RE: LOCK/UNLOCK or CHECKIN/CHECKOUT

To further illustrate Tim's point that locking and
checkout/checkin are largely orthogonal, a client accessing
a shared workspace would normally lock a checked-out
version-controlled resource while it is editing it,
just as it would a non-version-controlled resource
(and for the same reasons).

Cheers,
Geoff

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Ellison [mailto:Tim_Ellison@uk.ibm.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 9:34 AM
To: ietf-dav-versioning@w3.org
Subject: Re: LOCK/UNLOCK or CHECKIN/CHECKOUT


Elodie,

> I'd like to know whether I well understood : the  mechanism of 
checkout-put-checkin
> cretes a new version of a resource,

correct -- indeed the version is a resource, so checking-in creates a new 
version resource.

> while the  lock-unlock mechanism allows to modify a resource without 
creating a new
> version, is that right ?

this is also correct.  Locking a resource just causes a state change in 
the locked resource; it does not create any other resources.

> Can someone explain me the exact difference between  this two mechanisms 
?
 
Locking is typically used in a multi-user environment.  Obtaining a lock 
permits you to modify a resource and prevents others from modifying the 
resource.  This allows you to ensure others' contents are not overwritten, 
and you can set consistent content and dead properties for example.
Checking out and in are used to capture a meaningful state of a resource 
as a version.  It is meaningful to do this in single or multi-user 
environments.  The captured states can be 'viewed' or restored at some 
later time.

Locking and versioning are separate concepts.

Regards,
Tim

Received on Thursday, 10 January 2002 13:13:31 UTC