Check-in/folder history after a branch

[rak]

I have a simple question: is there any way to retain the check-in history of a folder after it has been branched (copied)? I know file history remains but viewing the history of folders or check-ins only shows the changes in that branch.

Vault Version 5.0.0.18701

[Beth]

We don't have that ability at this time. You would have to check the origin history.

I can put in a feature request.

[Virgil Smith]

+1 to Feature Request Please
Vault 8.0.1.30299

Suggested Workaround: "You would have to check the origin history."

Note that this requires that you know where the item was branched FROM and this is not displayed in "View folder history by version". However, if you select the branch point entry in the listing and select 'Details' it WILL display where the folder was branched from (the 'origin').

Also note that this workaround will be difficult to follow if the folder has been moved/deleted from the 'origin' location.

[Beth]

I have some additional questions about what you're looking for (rak and Virgil Smith). I ran a test on the VaultProDemo server. I took Folder6, added some more history to it, then I branched it. The branch is called BranchFolder6. Then I looked at the history of BranchFolder6, and all the history is there. It may look like it's only for BranchFolder6, because in the first column it never says Folder6, but what it's trying to show is the history of BranchFolder6, which includes Folder6's history.

I've attached an excel spreadsheet showing the history, and a couple of screenshots showing what I'm referring to.

This one is the Folder6 history showing in the branch.

original history of Folder6.JPG (60.05 KiB) Viewed 9296 times

This shows where the branch actually happened.

Actual Branch of Folder 6.JPG (25.9 KiB) Viewed 9296 times

[Virgil Smith]

To be clear, yes, the underlying capability is there, but the history display is cut off at the branch point, [i]when using "View folder history by version"[/i]. Unfortunately, suggesting "View folder history by item" as a workaround is a non-starter [i]even though it works OK if you try to build up a simple/quick test case/example[/i].

The problem here is getting swamped in needless detail/repetition. If I have a branch point there is some significant reason for it. If I have reason to go digging back past a branch point it means either I'm digging [i]way[/i] back or I'm trying to see where in the release or product split cycles some feature was introduced (or both). In the first case having to see every commit entry duplicated for every file involved in the commit means I have to mentally parse 2-10 times as much data which could mean parsing [b]thousands[/b] of lines (and going back to the database again and again to fetch more rows). In the second case I obviously only want to be looking at change set (commit) comments ("View folder history by [b]version[/b]").

Ranting Tangent (separate issue): As far as I'm concerned "View folder history by item" is a horrible anachronism resulting from Vault's origin as a VSS replacement and the fact that I still have to unselect it every time I "Show History" is a bug. Also, having separate "item comments" is just a great way to frustrate one's team members by playing "now you see it, now you don't" games.

[Beth]

I had put in a feature request, but I had another idea that may help with comparing before and after a branch. Something you might try is putting labels on the folders before and after the branch. Then you should be able to perform a Diff of the labels to compare, or a diff of the current branch to a label on the original.

F: 19589