Confusion with Merge Tool

davenovak · Post by **davenovak** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:24 am

Here’s my scenario. I have a source branch (call it $/Release 7.0) and a create a new branch from this source root (call it $/Release 8.0). I then continue independent development in both branches. Then, days or weeks after creating the new $/Release 8.0 branch from $/Release 7.0, I wish to merge forward changes from $/Release 7.0. So I run the merge tool.

When running the merge tool, I select $/Release 7.0 as my origin folder and $/Release 8.0 as my target folder. What I find confusing is that the Select Changes to be Merged page shows me the history of all changes – even those prior to the branch. Why does it do this? Wasn’t $/Release 8.0 identical to $/Release 7.0 at the time of the branch? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just show the changes since the branch? And if branching was done on a label, wouldn't it be better if it only showed the changes since that label branch?

If I’m missing something here, please explain.

davenovak · Post by **davenovak** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:42 am

NOTE: When merging the other way (from $/Release 8.0 to $/Release 7.0), I only see the changes made since that branch was created. This is desirable. I just would like to see it do the same going from $/Release 7.0 to $/Release 8.0.

GregM · Post by **GregM** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 7:20 pm

The way that the merge tool currently works, you can merge any changes from any project to any other project. The projects do not even need to be related. You could have checked in both Release 7.0 and Release 8.0 directly from disk, and still merge the changes made in Version 8 back to Version 7.

From what I remember reading in the forum, tthey're redesigning the merge tool to work more like you expect, using information on branch operations, and what's already been merged.

davenovak · Post by **davenovak** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:39 am

I'm glad to hear they are looking to change that. I understand that you can merge any two folders, but whatever the source and target is the merge tool needs to look at relationships and eliminate any common history.