@need 3200

@node Development Paths
@chapter Development Paths

An @code{arch} archive is organized around @geindex development paths
@dfn{development paths}.  Each
development path is a succession of revisions, each (usually)
differing from the previous revision by a simple patch.


Every development path has a project name with version number, such
as:

@example
@group
        hello--devo--1.0
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

Project names were previously discussed (see @ref{The arch Global Name-space of Projects}).


As we'll see in the next chapter, each development path is further
subdivided into specific revisions, each having a @geindex patch level name
@dfn{patch level name},
as in these examples:

@example
@group
        hello--devo--1.0--patch-3
        hello--devo--1.0--patch-4
        hello--devo--1.0--patch-5
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example
@need 3200

@section Creating a Development Path

@geindex make-category

@geindex make-branch

@geindex make-version



Supposing that you have set your default archive, you can create a new
development path in three steps:

@example
@group
        % larch make-category CATEGORY-NAME
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example
@example
@group
        % larch make-branch BRANCH-NAME
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example
@example
@group
        % larch make-version VERSION-NAME
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

@noindent
as in this example that creates the version @code{hello--devo--1.0}:

@example
@group
        % larch make-category hello
        % larch make-branch hello--devo
        % larch make-version hello--devo--1.0
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

@noindent
and this example that creates @code{hello--1.0}:

@example
@group
        % larch make-category hello
        % larch make-branch hello
        % larch make-version hello--1.0
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

Note that in the second example, the branch label is empty.




@need 3200

@section Examining an Archive

@geindex categories (the command)

@geindex branches (the command)

@geindex versions (the command)



You can review what's in an archive using the commands:

@example
@group
        % larch categories
                - print a list of categories
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example
@example
@group
        % larch branches CATEGORY-NAME
                - print a list of branches within a category
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example
@example
@group
        % larch versions BRANCH-NAME
                -print a list of versions within a branch
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example



@need 3200

@section Fully Qualified Version Names

@geindex fully qualified version name

@geindex version name, fully qualified



Every version is associated with a particular archive.  Ordinarilly,
if you write a simple version name, your default archive is presumed.
However, wherever a version name is called for, you can use a @geindex fully
qualified version name
@dfn{fully
qualified version name} of the form:

@example
@group
        ARCHIVE-NAME/VERSION-NAME
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

@noindent
as in the example:

@example
@group
        joe.hacker@@gnu.org--test-archive/hello--devo--1.0
@end group
@group
@end group
@end example

That can be useful when operating on a remote archive that is not your
default archive.  For example, you could use the name in the example
to retrieve the latest revision from Joe Hacker's archive, in
preparation for creating a branch of that version in your local
archive.







