Branch versions

If a document is to be edited simultaneously by several authors or if different variants are to be managed in parallel, you may create version branches in BSCW: two or more parallel version branches with two or more current versions. A new version branch is again a document under version control that starts from any version of the original document. It is also possible to create new branches from version branches again.

•      Select  New Version Branch in the context menu of a document under Version Control.

•      In the form 'New version branch' the version history is displayed. There, by clicking the radio button in the 'Number' column, you specify the version from which the new branch should start. Name the new version branch.

The first version of the new branch document is a copy of the initial version of the original document in the same folder. The state is taken over, the version number is formed by appending next-branch-number. 1; this can be changed via  Version info.

Note: Copying documents under version control means branching, i.e. a new version branch of the document is automatically created in the clipboard.

BSCW does not provide any special support for reunifying different version branches that have been developed in parallel. In this respect, it is particularly important to write meaningful change descriptions and to discuss the version structure with the members of the workspace who edit other version branches, thus facilitating a smooth merging of the version branches into one document.

Note: You cannot save a new branch version as a major version, i.e. you cannot specify a major version number as the branch version number when creating a new branch version.       
Example: Suppose you created a new branch 0.1.0.1 starting from the major version 0.1. You edit the underlying file and save it as new branch versions 0.1.0.2 and 0.1.0.3. Now, if you want to save a new branch version as a major version, you cannot simply increase the version number from 0.1.0.3 to 1.0 for version safety reasons. Instead, you must enter 0.1.0.4 as the new version number and create a new major version by uploading the file underlying version 0.1.0.4 and saving it as major version 1.0.