Big php application and CVS

[zWaR]

I am running a bigger php application and I want to run two branches of it on a CVS repository: stable one (with current bugfixes) and a developmental one. How is it with merging of those two branches? What is the best strategy?

If I only apply bugfixes to the stable branch and merge the branches when the new devel version becomes stable, a disaster is going to happen. So I figured out a better solution and came along with idea to apply bugfixes on both branches and once the devel branch becomes stable, it replaces the old stable release (no merging required at all).

Since I do not have a lot of experiences in CVS, I am not sure whether the suggested solution would work fine and if there are any pitfalls I am not aware of. So I am asking you for tips and suggestions (maybe there is even better solution for the problem as I suggested..).

 

[Mthales]

Hi there I hope that by now you've found a way to work with CVS to a satisfactory level but in case you haven't I thought I'd post a few words from my experience here:

I also have developed a large php application and kept it in CVS. The way I worked was that I had one branch and indicated stable releases by means of a tag. Then I checked out (exported) the release tagged version to a location where it would be run from.
Meanwhile I continued development and bug fixing putting every change in CVS on my one branch and I checked out the head of that branch to another location from which I would test it.
Once that I was happy that the development version had become stable I would add a new release tag and export that version to my "stable location". This meant there was no merging to do and every change was fully tested before it went into the stable version and also traceable. By traceable I mean not only could I see every change to my development version but also I could very quickly get to any released version because all I need do was export for the appropriate tag.
I hope this helps
M

--------------------------------------
Are respectable professionals in considerable peril merely by being in my presence?
---Emma the Mad (or the Well-Beloved)