question around sharing/branching & creating patch proje

[grebnicki]

I am coming from a VSS environment where I am accustomed to sharing and pinning older labeled versions of a dev project which to be used to cut patches.

We would share and pin to the older version, and then branch ONLY the changed files in that patch version. Branching all files to create that patch project wasn't required, and we saved a lot of disk space by not doing so.

I'm trying to re-create a similar environment in Vault, but am having some confusion in doing so. This is what I have tried so far:

Scenario 1:
In the Dev project, I can select Show Labels, highlight the desired labeled version, and then select Branch to create the patch project. This gets me what I need, but at the cost of disk space. I'm storing a whole extra project's worth of files, for what may be one tiny fix.

Scenario 2:
I can't seem to Share an older labeled version out of the Dev project, so I shared the current version of the dev project to a patch folder. Then I selected Show Labels, highlighted the older version that I wanted to use, and selected Pin (thinking that I could pin the older version, and then branch off only selected files--thereby saving disk space). When I did this...something odd happened. The newly created shared folder that I created in the patch folder...POOF! it disappeared, and I got an error msg that read: "The object could not be found. It may have been deleted, moved or renamed."

When I look at the Dev project, it still shows the "double folder" icon that indicates that it's shared, but if I view properties for that proejct folder, it shows no shares. So...I guess that means that I'm not supposed to try to create patches that way.

Scenario 3:
I could be sure to Share and Pin to a patch folder as soon as a dev version of code is cut and labeled. Then I'm pinned without wasting disk space and I seem to be able to branch just the files I want to change. The problem here is that, it seems that I need to put branched files in a different folder within Vault. (VSS let me branch them "in place" if you know what I'm saying...?) I'm afraid that this could create problems with recursive folder creation, and files ending up in incorrect folders.

The other problem with this method is that sometimes the developers cut and label a version, and then continue developing. Once they continue developing, it seems that I've lost my opportunity to Share and Pin the version I need to that patch project.

I'm getting the feeling that I need to go with Scenario 1 and forewarn the IT guy that we might be eating up significant disk space. Any thoughts, suggestions, or corrections to what have been mis-steps on my part above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and happy holidays!

Grebnicki

[GregM]

In the Dev project, I can select Show Labels, highlight the desired labeled version, and then select Branch to create the patch project. This gets me what I need, but at the cost of disk space. I'm storing a whole extra project's worth of files, for what may be one tiny fix.

I don't think branches in Vault are anywhere near as expensive as you think they are. They're *much* lighter than in VSS.

I suggest you read this chapter of Eric Sink's Source Control HOWTO.

http://www.ericsink.com/scm/scm_branches.html

[grebnicki]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for...some type of confirmation that I won't be sucking up tons of disk space with every branch.

I don't anticipate many, but you never know...and I am coming from a place where branches were many, and disk space resources few. thanks again!