Allow multiple release branches

[levitin]

Originally posted by @aleksandr-m in https://github.com/aleksandr-m/gitflow-maven-plugin/issues/23#issuecomment-253615136

Also it is relatively easy to add option to allow multiple release branches, but if support branch goal(s) will be added maybe it isn't needed. Wdyt?

I think it is a preety good idea to allow multiple release branches, controlled by an optional parameter:

@Parameter(property = "allowMultipleReleaseBranches", defaultValue = false)

However, it should be checked, whether a branch with the current release version already exists.

[levitin]

For example, if one release is tested sequentially by different departments on different testing stages, a new release should be able to be started until the previos one has actually gone live.

[dagutten]

Any update on this topic? quite interested in it

[AlexRedby]

I am interested in this feature too, because we are using multiple release in our project same as Jelin already mentioned in the issue #356. We have currently 2 projects being developed at same time, which are using same core. This core can be changed by both teams and, because its release time different, we have 2 release branches here (one for each actively developed project).

So my question is - can such feature be developed for this plugin? I don't see problem with this, if add parameter releaseBranch for goal release-finish, same as for hotfix/feature branches (hotfixBranch/featureBranch). As for release-start goal it can stay as it is but a release branches existence should be moved after this code and take branch name to check from here: https://github.com/aleksandr-m/gitflow-maven-plugin/blob/3327fb55f277882c0d89b9c6b7de440de1c08204/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseStartMojo.java#L192-L198 If commitDevelopmentVersionAtStart parameter was used in release-start there won't be any problem with multiple releases this way.

If I missing something here please give me insight on this.

Alexey

[chilber]

Hi, we have implemented this in a fork, here's the pull request, maybe it also helps for your problem. https://github.com/aleksandr-m/gitflow-maven-plugin/pull/386 Carsten