In VisualAge for Java, whenever you work with any project, package, or class, you are
actually working with a specific edition of that program element. At any time,
you can only have one edition of each program element in the workspace. To see which
editions are in the workspace, click the Show Edition Names button.
You will usually work
with open and versioned editions; occasionally, you may also create scratch editions of
program elements to experiment with. You will periodically release editions of classes and
packages that you have been working on, to provide a baseline for the team and to make
your changes easily available to them. Editions, releasing, and ownership are all
fundamental to managing application changes in the team environment. Editions are
discussed below; releasing and ownership are discussed as separate topics.
Open Editions
Open editions are works in progress. Before you can make changes to an existing project,
package, or class, you must create an open edition of it. You can have multiple open
editions of the same program element, with each one implemented differently. For example,
if you are adding features to an application that you have customized for different
industries, you might have multiple open editions of a package with the same name.
Open editions appear in VisualAge for Java windows with a timestamp, in parentheses, showing when they were created. Here is an example:
PackageA (3/28/98 4:21:15 PM)
Versioned Editions
Versioned editions are editions that can not be changed. You version your open editions
for the following reasons:
Versioned editions appear in VisualAge for Java windows with version names, as opposed to the timestamps that identify open editions. When you version an open edition of a program element, VisualAge for Java can automatically assign a name for you, or you can specify your own name. Here are some examples of versioned editions:
PackageA 1.6.1 PackageB VersionBRel2 PackageC JS - Fixed print problems for CustomerX
Versioning does not prevent you from ever changing a program element again. To make changes, create a new open edition of the program element. To revert to an earlier version, replace the edition in the workspace with a different edition from the repository, and create an open edition based on that.
You will probably version your classes frequently, whereas you may leave packages and projects open for extended periods of time.
In the team
development environment, version control is achieved by means of releasing editions into a
team baseline. Only program element owners can release. See the list of related topics at
the end of this document for links to more information on ownership, baselines, or
releasing.
Scratch
Editions
Scratch editions are editions that no other users of the shared repository can see.
Scratch editions appear in VisualAge for Java windows with < > around the edition
name:
PackageA <1.0>
Scratch editions are discussed separately.
Undefined
Editions
You may see a class or interface whose edition name is "undefined edition":
PackageA undefined edition
This means that someone has created a class or interface, but has never versioned or
released it. VisualAge for Java has reserved the new program element's name in the shared
repository. Such editions are also marked with the undefined symbol.
Tools for
Managing Your Editions
VisualAge for Java provides two tools for working with editions in a team development
environment:
You can also view edition details, such as status and ownership, by selecting Properties from a program element's pop-up menu.
Projects and Other Program Elements
Workspace
Repository
Creating an Open Edition
Versioning a Program Element
Replacing Editions in the Workspace (Reloading)