Concurrent editing and version control

InfoLink implements a checkOut/checkIn mechanism to handle concurrent edits. The checkIn/checkOut mechanism is supported for Sources, Specifications, and Scenarios. For scenarios you can only check out at the whole scenario (not at operation level). Schedule does not current support checkIn/checkOut mechanism processing concurrent edits in the first-come-first-served order.

There is always a one single master copy of an application that none can edit. So when you initially open an application, you can view objects but you cannot edit them. To edit an object check it out by right-clicking on it in the app navigation tree and selecting Check out. The checkout operation will create a working copy of the object that is separate from the master copy. You can now edit the object. Other users will continue seeing the master copy of the object and will not be able to check out the object until you check it in. When you are done with editing, you check the object in by right-clicking on it and selecting Check in. In this case the master copy of the object will be replaced with your working copy and any user can check out the object. Instead of Check in, you can also select Undo check out that will drop your working copy of the object (keeping the master copy) and make the master copy available for any user to check out. You can also “check in” or “undo check out” for all object in the application by clicking on “check” or “undo arrow” icons in the application toolbar.

When you create a new object it is checked out automatically. When you delete an object it is still visible in the app navigation tree (so that you can check it in or undo checkout) but inaccessible.

InfoLink uses the following visual indicators in the app navigation tree:

• Objects checked out by you has * at the beginning of their name.
• Objects checked out by other users has - at the beginning of their name.
• Object deleted by you has * at the beginning (because they are still checked out) and - at the end of their name.