[277415] in TECHWR-L
Re: [TECHWR-L] - What are your experiences with version control
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (sereshk 146)
Thu Dec 11 10:08:56 2025
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2025 07:04:30 -0800 (PST)
From: sereshk 146 <sereshk146@gmail.com>
To: TECHWR-L Email Discussion group <techwr-l@techwr-l.com>
Cc: Tony Chung <tonyc@tonychung.ca>
Message-Id: <65631095-f24a-4e0a-a432-279f7664d973n@techwr-l.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAPnOPiH1sY3ic2GA3Y7gxXggGViT8c74YG=Hi=H8RLgg9dVKgA@mail.gmail.com>
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Hello Tony,
thanks for sharing this and thanks for the suggestion.
It's like this, actually:=20
We do have a CCMS in place, XML-based, works fine, we are quite content.
Additionally we already are using SVN 'inside' TortoiseSVN.
Currently, in a small team we were wondering, since I joined recently, what=
=20
experiences or best practices people looking at something similar might=20
care to share.
We did also think of keeping in close contact about who is working on what=
=20
to avoid merge conflicts as far as possible.
SVN works well since it recognizes the XML-files and the respective code=20
lines fine, and even inside the packaged project configuration files=20
differences are pointed out at every commit.
Thanks again, you confirm what I've also partly found online, that it is=20
mainly about communicating close in time.
Kind Regards
Nina
On Thursday, 11 December 2025 at 00:14:41 UTC+1 Tony Chung wrote:
> Hey Nina. I=E2=80=99m firmly entrenched in the docs-as-code world now but=
we used=20
> to use DITA and the worst part about any VCS was that it did not understa=
nd=20
> XML to manage differences at the object level rather than as characters i=
n=20
> source code. A quick AI assisted Google search mentioned editors like=20
> Oxygen and XMLSpy act as an XML-interpreter for their Git integration. So=
=20
> while Git sees the diffs in the code, the editor=E2=80=99s integration re=
cognizes=20
> the differences in the objects.
>
> That might be the way to go, short of a full on CCMS with database and=20
> version control.
>
> Regarding merge conflicts, the only solution for that is to merge commits=
=20
> to different files. You don=E2=80=99t need an automated locking system. J=
ust a way=20
> to communicate that writer A is working on this block of files and writer=
1=20
> on another set.=20
>
> Just my two cents.
>
> -Tony=20
>
--=20
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<div>Hello Tony,</div><div><br /></div><div>thanks for sharing this and tha=
nks for the suggestion.<br />It's like this, actually:=C2=A0<br />We do hav=
e a CCMS in place, XML-based, works fine, we are quite content.</div><div>A=
dditionally we already are using SVN 'inside' TortoiseSVN.</div><div><br />=
</div><div>Currently, in a small team we were wondering, since I joined rec=
ently, what experiences or best practices people looking at something simil=
ar might care to share.</div><div><br /></div><div>We did also think of kee=
ping in close contact about who is working on what to avoid merge conflicts=
as far as possible.</div><div>SVN works well since it recognizes the XML-f=
iles and the respective code lines fine, and even inside the packaged proje=
ct configuration files differences are pointed out at every commit.</div><d=
iv><br /></div><div>Thanks again, you confirm what I've also partly found o=
nline, that it is mainly about communicating close in time.</div><div><br /=
></div><div>Kind Regards</div><div>Nina</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><di=
v dir=3D"auto" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thursday, 11 December 2025 at 00:14:=
41 UTC+1 Tony Chung wrote:<br/></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" styl=
e=3D"margin: 0 0 0 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); paddin=
g-left: 1ex;"><div dir=3D"auto">Hey Nina. I=E2=80=99m firmly entrenched in =
the docs-as-code world now but we used to use DITA and the worst part about=
any VCS was that it did not understand XML to manage differences at the ob=
ject level rather than as characters in source code. A quick AI assisted Go=
ogle search =C2=A0mentioned editors like Oxygen and XMLSpy act as an XML-in=
terpreter for their Git integration. So while Git sees the diffs in the cod=
e, the editor=E2=80=99s integration recognizes the differences in the objec=
ts.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">That might be the wa=
y to go, short of a full on CCMS with database and version control.</div><d=
iv dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Regarding merge conflicts, the =
only solution for that is to merge commits to different files. You don=E2=
=80=99t need an automated locking system. Just a way to communicate that wr=
iter A is working on this block of files and writer 1 on another set.=C2=A0=
</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Just my two cents.</div=
><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">-Tony=C2=A0</div>
</blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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