+# given a location in the filesystem, we will go to that location and attempt to
+# update any revision control repositories stored there to the latest versions.
+function update_source_folders()
+{
+ folder="$1"; shift
+ sep
+ if [ ! -d "$folder" ]; then
+ echo "The folder '$folder' does not exist, so skipping repository update there."
+ return;
+ fi
+ echo getting latest codes in $folder...
+ pushd "$folder"
+ if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+ echo Changing to the folder $folder failed.
+ return 1
+ fi
+ bash "$FEISTY_MEOW_SCRIPTS/rev_control/rcheckin.sh"
+ if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+ echo Checking out the latest codes has failed somehow for $folder.
+ return 1
+ fi
+ popd
+ sep
+}
+
+# this attempts to copy all the contents in a folder called "from" into a folder
+# called "to". it's a failure for the "from" folder to not exist, but the "to"
+# is allowed to not exist (in which case we don't try to synch to it).
+function synch_directory_to_target()
+{
+ local from="$1"; shift
+ local to="$1"; shift
+
+ sep
+
+ if [ ! -d "$from" ]; then
+ echo "skipping synch on missing source directory: ${from}"
+ return 0
+ fi
+ if [ ! -d "$to" ]; then
+ echo "skipping synch into non-existent target directory $to"
+ return 0
+ fi
+
+ echo "synching from $from into $to"
+ netcp "$from"/* "$to"/
+ if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+ echo "The synchronization of $from into $to has failed."
+ return 1
+ fi
+}
+
+# the uber controller method that does the "hard" work of updating.
+# any items from the MAJOR_ARCHIVE_SOURCES that are on the target will be
+# updated. any items found on the target matching the members of the
+# SOURCECODE_HIERARCHY_LIST will be treated as code hierarchies and updated.