Feature Levels

How we categorize features.

1. Strata

Mercurial tries to avoid having every user become experts in version control, so it tries to organize functionality into different strata:

• basic commands (the <20 commands shown by just typing 'hg')

  • the commands every user should know to get work done
• core features
  • common features available to all users
  • safe for inexperienced users
  • comparable to the core features present in most systems

  • covered by our backwards-compatibility rules

• bundled extensions

  • same level of testing and support as core features
  • also covered by our backwards-compatibility rules
  • not essential functionality
  • not appropriate for all users
  • some may be dangerous (e.g. strip)
• third-party extensions
  • not written/tested/supported/maintained by us
  • may break backwards compatibility
  • may violate core UI expectations
  • may need upgrading when you upgrade Mercurial

2. Life cycle

We also have varying levels of feature support, corresponding to different stages in a feature's lifecycle:

• experimental/undocumented
  • not intended for production use
  • feature is subject to change or removal
  • support not guaranteed
• production
  • fully supported, actively developed
  • fully maintained and tested for backwards compatibility

• feature of last resort

  • don't use this feature in production unless you really need to
  • still supported and developed
  • still maintained and tested for backwards compatibility

• unloved

  • users are strongly discouraged from using this feature
  • not a support or development priority
  • still maintained and tested for backwards compatibility
• deprecated
  • removed from documentation
  • only regressions will get support attention
  • still maintained and tested for backwards compatibility

  • not scheduled for removal

• removed
  • only used for features that can be removed without negative impact
  • very rare

3. See also

• UpgradingMercurial

• UpgradeNotes

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