What is the VCS that favor more merging or what are the best pratices to minimize merge problems?

Question

Hello, here where we work, we have a bunch of merging problems. We use SVN and I know that is not a problem with the tool, but with the policy. But, what are the best merging pratices/policies to minimize this. Or is there a VCS that makes merging more easier than SVN?

Answer 1

There is no tool that will merge automatically in all cases. The result of an automatic merge is always a best guess. You have a chance to verify the merge result before comitting.

There are a bunch of patterns and pitfalls that come with SCM in general. A really good source of information is this site: www.cmcrossroads.com

The anti-pattern you might be referring to is categorized as MergeMania.

Answer 2

I second the question above: what specifically does "a bunch of merging problems" refer to?

In any case, my experience is that distributed version control systems (DVCS) -- e.g. Mercurial, Git -- are a lot smarter about merging than Subversion. Whereas a lot of svn-bound developers avoid branching because of the pain of merging, in DVCS it's a regular -- and painless -- part of the workflow.

(You may not have the power to get your workplace to switch systems, but learn a DVCS anyway. It'll make you a better and more marketable developer, and it might even provide the inspiration needed to solve your current problem.)