Software Configuration Management Patterns

SCM Process Concepts as "things" rather than "tasks." Either way works, but there are some benefits to the consistent thing model.

[2] Ideally, the name is based on some common usage, so rather than "creating" a vocabulary, the name helps to establish meaning within a common vocabulary.

Keep in mind throughout this discussion that a prerequisite for a pattern is that it describes a proven good practice (within the context). The form does not make it a pattern.

A pattern collection or pattern language is a guide to helping you to build a certain kind of thing. Various pattern languages may share some elements, but a pattern language for an agile SCM environment will be different than one for a more controlled environment, and trying to steer an organization in an inappropriate direction will cause problems.

The Pattern Language in the book Software Configuration Management Patterns is about building a software CM environment where your want to respond rapidly (agilely) to change. Fortunately, this is a common requirement at the heart of many processes, and the SCM Pattern language addresses how to separate the parts of your codebase that need to change rapidly, from those that need to be stable.

Who Can Introduce Patterns
Process Improvement is often thought of as being the stuff of "initiatives" and "working groups" but most organizations should be trying to improve in small ways every day. Understanding what patterns should be in an environment is part of that process.

When I started out as a software developer I worked with a team of people who taught me that how we do things and why we do things as developers is as important as what we do. In other words: process isn't only the concern of senior developers. Everyone should care about finding ways to work better. Of course, the more influence you have over the team, the more you should care, since you'll have a bigger impact on the bottom line, but there are things that everyone can do to make their own work better and perhaps lead by influence. [4]

Perhaps only a few should thing globally. Everyone should act locally. For example, any developer should be able to add tests for their code, independent of the team's global policy.

Goals and Intentions of the SCM Pattern Languag
Perhaps the common definition of "SCM Patterns" is the patterns in the book Software Configuration Management Patterns . A pattern language guides you along the process of building a thing, the SCM Pattern language in Software Configuration Management Patterns is not a guide to building every SCM process.

The patterns in Software Configuration Management Patterns work best in an agile environment. I could argue that most teams should be more agile than they are now, and could be so without sacrificing anything. Many restrictive (or non-agile) processes seem to have their origins in lack of trust, or an unreasonable fear of risk, rather than reasonable business goals.  You are the one who best understands what your team is doing now and how it needs to improve.

[4] The book Becoming A Technical Leader is a great resource for learning how to do this. See the Resources section of this article for publication information.

The Role of Tools
The first question I get about SCM is often "What tool should I use?" Like all things, tools influence the way that you work. If you have a tool that makes something easy you may do something one way. Without that tool another approach may be almost as good. My advice, which is not often well received, is