Override of repository for update

[pauloneves]

I've been doing a lot of template updates. My workflow would be greatly enhanced if I could override the _src_path var in the .copier-answers.yml file.

Here what I do when I want to try a new feature in my template:

1. Edit the .copier-answers.yml file in my project from a git server url to a local path where the template is cloned
2. commit it
3. change template in local path without commiting
4. run uv tool run copier update --vcs-ref=HEAD
5. git restore .
6. goto 3 till satisfied
7. commit template and create a new version git tag
8. do a real update in local project
9. edit .copier-answers.yml file to point back to the gitlab server url

It's a little convoluted. If I were able to override the template repository during updates it would make the process cleaner.

Can I already do it? How do you modify your templates? Are there better ways to develop?

[sisp]

I haven't tested it, but I think a Git URL rewrite should work:

1. Set the URL rewrite:

   git config --global url."/path/to/your/local/template".insteadOf "https://git.example.com/your/template.git"

2. Run copier update ...

3. Reset the URL rewrite:

   git config --global --unset-all url."/path/to/your/local/template".insteadOf

Make sure that your local clone contains the full history and all tags.

[pauloneves]

Excellent idea. Thanks.

The command like option would still be nice. I have a hundred repos and sometimes I'm just testing in one or two of them with unpublished modifications, but I may need to update the others to change the selected options. I'd still forget to go back the the published template.

But this way has 2 big vantages from my old workflow:

1. I don't need to manually edit .copier-answers.yml
2. If I push by mistake my generated project repo, it wouldn't break my co-workers,