Phpar2 - Its importance

I'd like to explain why phpar2 is important, or what it provides.

I've been managing data for a long time now, and I've realised: script everything. Scripting allows you to always deploy your best practices. Not only your best practices get encapsulated in one set of scripts, but your deployment across multiple sites is consistent.

I use to have multiple methods of managing databases. Bespoke methods for different customers, different strategies for live, test and training databases. That's a crap approach.

One approach based on my best practices is the best method. Or, if you do have multiple methods, use one set of scripts to manage them. Scripts is the meta-management of minutia that we admins usually get bogged down in. That's why script management is a much more powerful approach than manual methods, or bespoke site-specific methods.

So, what does this have to do with phpar2? There's no functionality like parity data in PowerShell (PS). If there were, I wouldn't be using phpar2. I see phpar2 as an extension of PS which provides parity data for user data files. I will be writing PS functions around phpar2 to control its functions from other scripts. And, to have confidence in it I need to test it and ensure it works consistently 100% of the time. I also need to know its limitations.

If it doesn't work, or its limitations are too significant, then I'll not being using it. The closest alternative is command-line rar.exe from Winrar. But Winrar can generate parity only after compression & splitting.