Java™ Application Development on Linux - Dator

208Chapter 8Know What You Have: CVSa.javav. 1.3a.javav. 1.4a.javav. 1.5a.javav. 1.6Heada.javav. 1.4a.javav. 1.5QAFigure 8.4 A simple branch and mergeFigure 8.4 shows a single source file with a single branch. The tag (QA)may have been applied to multiple files, typically to your entire project. Thebranched version of each file (for example, 1.3.1.1) is not created until the nextchange is checked in for that file, so many of the files with the tag may still beon their main source branch.TIPWhen do you want to create a branching tag? You can do it at any time that youlay down a tag. We have found it best to do it right away when you “release”your software, that is, whenever you hand it off to another group (e.g., QA orcustomers). This provides a label (the tag) to identify what exactly was handedoff, but also puts the possibility for branching in place for fixes that may beneeded on that branch.Let’s look briefly at the steps you would take to lay down a branching tagnamed QA, and then apply a fix to that branch.In the directory where you have your current source, which is what youjust released, set down the branching tag:$ cvs tag -b QANOTEYou have just set down the branching label on the source but you have notchanged your current set of sources. If you make changes in the current directory(and subdirectories) and check those changes in, you will be making thosechanges to the head, not the branch, of the source.