Selecting this action opens the current document in a new browser tab where you can view the source code in a text editor on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.