sticky tag Y for file X is not a branch

[Paul Summermatter]

All,

    I'm not sure how I got into this situation, but I could  
desperately use some help getting myself out of it.

    Let me first provide some background information.  Our  
repository currently has two branches in addition to the trunk.  The  
branches have both been there for over 8 months, and we've been  
working with them without incident until early last week.   
Specifically, there are a set of files inside a directory for which  
we are unable to commit any changes to one of the branches.  Now, not  
all of the files in the directory have a problem, only some of them.

    Here is an example of one of the files:

9-padua% cvs commit -m "Test Checkin"  
UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java
Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11  
forwarding.
cvs server: sticky tag `V00-FR7_3_0_5_39' for file  
`UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java' is not a  
branch
cvs [server aborted]: correct above errors first!
9-padua% cvs status  
UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java
Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11  
forwarding.
===================================================================
File: UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java  
Status: Locally Modified

   Working revision:    1.2.2.1
   Repository revision: 1.2.2.1 /opt/cvsroot/V3/ICTS/src/com/ 
tradecapture/icts/reporting/control/common/unlimitedhedgereport/ 
UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java,v
   Sticky Tag:          V00-FR7_3_0_5_39 (revision: 1.2.2.1)
   Sticky Date:         (none)
   Sticky Options:      (none)

    I am not a cvs internals expert, but I noted that the Sticky Tag  
line above does not say (branch: 1.2.2.1) but says (revision:  
1.2.2.1).  How cvs determines whether the file is on a branch tag or  
not is the crux of my problem.  An example of another file in the  
directory that is not having this problem is as follows:

10-padua% cvs status TradeItemHR.java                       ~/ 
Developer/TC/V3_FR7/ICTS/src/com/tradecapture/icts/reporting/control/ 
common/unlimitedhedgereport
Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11  
forwarding.
===================================================================
File: TradeItemHR.java  Status: Up-to-date

   Working revision:    1.4.2.1
   Repository revision: 1.4.2.1 /opt/cvsroot/V3/ICTS/src/com/ 
tradecapture/icts/reporting/control/common/unlimitedhedgereport/ 
TradeItemHR.java,v
   Sticky Tag:          V00-FR7_3_0_5_39 (branch: 1.4.2)
   Sticky Date:         (none)
   Sticky Options:      (none)

    This problem is impacting all users (windows and mac clients).   
It happens after a clean checkout of the repository and in an  
existing working copy of the repository.  I've tried a few different  
suggestions I found on the web (see the following), but I end up in  
the same spot every time:

"Scenario3:

If you made the same mistake as in Scenario2 (of placing a non-branch  
tag where you wanted a branch tag), but really want <oldtag> to be  
the name of your branch, you can execute a slightly different series  
of commands to rename it and move your working directory onto the  
branch.

Warning: This is not a way to rename a branch tag. It is a way to  
turn a non-branch tag into a branch tag with the same name.

                    cvs rtag -r <oldtag> <branch_point_tag> <module>
                    cvs rtag -d <oldtag> <module>
                    cvs rtag -b -r <branch_point_tag> <oldtag>  
<module>"

    When I look a the top of the file of one of the problem files on  
the cvs server itself, I can't see why cvs doesn't recognize that the  
file is tagged with a branch tag.  When I compare this file with  
other files that are not having a problem, I can't see a an obvious  
difference.  Here is the top of  
UnlimitedHedgeReportController_FuturesandCINComments.java,v:

head    1.3;
access;
symbols
        V3_0_5_57:1.2.2.1
        V3_0_5_56:1.2.2.1
        V3_0_5_55:1.2.2.1
        V3_0_6_31:1.2
        V00-FR7_3_0_5_39:1.2.2.1
        V3_0_6_30:1.2
        V3_0_6_29:1.2
        V3_0_6_28:1.2
        V3_0_6_27:1.2
        V3_0_6_26:1.2
        V3_0_6_25:1.2;
locks; strict;
comment @# @;


1.3
date    2005.08.31.13.07.04;    author joedeveloper1;        state Exp;
branches;
next    1.2;

1.2
date    2005.07.27.10.33.29;    author joedeveloper2;   state Exp;
branches
        1.2.2.1;
next    1.1;

1.1
date    2005.07.22.15.07.48;    author joedeveloper3;        state Exp;
branches;
next    ;

1.2.2.1
date    2005.08.18.17.43.35;    author joedeveloper3;        state Exp;
branches;
next    ;


    At this point, I'm hopelessly lost as to how to fix this  
problem.  There are about 10 files in our repository that I have  
identified with this problem.  I have no idea how they got into this  
state or what to do to get out of this state (without losing all the  
history on the files).  I'm more than happy to manually edit the ,v  
file if need be.  If anyone knows a solution and/or can explain how  
cvs figures out what is a branch tag and what is a plain point tag, I  
would appreciate it.

Regards,
Paul