Choice for Branches and Main Trunk

[Tri]

Hi,

The different team leads have suggested two opposite approaches to manage branches. Can you please provide us with your comments?

Scenario: $ / myProject folder contains the code of the current version

Approach 1: Vault Folder for current version is the same for all releases:
Move the current version in $ / myProject / Current.
When the code is release for version 1.1, create a branch in
$ / myProject / Release / Version_1.1.
For the next v1.2, another branch ($ / myProject / Release / Version_1.2) will be created from $ / myProject / Current

Approach 2: Vault Folder for current version changes at each release
Move the current folder to $ / myProject / Version 1.1
When v1.1 is released, a new branch will be created from it. The new branch named $ / myProject / Version 1.2 will become the current working folder (v1.2 is a future release).

And so on, when time arrives for v1.2 to be released, the v1.2 folder will be branched to v1.3 which will become the new current working folder.

Q1. Which approach is better? So far I am more used to approach #1 as the current folder remains constant, so the majority of developers don't need to change their working environment (source ctrl bindings & working folder). Only the people working on release need to do so.

Q2. Any impact or consequences in terms of branching performance, reliability, traceability, etc. Because Approach #1 always creates branches from the same origin folder. While in Approach #2, branch N is created from the folder of branch N-1.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Tri]

Hi,

I have edited the original post (hit Submit button instead of Preview while I was not yet done with writing the post). Please re-read if you have read the draft version. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Beth]

We have a KB article on managing branches posted here: http://support.sourcegear.com/viewtopic.php?t=193.

It suggests the same thing as your Approach 1.