[boost] CVS Tags and Branches

From: Michael van der Westhuizen (Michael.vanderWesthuizen_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-10-02 05:42:25

Hi All,

I'm about to start writing up some basic CVS documentation (concentrating
on getting diffs etc - all the things people would be used to with a GUI
tool) in response to some rumblings on this list that it would be useful
for people not used to CVS or the command line to have some simple, task
oriented documentation.

So, my first step was to take a look at the tags and branches in the
repository to figure out the tag/branch/merge strategy... and that's
where I got stuck.

Could someone please mail back with what the strategy is... it's a
little unclear. I'd normally expect branches and tagpoints etc. to
be a little more obvious.

Something I'm quite used to is the way OpenBSD CVS works - something
like this:
 * frantic coding happening in the HEAD
 * source is stabilised into the next release (what boost calls RC)
 * CVS is tagged at release time with OPENBSD_3_4_BASE (so you know
   what was originally released)
 * CVS is branched at the tagpoint above to OPENBSD_3_4. This is
   referred to as the 'patch branch', or if you prefer, maintenance
   branch for the 3.4 code.

The way I'd see something like this applying to boost:
 * frantic (ok: well controlled...) coding happens in HEAD
 * CVS is tagged with boost_rc_1_31_0_branchpoint
 * CVS is branched from rc_1_31_0_branchpoint to create
   rc_1_31_0.
 * stabilisation and testing happens in rc_1_31_0.
 * CVS is tagged _on_the_rc_branch_ with boost_1_31_0_base
 * CVS is branched as boost_1_31_0 from the above tag
 * all changes between rc_1_31_0_branchpoint and
   boost_1_31_0_base are merged in the HEAD
 * rc_1_31_0 is abandoned
 * (optionally) bugfixes from the maintenence branch (boost_1_31_0)
   are merged into the HEAD based on a defined merge strategy

Is there some kind of strategy like this in place?

Thanks,
Michael

---
Michael van der Westhuizen
Intec Systems Ltd
Great Westerford, 240 Main Road, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa
P.O. Box 44248, Claremont, 7735, Cape Town, South Africa
Tel    : [phone]
Fax    : [phone]
Mobile : [phone]
E-mail : michael.vanderwesthuizen_at_[hidden]
Web    : www.intec-telecom-systems.com
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice,
however, there is.
                                                             -- Yogi Berra