[p4] Help with Labels and Integration

[Robert Cowham]

Hi Keri-Lyn

For more on this topic, see my blog article:

http://www.robertcowham.com/blog/scm/p4_sparse_branching.html

I would recommend reconsidering the decision. You are already mentioning
"it's a bit complicated but it sort of works..." - have a go at making it
simpler - your lives will be easier in the future and you will save time,
effort and unplanned delays due to errors made because of complications...

That said maybe there are other factors involved I am not aware of.

Re the label usage, I think you may not have fully grasped how useful it is
to have to consider only branches and changelists (many Perforce shops do
not use labels at all), and to have consistent states (or configurations)
along a codeline such that the codeline is increasing in value over time.

Over use of labels leads to complications and confusions. Worst case I have
seen in my consulting work is a client with 85,000 labels and counting in
2-3 years. They weren't just labels either, they were labels of labels and
overlapped so had to be put together in a set order or you would get
different results. Very difficult to understand what was going on - e.g.
needed a tool to find out which labels a file was in. Result was mistakes,
inefficiencies, etc. That example came from applying PVCS thinking to
Perforce - not a good idea.

Robert

> -----Original Message-----
> From: perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com 
> [mailto:perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com] On Behalf Of 
> Mullis, Keri-Lyn
> Sent: 18 October 2006 19:23
> To: Robert Cowham; perforce-user at perforce.com
> Subject: Re: [p4] Help with Labels and Integration
> 
> Thanks Robert...
> 
> We have had this debate for a while here at my company about 
> branching the entire application or just bits and pieces.  It 
> was out of my control but the decision was to just branch 
> what is going to be changed.
> Because this decision was made, we researched how to create "virtual"
> client by manipulating the client spec parms to point to the 
> "Current_Production" branch to create a workspace that 
> contains all of the applications pieces.  It's a bit 
> complicated but it gets us working.
> 
> 
> But - even if we did branch everything, we only want to 
> include in the label what has changed, not the whole app.  
> Some things are delivered to production as-is (content only), 
> and some things do need to be built first (we haven't gotten 
> to this piece just yet).  
> 
> I am going to take your comments though and bring them up at 
> our next meeting - hopefully they will see the light.  :-)
> 
> Thanks for all your help (and any other advice you might have!)
> 
> Keri-Lyn
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com
> [mailto:perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com] On Behalf Of Robert Cowham
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 5:12 AM
> To: Mullis, Keri-Lyn; perforce-user at perforce.com
> Subject: Re: [p4] Help with Labels and Integration
> 
> Hi Keri-Lyn
> 
> If I were you I would change what you are doing slightly to 
> fit in with how Perforce is designed to do branching:
> 
> - developer creates "initiative branch" by branching 
> *everything* from Current_Production
> - developer makes changes, labels whole branch, goes to QA etc.
> - integrate back everything up to and including the label to 
> Current_Production
> 
> Do this in p4v 2006.1 by:
> 
> Right clicking branch spec (you did create one of these for 
> the branch didn't you), Integrate using...
> 
> Under options you may wish to tick "Reverse" depending on 
> direction of branch spec Under "Limit Revision Range", tick 
> "End" change dropdown to label and either type in or browse for label.
> 
> Click integrate and then resolve as normal.
> 
> QED - quite easily done as my Maths teacher used to say (not the Latin
> teacher!)
> 
> Robert
> P.s. Your proposal to only branch files developer plans to 
> change isn't how Perforce is designed to work. It is 
> possible, but makes life harder if he suddenly realises that 
> he needs to change (and thus branch) yet another file. Let 
> Perforce's merge tracking to the work for you instead.
> 
> > Here's the deal - we are restructuring our Perforce development 
> > process, by going with a mainline/branching model.  We have a 
> > "Current_Production" branch, and for each initiative, 
> creating another 
> > branch (of just the files that are changing) - Ok - so in the 
> > "initiative branch", a developer does his work, labels it, 
> it goes to 
> > QA based on the label, he makes changes, he creates a new 
> label, new 
> > label goes to QA...
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > We decided when it's time for the production installation 
> (we have a 
> > production environment we update, not new builds or CD's going to 
> > customers), we would take the contents of the tested/passed 
> QA/locked 
> > label and integrate back into the Current_Production 
> branch, BASED ON 
> > THE LABEL.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Is there any way to integrate using the label as the source?
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Keri-Lyn Mullis
> > 
> > Release Engineer
> > 
> >  
> > 
> >  
> > 
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