RE: using head revision in branch after add on branch

[Thornley, David]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: C. Wienberg [mailto:address@hidden
> Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 4:07 AM
> To: address@hidden
> Subject: Re: using head revision in branch after add on branch
> 
> 
> Hi Greg,
> 
> > > You can only check them in into _one_ module.
> > Of course -- that's about the only way you'll ever make any kind of
> > change management system make sense!
> 
> I think there is a misunderstanding: I do not intend to check 
> one file 
> into several modules! I just want to check in different 
> files, that are 
> in a common _folder_, into different repositories!
>  
Nope; not in CVS.  It would take a major redesign of CVS to make
this possible.

> > > If we have one module for common stuff and one with 
> specialties, that go
> > > into the same directory, we have a problem.
> > Huh?  Nope.  Not a problem.  The source modules are each checked out
> > into their own working directories.  Your build system combines them
> > into the common target directory.
> 
> Well, so far we have very successfully been working using branches, 
> without the need to have an additional build system, like ANT.
> Also, I do not think that what we do is an abuse of the 
> branch concept,
> or that my request is perverted ;-). 
> 
I wouldn't call the desire perverted, but CVS alone isn't going to
do what you want, and probably never will.  This is unfortunate, since
the easiest way to test things is often to change them in the working
directory rather than to change them elsewhere and run make/ANT/whatever,
but it is a characteristic of CVS.

All files managed by CVS that are checked out into one directory
must be in the same directory in the same repository.  If you don't
like this, your choices are basically:
1.  Check the files out into separate directories and use some sort
of build process to put them in the working directories.
2.  Bash your repository until all the files are in the same
repository directories (which obviously may not be possible, such
as if you're using other people's repositories).
3.  Bash your working directories so that they work the way
the repository is set up.
4.  Use another version control system (which, if you're using
other people's repositories, may also not be possible).
5.  Modify CVS extensively on your own (bearing in mind that your
changes are almost certainly not going to become part of mainstream
CVS).

There is no guarantee that any of these options are attractive,
but I don't see any alternatives.