How to Use Version Control

This task describes how to work with version control in an ALM project. Version control enables you to create and manage ALM entities while maintaining previous versions of these entities.

To learn more about version control, see Version Control Overview.

Note: Version control functionality is available in the following modules: Requirements, Business Models, Test Plan, Business Components, and Test Resources.

  1. Prerequisites

    Verify that version control is enabled for your project. For details on enabling version control, see Enable or disable version control for a project.

  2. Check out an entity

    To make changes to an entity in a version control enabled project, the entity must be checked out.

    Use one of the following:

    • Automatic checkout. When you start editing an entity, ALM displays the Check Out dialog box, enabling you to check out the entity.

      To instruct ALM to automatically check out entities that you start editing, without displaying the Check Out dialog box, click Don't show this again in the Check Out dialog box.

    • Manual check out. Select one or more entities. On the module toolbar, click Check Out .

    For user interface details on the Check Out dialog box, see Check Out Dialog Box.

  3. Undo a checkout - optional

    When an entity is checked out, you can undo the checkout to cancel your changes. Right-click the entity and select Versions > Undo Check Out. For more details on the Undo Check Out command, see Versions Menu and Buttons.

  4. Check in an entity

    When you finish making changes, check in the entity to create a new, updated version available to other users.

    Use one of the following:

    • Check in a single entity. Right-click the entity and select Versions > Check In.

    • Check in multiple entities. Select the entities. On the module toolbar, click the Check In button.

    For user interface details on the Check In dialog box, see Check In Dialog Box.

  5. View all checked out entities - optional

    You can view all entities in the current module that you have checked out, and check in or undo the checkout for selected entities.

    Click the Check In button in the top right corner of the ALM window. For user interface details on the Pending Check In dialog box, see Pending Check In Dialog Box.

  6. Access version history

    To view, compare, and check out previous versions of an entity, select the entity and click the History tab > Versions tab. For user interface details, see Versions Tab.

  7. Copy, move, or delete checked-out entities

    Some restrictions apply when moving, copying, and deleting checked-out entities. For details, see Moving, Copying, and Deleting Checked-out Entities.