Version Control, Part I

annotate: A command used for listing the latest version of each program's source code line, along with the date, the file version it was introduced, and the person who committed it. backout: To undo the effects of a commit, often by introducing a new commit that restores things to their previous state. bike shed discussion: A discussion about a simple and trivial issue where everybody can (and often does) have an opinion. branch: A set of evolving source file versions. Every branch is identified by a tag. Often, a branch identifies the file versions that have been or will be released as a product release. code freeze: A period during which noncritical changes to the code aren't allowed. collapse: To terminate development on one branch by integrating it with another. commit: To integrate the changes made to a developer's private view of the source code into a branch accessible through the version control system's repository. commit message: An explanatory message accompanying a commit; often contains a brief description of the change and its rationale; names of contributors, reviewers, or ap-provers; a reference to third-party software from which the change was obtained; a schedule for integrating it to other branches; and a reference to the issue identifier associated with the change. committer: A developer with commit privileges. commit privileges: A person's authority to commit changes. Sometimes privileges are associated with a specific part of the product (for example, artwork or documentation) or a specific branch. commit war: A series of conflicting and mutually reversing commits introduced by developers who disagree on how a particular element should be coded; sometimes starts with a hostile backout. commit window: A time period during which commits are allowed for a specific branch. In some development environments , commit windows for a maintenance branch might only open for short periods a few times a year. conflict: A change in one version of a file, which can't be reconciled with the version of the file to which it's applied; can occur when versions from different branches are merged or when two committers work concurrently on the same file. development branch: The branch where active product development takes place. A product build from the development branch will have the latest features but will also likely be immature and unstable. errata: Severe service-disrupting bugs for which there is no known workaround. Fixes for such bugs can often be introduced …