Fix broken and stale build instructions in README - #2058
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The build instructions from issue #1996 have gotten worse since it was filed: the liftsh script they reference no longer exists in this repository at all (the project now builds with plain sbt, per project/build.properties and .github/workflows/ci.yaml), so the documented `./liftsh +update +publish` command fails outright rather than just hitting a bad download URL. - Replace the liftsh build instructions with the actual sbt workflow used by CI (`sbt test` / `sbt publishLocal`), and drop the pointer to the Assembla wiki page, which still documents the removed liftsh script. - Swap the dead Travis CI badge/link for the GitHub Actions workflow that actually builds this repo, and fill in the previously-empty "Continuous Integration" section describing it. - Update `master` branch references (badge, SUPPORT.md/CONTRIBUTING.md/ contributors.md links) to `main`, the repository's actual default branch. - Bump the stale 3.3.0 version used in the sbt/Maven dependency examples to the current 4.0.0 release, and note Scala 3 cross-build support alongside 2.13. - Correct the "Project Organization" section: the persistence components (Mapper/Record) were removed from this repository as of Lift 4.0 and no longer exist here. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GjZjf9sgANRdtg2WMcxba2
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Pull request overview
Updates the root README to reflect the current build/CI and repository structure, replacing removed or stale instructions (e.g., liftsh, Travis badge, master links) with the sbt- and GitHub Actions–based workflow actually used by the project.
Changes:
- Replace Travis CI badge with GitHub Actions badge and add a short CI description/link.
- Update dependency examples and Maven/Scala version guidance for the Lift 4.x line.
- Remove/replace stale repo references (e.g.,
masterlinks, persistence component mention,liftshbuild steps).
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sbt test only runs against the default scalaVersion, not across crossScalaVersions like the earlier text claimed. Use sbt +test / +publishLocal (sbt's built-in cross-build alias) so the documented commands actually match the described behavior. Also fix a pre-existing "Repostories" typo in the section heading this PR already touches. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GjZjf9sgANRdtg2WMcxba2
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Mailing List thread:
N/A — this addresses an already-filed, publicly-discussed issue (#1996) rather than opening new discussion; happy to start a thread if a committer prefers that first.
Summary
Closes #1996, whose underlying problem has gotten worse since it was filed: the
liftshscript the README tells readers to run doesn't just have a stale download URL anymore — it has been removed from the repository entirely. Following the current README literally now fails immediately with "no such file," rather than failing partway through a download.While verifying the fix I found several other README claims that no longer match the state of the repository, so I corrected those too since the goal is for the README to be accurate, not just for the one broken command to be replaced:
liftshis gone. Replaced the./liftsh +update +publishinstructions with the actual sbt-based workflow this repo's own CI uses (.github/workflows/ci.yaml):sbt test/sbt publishLocal, using the sbt version pinned inproject/build.properties. Also dropped the link to the Assembla "Building Lift" wiki page — I checked it, and it still documents the removedliftshscript too, so linking to it just hands readers the same dead end..github/workflows/ci.yaml. Swapped the badge/link for that, and filled in the previously-empty "Continuous Integration" section at the bottom of the README with a short, accurate description.master→main. The default branch was renamed at some point; the CI badge and theSUPPORT.md/CONTRIBUTING.md/contributors.mdreference links at the bottom of the README still pointed at the no-longer-existentmasterbranch.3.3.0version in the dependency examples. Bumped the sbt and Maven snippets to4.0.0, the actual latest release, and noted the Scala 3 cross-build support that shipped with it (build.sbtcross-builds 2.13.18 and 3.3.7).persistencecomponent (Mapper/Record) as part of this repo; Lift 4.0 removed persistence entirely (confirmed against the 4.0.0 release notes and the actual directory layout, which has nopersistencefolder). Replaced that bullet with a note that persistence was removed as of 4.0 and pointing users who need it at 3.x.What I didn't touch
CONTRIBUTING.mdhas its own stalemaster-branch link back toSUPPORT.md, and the g8 template links (lift/basic-app.g8,lift/blank-app.g8) referencemasteron repos outside this one that I couldn't verify from here — left both alone rather than guess.Test plan
project/build.properties,build.sbt,.github/workflows/ci.yaml, directory layout,git branch/git remote) rather than against the old README text.liftshdoes not exist anywhere in the repo (grep -ri liftshonly matches the README itself, pre-fix).mainviagit remote show origin.4.0.0and that it removed the persistence components, via the GitHub release notes and the current directory layout.sbt testbuild in this environment (sbt isn't installed here and bootstrapping it would need Maven Central access); the commands documented mirror.github/workflows/ci.yamlexactly, so CI on this PR will exercise the same build.Generated by Claude Code