initial commitHEADmaster

1 files changed, 31 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/www/co-vs-up.md b/www/co-vs-up.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0e74ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/www/co-vs-up.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Checkout vs Update
+
+Fossil has two commands that look like they do the same thing on initial
+examination, [`fossil update`][up] and [`fossil checkout`][co], but
+there are several key differences:
+
+1.  `fossil checkout` aborts if there are changed files in the local
+    directory unless you give the `--force` option, whereas
+    `fossil update` merges upstream changes with your local changes.
+    Since Fossil tends to follow the CVS command design, and CVS
+    popularized the [merge on update][cvsmu] workflow, we expect that
+    Fossil’s update behavior is more likely to be what you want.
+
+2.  Update triggers an autosync attempt; checkout does not.
+
+3.  Several features in `fossil update` do not exist in
+    `fossil checkout`, so developing a habit to type `fossil up` 
+    means you’re more likely to have the features you want at hand.
+
+4.  Inversely, the `fossil checkout --keep` feature doesn’t exist in
+    `fossil update`, but it’s a rarely-needed operation, so it doesn’t
+    provide a good reason to develop a habit of using `fossil checkout`
+    instead.
+
+In summary, these are two separate commands; neither is an alias for the
+other. They overlap enough that they can be used interchangeably for
+some use cases, but `update` is more powerful and more broadly useful.
+
+[co]:    /help/checkout
+[cvsmu]: http://web.mit.edu/gnu/doc/html/cvs_7.html#SEC37
+[up]:    /help/update