[Webdev] cvs question. versions for diff. customers.

[Donncha O Caoimh]

So, after extolling the virtues of using CVS at the AGM (talk is being
written up as an online version!) I've run into a problem which I hope
someone here has already found a solution to.

I want to store one of our projects in CVS in as "generic" a format as
possible. BTW - This is a PHP project.
This means all I have to do is symlink the files into a different
directory for each customer on our website. The problem arises when a
customer wants to modify the workings of the project for their specific
installation. We're already using templates to modify the surrounding
decorations but when a customer wants to remove fields from a
registration form that causes a problem. 
There's a number of ways around this:
1. if-then statements around the offending code. This makes it messy.
2. Create a direcotory for each customer where modified files are
stored. Then I have to update at least two files if a main file is
updated.
3. Store in CVS a patch that I can apply to the base distribution to get
the customer's modified files back. Patches will have to be tested after
modification of files so they apply cleanly.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

Donncha.