RE: Beginner's question on how to use git for multiple parallel versions

On Monday, January 4, 2010 at 14:35:25 (+0100) Christian C. Schouten writes:

Dear Bill,

Thanks for your prompt reply. It may very well be exactly what I need, but
I'm afraid that I don't understand the syntax just yet (am still in the
phase orienting on what version management is and how it should be set up).

Could you please add to your answer whether I am using branches or another
git technique (terminology?) and whether these are instructions that I can
use to commit a change once the system has already been set up or if these
actually are the instructions for defining the multiplicity of my project
versions?

In my example, I used branches, but did not show how to set them up.
Here is the complete example, complete with repository and branch
creation; you would start your project here:

# Set up repo and add first file to main branch:
% mkdir my_project
% cd my_project
% git init
% echo "main line process stuff" > process.bpel
% git add process.bpel
% echo "<non-version-specific table info>" > table.xml
% git add table.xml
% git commit -a -m "First commit on master branch"

# Create branch A and branch B:
% git branch A
% git branch B

# Modify file on branch A:
% git checkout A
% echo "<table A>" > table.xml
% git commit -a -m "Modify table on Branch A"

# Modify file on branch B:
% git checkout B
% echo "<table B>" > table.xml
% git commit -a -m "Modify table on Branch B"

# Now go back to master and make some changes on common file:
% git checkout master
% cat process.bpel
main line process stuff
% echo "add more process stuff" >> process.bpel
% git commit -a -m "fix process stuff on master"

# Now go to branch A and pull in the common file:
% git checkout A
% git merge master
% cat process.bpel
main line process stuff
add more process stuff

# Now go to branch B and pull in the common file:
% git checkout B
% git merge master
% cat process.bpel
main line process stuff
add more process stuff

That should be just about all you need.


Bill