Task oriented development

Plastic is the core pillar for parallel task oriented development, helping your team work even faster, and better controlling the deliverables.

First create a task in your preferred issue/task/project system. Here we're using Jira.

One task, one branch

There are several options available but we encourage branch per task pattern. Simply put: a task in the project management system is a branch in Plastic. This way you gain: managers and developers speak the same language, tasks are correctly isolated, developers are totally free to commit to their task branch when they want to.

Test everything

Launch your test suite after a task is finished. Developers will get instant feedback without compromising mainline stability.

Use the test suite again during integration.

Review!

Ask your team to review code changes before integrating. It will help reducing bugs and boosting code quality!

Use the integrated code review tool to check what has been changed.

Controlled integration

No matter whether you're using agile or prescriptive methodologies, controlled integration (or staggered if you prefer) will definitely help. Focus your team on development, specialize your integrators, free newbies from error-prone tasks.

Controlled integration ensures you're not shooting a moving target, and it will make your team set a sustainable pace.

Plastic is great merging, get the best out of it!

Create a new baseline

Once the new release has been integrated and tested, create a new baseline and use it during the next iteration! You're one step ahead on your development, and one step closer to completion. You know you've progressed, and it is both measurable and visible.

Keep this principles always in mind: have a fallback solution and show progress!

Why Plastic?

No other SCM will help you implementing full parallel and task oriented development the way Plastic does: it is easy to use, it is great to understand changes and it is the best one doing branching... and specially merging!