[[!comment merge_into_dir is not friendly with respect to conflicts, and it is far from the best way to deal with a vendor branch]]

If you are working on a project that has been partitioned, give each partition a branch. A partition could be upstream code.

Then merge_into_dir each partition into your project. Use explicit_merge to integrate releases. If you have made some local changes that didn't make sense to push back upstream, monotone will try to maintain them.

For example, let's say your project 'com.example.foo' uses sqlite. Instead of dumping sqlite into /sqlite of your project and committing it, give sqlite into a branch of it's own. Perhaps 'org.sqlite' is a good name. You can use this branch to track the sqlite development: perhaps only tracking releases, perhaps pulling from the sqlite VCS using tailor or some other magic. Tag releases that you are interested in with meaningful tags 'sqlite-3.2.5'.

Now execute

$ mtn merge_into_dir org.sqlite com.example.foo sqlite

You can use the org.sqlite branch to play around with sqlite, and when you find a new version that you want to try, you can use explicit_merge (or propagate) to bring it into com.example.foo.

Back to BestPractices.

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''A step-by-step example would be a nice enhancement to this page and to the explaination given in the manual. A counter-example to doing nested checkouts with pro's and con's would help illustrate the benefits of merge_into_dir.'' -- ChadWalstrom