Branches in CVS repository?

[Nick Clifton]

Hi Mark,

>> But it is best to be explicit.  How about:
>>
>>   <module(s)>-<org>-<reason>-<date>
>>
>> eg:
>>
>>   binutils-csl-ARM_development-050118

> I don't quite understand the date part.  Is this because we might merge 
> our changes forward to a new basepoint (like the 050221 mainline 
> version) later?

No, I was suggesting the date part for two reasons:

   * It documents when the branch was started without having to look in 
the logs.  This can be helpful if multiple possible branches are 
available to the developer and they want to choose the most recent one.

   * It allows future branches with the same purpose to be created.  For 
example suppose that CodeSourcery completed their work on the 
binutils-csl-ARM_development-050118 branch and merged the results back 
into the mainline.  Then a year later ARM comes back to CodeSourcery and 
says "we liked the work you did so much, here is a new contract". 
Rather than starting with the binutils-csl-ARM_development-050118-branch 
and having to backport all of the changes that have been made in the 
mainline since then you can simply create a new branch 
"binutils-csl-ARM_development-070101-branch".


> May we make the date optional?

We could, if you can convince me that it is unneeded.  At the moment I 
still think that it is useful.

Cheers
   Nick