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Re: branching question
From: |
Todd Denniston |
Subject: |
Re: branching question |
Date: |
Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:22:09 -0500 |
User-agent: |
Thunderbird 2.0.0.5 (X11/20070716) |
Tim Velten wrote, On 09/20/2007 03:13 PM:
Hi,
We always have multiple major releases in progress at any one time, so we
develop each release on a separate branch.
So right now we have an August release patch branch and an October release
branch. The trunk reflects current production ( August release ).
Now we are ready to create Feb release branch. Normally we would branch
from the trunk and then merge the October release into it, but it seems
that we should just be able to create the Feb branch from the October
branch ( instead of trunk ) since we want Feb branch to look just like
October at the beginning.
Is this correct ? Can I branch from another branch ?
Tim Velten
address@hidden
Spiro's response was a good technical reason why not to do the branching from
a branch from a branch from a branch...
Which would be the pretty much logical way to continue on with what you have
now.
May I suggest some reading?
From the FAQ we have
[1]
http://ximbiot.com/cvs/wiki/index.php?title=CVS_FAQ#Source_Configuration_Management_Best_Practices
[2]
http://ximbiot.com/cvs/wiki/index.php?title=CVS_FAQ#What_is_the_best_branching_practice_to_use_with_CVS.3F
[3] http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/
I suspect the following sections might help:
[4] http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/#BranchingUsage
[5] http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/#BranchingStyle
I think you are using Early Branching[6] &| Overlapping Releases[7]
and are finding that "pay[ing] the price of additional merging and
propagation"[5] is becoming more than its benefits of "a high degree of
fine-grained isolation and control"[5].
And of course look at the advice of those who have studied branching/parallel
development[8].
So are you ready to look at WHY you are currently using the pattern you are,
and see if something else might work better? CVS can do the one you are on,
but as was said, it will eventually get painful (if you don't at least
occasionally say 'Ok everyone out of the branches, and back to the trunk!').
[6]
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/patterns.html#EarlyBranching
[7]
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/patterns.html#OverlappingReleases
[8] http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/acme/branching/#BranchingAdvice
--
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter