Before using Help+Manual with a version control system (VCS) it's important to understand how your project is linked to the VCS database and how the two interact. The following introduction will make it easier to use the VCS support functions because it will enable you to understand what is actually happening when you use them.
Local working copy – central master copy
When you use version control there are two copies of your project: A local copy on your own computer, which is the project you are actually working on, and the master copy that you and all your colleagues synchronize with. The master copy is referred to as the repository. Your local copy is linked to the master copy and your changes are synchronized with the master copy so that other users also have access to them.
Your local copy is completely local. You don't need a network connection to work on it. But you do need a network connection to synchronize with the master copy.
Synchronize before and after work
Once your local working copy is set up and linked to the master copy, you synchronize with the master copy before and after each working session:
1.Open the project and synchronize with the Version Control tool in the Project tab. This updates your working copy with all the latest changes added by your colleagues.
2.Make your changes to the project.
3.When you are finished, synchronize again to add your changes to the master copy.
Avoid conflicts: Coordinate with your colleagues
If two authors work on the same text at the same time, you may get a conflict that you need to resolve with the tools provided by the version control system. You will generally be presented with a side-by-side view where you must choose which version of each change you want to keep, "yours" or "theirs".
These conflicts can be eliminated or kept to a minimum if you coordinate with your colleagues. Just let each other know in advance which texts each of you is going to be working on.
Warning: Extreme caution with deleting topics and changing topic IDs
Always coordinate with your colleagues before deleting topics or changing topic IDs when working under version control!
The most critical thing you can do when collaborating via version control is to delete a topic, or change a topic ID. (For the version control system, changing a topic ID is also a deletion, combined with the creation of a new topic.) The worst scenario is if one user deletes a topic and synchronizes, and another user then edits that topic and tries to synchronize. That creates a deep conflict that the system administrator would have to resolve directly with the version control system tools.
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