is there any significant difference between the checkpoint in MKS and tag in subversion

Question

Hi,

I feel that checkpoint in MKS and tag in subversion serve the same purpose.

when we create tag in subversion, it will create a local copy in physical location(Its a cheap copy pointing to main trunk. It will not consume space). When we create a checkpoint in MKS, will the contents gets stored in physical location? or is it just a label?

After creating the checkpoint in MKS, we can create a development path for that? is this type of option available in subversion tag also?

How the checkpoint in MKS is different from Tag in subversion?

We are planning to move from MKS to suversion. Please give the Detailed explanation?

Answer 1

From the perspective of the Subversion repository, Tags and Branches are exactly the same -- "cheap copies" created using the svn copy command. What makes them different is your attitude towards them. If you create a copy and never change it, it is functioning as a Tag. If you create a copy and perform development on it, it is a branch, or "development path", to use your term.

From the SVN book:

But wait a moment: isn't this tag creation procedure the same procedure we used to create a branch? Yes, in fact, it is. In Subversion, there's no difference between a tag and a branch. Both are just ordinary directories that are created by copying. Just as with branches, the only reason a copied directory is a “tag” is because humans have decided to treat it that way: as long as nobody ever commits to the directory, it forever remains a snapshot. If people start committing to it, it becomes a branch.

Answer 2

A subversion tag is the same as a mks label. An mks checkpoint does have a label, but it is more than just that. While a label/tag can be applied to any file, a checkpoint is applied to the whole project. The checkpoint increases the revision of the project file (.pj) so it's like checking that file. You also need them for branching projects (development paths). We usually use checkpoints for declaring product versions/revisions.