About branches, versions, and labels

Resources under VersionVault source control are identified by branch names, version numbers, and labels.

Every file or folder under VersionVault source control is stored as an element that has one or more branches and one or more versions on each branch. Many versions also have labels. Branches and versions are created as an element is modified. Labels are applied as needed (to distinguish a specific branch and version as special, for example, or to provide a convenient way to select a set of related versions). These branches, versions, and labels exist regardless of whether you use UCM or base VersionVault; in UCM, you do not need to work with them directly. Branch, version, and label information for resources under VersionVault source control is available through the VersionVault Navigator view. and VersionVault properties view. You can also use the VersionVault Version Tree view to find branch, version, and label information for VersionVault resources.

You can also use the VersionVault Navigator view to create branch and label types. For more information about branches, versions, and labels, see the documentation.

Branches and versions

When you add a resource to VersionVault source control, an element representing that resource is created in the VOB. The element has a single branch named main and a single version (version 0) on that branch. Successive versions of the element can be created on the main branch, and additional branches can be created if necessary (for example, to allow parallel development along the main branch, a next-release branch, and a bug-fixing branch). An element's branch structure is referred to as its version tree.

You can use theVersionVault Navigator view in the HCL VersionVault Explorer to create branch types.

Every branch in a version tree includes one or more versions of the element. Each version represents a revision of the element. Versions are identified using a version-extended path name, which includes the path name of the element within its VOB and also specifies its branch name and its version number on that branch. For example, the fourth revision of the file module.java, located on the main branch in the VOB directory \product\src\ has the version-extended path name \product\src\module.java@@\main\4. The Version column of the VersionVault Details view shows the version-extended path name of a resource. The VersionVault Version Tree view shows a graphical representation of the version history for a resource.

Labels

A VersionVault label is a user-defined name attached to a version. Project managers and VersionVault administrators use labels to define and preserve the relationship of a set of file and directory versions to each other at a given point in the development lifecycle. You can use the VersionVault Navigator view to create label types. You can then use the Apply Label dialog from the VersionVault Version Tree or the Apply Label wizard to apply the labels to HCL VersionVault resources.

Labels are visible in some VersionVault Explorerdialog boxes and may be visible in the version selection rules of a VersionVault view. You can also use the VersionVault Version Tree view or the VersionVault Navigator view to view or find the labels attached to an HCL VersionVault resource.