CODEWITHSUNDEEP
tfsaxaptadynamics-ax-2012x++dynamics-ax-2012-r2
Alex Kwitny
Alex Kwitny

Reputation: 11544

How do you use branching with TFS in AX 2012?

We use TFS for our version control system in AX 2012, and have been experimenting with branching for the purpose of better controlling what goes into testing and release environments.

Microsoft gives the example scenario here of a main branch, then two child branches Dev/Release.

How do you actually do this in AX? Merging in Visual Studio with XPO exports isn't the same as merging traditional source files.

Do you configure TFS parameters inside of AX to point to a Dev branch, then check-in code? Then at some point change the TFS parameters to the Release branch and re-check-in code?

What's the practical use of it?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 2153

Answers (2)

j.a.estevan
j.a.estevan

Reputation: 3097

We use an isolated branch per developer and a MAIN branch where we all merge to. And then extra branches for TEST and PROD for code promotion of changes.

MAIN branch has a build process that compiles it recurrently so we are sure the merged changes are still solid, and TEST branch has a build process that deploys to a test AOS for consultants. PROD branch is only for historic reasons, no build or AOS is related with this code.

Upvotes: 0

Geoffrey DELMEE
Geoffrey DELMEE

Reputation: 782

We are using TFS integration with AX 2012 this classical way, with Main, Dev and Release branches.

TFS integration is setup in AX. Then merge at check-in if there was concurrent modifications is done by TFS. If needed, TFS merge popup if it Can't resolve the conflit itself. The merge between branches is dons in TFS too.

You must not change on the Fly the branch your are setup on. One major thing in AX TFS integration is to keep consistency between AX modelstore and local repository. When you will check an object out or get its latest version, it won't compare the TFS server version with the current in AX but in the local repository. If you need to reaffect one dev environment to another branch, you'll have to set the modelstore and the repository local at the same level on the targeted branch and change the setup in AX.

The main purpose is to have in Dev branch all the on going developments and run nightbuilds to validate technically the current version. The Main branch is the one you will merge into validated developments to create release candidates to pus to tests and UATs. The Release branch is to have the exact version of your Live environment in order to make hotfixes without the ongoing evolution in Dev and Main branches.

Upvotes: 2

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