"Keith R. Fieldhouse" wrote:
> 
> I also gather that a measure of discipline is required to avoid creating
> code that only works because you happened to instance an object in a
> workspace.  This doesn't appear to be required -- you could conceivably
> hand assemble a running application in an imagine but later deployment
> might be tricky.  Correct?  I imagine Unit tests can be used to help
> verify this.

Simply delivering the image you develop in is a legitimate
way to work. Unit tests are helpful whether or not you ship
your work image or build a deployment image from source.
In the case of objects which are not source code, shipping your
work image may be the right thing to do. However, you could still
build up an image from source, then load the non-code objects
from image-segment fileouts.

> As an aside, how to people move their images around?   I have several
> different machines that I do development at.  By checking my work in
> when I'm done at a given machine, a simple "svn update" at a different
> machine and I'm ready to continue work.    It occurs to me that I could
> check in my images "changes" file to a central server (svn or other) and
> simply fetch that changes file when I move to a different seat.  Does
> that make sense?  How do other folks do this?

An image and its corresponding changes file should always be
handled as a single unit.

To continue work at another machine, the case is similar to
working in a group (except that you are the group). The way to work
in a group is to version often. Others should check the repository
periodically (every morning, say) and merge the latest version
into their working image. So, to work at another machine,
version your packages. Start an image on another machine,
and load the packages you just versioned. Do the same thing
to go back to your original machine. The effect is the same
as two different developers working from the same repository
on the same project.

Since you'd be the only member of your development group,
you have another option. Simply copy your image and changes
file to your central server. At your other machine, copy it
from the server, and keep working (and you don't have to
version stuff to the repository in this case). To go back
to your original machine, transfer the image&changes files
through the server, and make sure to delete the earlier image
to avoid confusion.

--yanni