Re: Fwd: What is the best way to backport a feature?

[Peter Weseloh <peter.weseloh@googlemail.com>]

2009/11/29 Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>:
> [please keep the Cc list]
Sorry!
>
> http://gitster.livejournal.com/42247.html
>
> Basically, as soon as you merge Mainline into Feature_A, you change the topic
> of Feature_A from "Feature for Release_1.0" to "Feature for this Mainline".
> Clearly, this topic is not suitable for Release_1.0 anymore.
>
> There is a way around this that doesn't sacrifice the topic-oriented nature of
> the branch: You keep developing Feature_A as planned for Release_1.0 and when
> you notice that merging this feature to Mainline will become increasingly
> complex, you fork off a new branch Feature_A_for_Release_2.0 from Mainline
> and merge Feature_A into this new branch:
>
>   o--o--o                    Release_1.0
>  /    \  \
>  o-o-o--o--o-o-o-o-X-o---o--o Mainline
>      \             \
>       F1            o--o     Feature_A_for_Release_2.0
>        \           /  /
>         F2--------F3-F4      Feature_A
>
> The fork point X must be in Release_2.0.

That makes perfect sense. I will discuss your suggestion with my
colleagues and will send them the link you mentioned. It's just that
branching and especially merging with CVS is so painful that they
might get scared :-). With git that's completly different, of course.

Thanks a lot,
Peter