A Concept of Branching
Overview
In the Release Manager module, this feature allows you to cut a new branch from the master branch and then create, develop, and perform the function on the new features. As it has been described earlier in the post: Release Manager Overview that when you create an app in the Vahana cloud, it automatically creates two branches related to the new app as follows:
- Master Branch
- Feature Branch
The master branch is the main branch that exists in the production environment. The live application runs in the master branch. The master branch is also referred to as Development branch. When you create an app in the vDesigner module and then access it to develop an application, you access the app in the feature branch.
In the vDesigner module, you cannot access the master branch. The vDesigner module lets you access the app in the feature branch. After you make the changes in the app or add new pages and elements to the app, you can merge the feature branch into the master branch.
Note:- You are recommended that you merge a feature branch into the master branch after you develop a production-ready software application.
The Release Manager module allows you to cut multiple feature branches from the default feature branch. You can cut second-level to n-level branches to add new features to the application. When you cut a branch (child branch) from a branch (parent branch), the child branch automatically inherits all app-level configuration, including pages and elements, from the parent element.
For instance:- suppose, a vDesigner user creates a new app in the default feature branch: F1. Later, two other vDesigner users cut two different branches, F2 and F3, from the F1 branch. These users make changes in F2 and F3 branches. Thus, the user can merge the F2 and F3 branches to create an integration branch, I1.
Finally, the user can release the I1 integration branch and then merge this release into the master branch.
This is a specific scenario that has been illustrated to cut a feature branch from the parent feature branch and then continue application development activity. Cutting ‘n’ number of branches from the parent branch is an effort by a vDesigner user to manage application development process following agile-based software development practices.
The subsequent posts describe how to work with and manage a branch in the Release Manager module.