Branching Version Trees

Users with the Manage Branches right can create branches in the repository to support concurrent development of multiple versions of documents. Standard permissions control read and write access to individual branches (including integrating changes made in one branch into another).

Note: Prior to v16.1, the repository browser only supported displaying a single branch at a time. When you upgrade an existing repository to v16.1 or higher, all branches will become, by default, visible for all users. You may wish to simplify viewing the repository by deleting documents and branches that are no longer used, by using permissions to hide certain branches from users or groups who have no need of them, or by migrating active models to a new repository (see Installation Guide > Installing the Repository > Upgrading the Repository).

You can branch the contents of any folder in the repository, but we strongly recommend creating at least one level of sub-folders beneath the repository root and creating your branches on one of these sub-folders.

Warning! Once you have branched a folder, you cannot add a new folder directly beneath the branched folder as a sibling to the branches, because the entire contents of the folder is now branched and every document and folder must necessarily belong to one or more of the branches. If you branch the repository root, you will not be able to create any other sub-folders at the root level and will be constrained to placing all of your repository documents inside a single global branch structure.

Branch names must be unique for the folder, but may be reused in another folder. In the example above, three branches (Development, Testing, and Production) are created in the folder /Repository/Back Office/HR, and branches with the same names are also created in the folder /Repository/Web

Users can filter the Browser Repository tab to display only the Branches that interest them (see Browsing the Repository).

Right-click the folder that you want to branch (and on which you have at least Write permission), and select New > Branch.

Note: You cannot create sub-branches under a branch and nor can you create branches inside a project.
Enter a name for the branch and select a base branch from which to copy the initial contents of the new branch:

The base branch can be any of the sibling branches (or Default if this is your first branch in this location), and all the contents of the base branch will be copied to the new branch. Alternatively, you can select None to create an empty branch.

The selected base branch is the default branch selected when you integrate items from the new branch to another branch (see Integrating Changes from One Branch to Another).
Click OK to complete the creation of the branch.

The new branch is displayed in the Browser. If it is the first branch created in this location, then a <Default> branch is created next to the new branch. You can change the name by right-clicking the branch and selecting Properties.

Controlling Branch Permissions
Administrators and users with the Full permission on a folder containing branches can grant permissions on the branches from the Permissions tab of its repository property sheet.
Integrating Changes from One Branch to Another
You can integrate changes made to a model or other document (or to a project or the contents of a folder) in one branch to another branch. You must have at least Write permission on the branch to which you want to integrate the changes.You can select individual changes to integrate on an object-by-object basis, and your choices are retained as defaults for subsequent integrations.
Deleting a Branch
Administrators and users with the Manage Branches right can remove unused branches by right-clicking them and selecting Delete.

Parent topic: The Repository