Terminology: Version control

This section contains terminology related to the version control system

This page contains short descriptions of the version control terminology. For a more comprehensive guide on version control works or the core reference of all the available features, see the links below:

Article: Version control

Reference: Version control

The terminology used by Bubble's version control system may not be immediately apparent or easy to grasp at first. This article contains a list of the different terms used and may be helpful as you get to know how the system works.

At the bottom of the page you will find terminology that has changed from the legacy system.

Terminology

Term
Definition

base branch

The branch that you want to merge changes into

branch tree

The visualization that shows you where a branch came from and how it relates to other branches

child branch

A branch that has a parent branch; a child branch can also be a parent branch

conflict

Conflicts arise during the merge process when the base branch and the source branch each changed the same thing (in different ways) since the last time the two branches were in sync

conflict resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of resolving conflicts. The conflict resolution window organizes conflicts by page and gives you the option to resolve all conflicts in favor of one branch on a page-by-page basis.

custom branch

Apps on the higher plans can have one or more custom branches

deploy, deployment

To deploy a branch is to push changes to Live. Only the Main branch and the hotfix branches can be deployed to Live.

Development environment

The development environment contains Main, any custom branches, and hotfix branch

environment

Environments contain branches. There are two environments: live and development. The environment is defined by the database that it uses (i.e., the live environment uses the live database, while the development environment uses the development database).

hotfix branch

The hotfix branch is the only branch that can branch off of Live. Only one hotfix branch can exist at a time. While a hotfix branch exists, Main cannot be deployed to Live. Hotfix is available on higher plans.

in sync

When two branches are in sync, there are no conflicts that would be generated from merging the two branches

Live

Live is the version of your app that lives on the internet for users to interact with

Live environment

The live environment contains Live

Main branch

All apps have a Main branch. Main is the only branch that can be deployed to Live (aside from hotfix). Main sits at the very top of the branch tree hierarc

merge, merging

The process of integrating changes from the source branch into the base branch

parent branch

A branch that has child branches branching off of it; a parent branch can also be a child branch

resolve conflicts

To resolve conflicts that arise during the merge process, you must select which change to favor

restore

To restore is to return to a past version of a branch by using the savepoint feature or by entering a custom date/time

savepoint

Savepoints are automatically created in the base branch when you deploy to Live, start a merge, finish a merge, cancel a merge, or right before you restore your branch. Custom savepoints are savepoints that you can manually create at any time.

savepoint retention window

An app’s savepoint retention window dictates how far back you can restore any one of your branches

source branch

Refers to the branch that is the source of changes that you want to merge into the base branch

sync

To sync two branches is to merge them for the purposes of bringing changes in Live or Main into the base branch

to branch, branching

To create a branch off of another branch

version control

The system for tracking and managing changes to your app.

Legacy terminology and replacements

If you have been using Bubble for some time you may be familiar with the existing terminology that surrounded the previous version control. The following terms have been removed or replaced

Term
Definition

Adding changes from one version to another

Now "merging"

Development

Now "Main branch"

live version

Now "Live"

custom version

Now "custom branch"

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