Branch types

Branches (called Versions in IXIASOFT CCMS Desktop), have statuses like other objects in IXIASOFT CCMS. The status of a Branch determines the Branch type.

Branches can have any of the following statuses:

Development
Maintenance
Delivery
Closed

By default, it is possible to change from one status to any other status. There is no workflow progression between the statuses. However, for Delivery and Closed Branch types, all objects must be in the minimum status before you can change the status of the Branch.

Note: Changing the status of a Branch also automatically changes the status of its container and container parts to the same status.

Effect of Branch type on actions

Branch types have different requirements and behaviors:

Behavior	Development	Maintenance	Delivery	Closed
Allows Editing	Yes	Yes	No. Read-only	No. Read-only
Minimum Status for Objects	No minimum. Objects can be at any status.	No minimum. Objects can be at any status.	Objects must be in `end` status (e.g, Authoring:done). Cannot move objects to a lower status (e.g, Authoring:work).	Objects must be in `end` status (e.g, Authoring:done). Cannot move objects to a lower status (e.g, Authoring:work).
New Objects	Can create new objects in Branch	Can create new objects in Branch	Cannot create new objects	Cannot create new objects
Deleting Branches	Can delete a Development Branch	Cannot delete a Maintenance Branch	Cannot delete a Delivery Branch	Cannot delete a Closed Branch
Pushing content in CCMS Web	Content can be pushed to these Branches	Content can be pushed to these Branches	Content can be pushed to these Branches. However, the content in the other Branch must be in the minimum status for the Delivery Branch before you can push it. When content is pushed, a new revision is created for the instance of the object in the Delivery Branch even though it is at an `end` status.	Content cannot be pushed to these Branches

Automatic forking in IXIASOFT CCMS Web

When an object is shared between different Branches, the object might automatically fork in CCMS Web depending on the combination of Branch types and whether there is a clear context you are editing in.

It can automatically fork when you edit the object or when you change its status from Authoring:done back to Authoring:work. There is no automatic forking in IXIASOFT CCMS Desktop.

CCMS Web determines the context you want to edit within by assuming the following:

If you edit an object while in Map Editor, the map open in Map Editor is the context
If you edit an object that is assigned to you, any context map for the assignment is the context

Note: The map that you edit an object within overrides the context of any assignment.

An object forks automatically only when:

You can edit the object in only one of the Branches it is in
You are editing the object within the context of a Maintenance Branch
You are editing the object within the context of a Development Branch, and it is not shared with any other Development Branches

Note: Instances in Delivery and Closed Branches never automatically fork because they are in an end status (such as Done) and cannot be checked out.

Support for information models

You can use different Branch types to help create and enforce an information model. For example, if your documentation uses a software versioning information model, then you could use Development and Maintenance Branches together to establish the rules of that model.