Unidirectional Folder Sharing between Branch and Trunk

Addie Gisser · Post by **Addie Gisser** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:14 pm

I have created a branch from my trunk and I would like code changes, new files, and deleted files that take place in the trunk to have the same effect in the branch.

Conversly, I do NOT want changes made in the branch to affect the trunk.

What is the best way to achieve this using the tools available in vault.

Thanks,

Addie

dan · Post by **dan** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:20 pm

The Tools->Merge Branches command is exactly what you want. It will apply changes applied to one folder to a different folder, and allows both branch to trunk and/or trunk to branch merging.

Mark loew · Post by **Mark loew** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 5:47 pm

In the case where you want to make changes from the trunk to the branch. When you actually create the branch do you branch and not share the files? I will be doing a branch off of our main trunk quite often and will want to merge all changes in the trunck into the branch while the branch is seperate. Once the trunk release is completed the branch will then merge back into the trunk.

Trunck --- split of branch
Trunk dev ( bug fixes )
Branch dev ( new features )
want to merge all trunk changes into the branch at this time.

Trunk release completed and shipped
Merge Branch back into the trunk.

To do this I would branch and not share. Just want to confirm (never been totally clear on when I should branch and share files )

GregM · Post by **GregM** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 6:45 pm

Generally, the terminology is reversed. The trunk is where you do your major development. When you get close to a release and want a more stable platform, you create a branch. Development on the branch continues up through the release, at which point it stops, and any changes that haven't been already are merged back into the trunk. This way, you still have the branch available if you later need to go back and create an incremental release off that code stream.

You can start off with a share and branch files later as you need to make incremental changes, but I've found that has too much potential for error, with people forgetting to branch the individual files before they modify them.

dan · Post by **dan** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 7:17 am

Yes, just to confirm Mark's answer, you would definitely want to branch the folder and not share it. A share simply makes the same folder appear in multiple places in the tree, and is not appropriate for making changes in two places, becauses when you checkin a change to a shared file, it is updated in all links of the share.

Mark loew · Post by **Mark loew** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 9:34 am

Excellent thanks for clearing things up for me.