<cat>Play</cat> ## What is the Dev branch? Dev branch is the next version of Garry's Mod. It contains all the changes that will be included into the game in next update. ## What are the changes? You can find a full list of changes between the Dev branch and normal version of the game [here](http://wiki.garrysmod.com/changelist/) and a live change list [here](http://gmod.facepunch.com/commits/). ## Why is this needed? This is needed for two reasons: * So that addon developers can adjust to upcoming changes * So you can test the changes and make sure next update will be less buggy by <page text="reporting bugs">Crash_Reporting</page> ## Can I play on normal servers with this version of the game? Unfortunately, most of the time, no. This does not mean you shouldn't use the Dev branch. It is invaluable for us to have people test the game before the next update is out to make sure nothing breaks, or at least not that much. ## How do I switch to the Dev branch? To switch to the Dev branch: * Right click on **Garry's Mod** in Steam and select **Properties**: <image src="right_click_gmod.png"/> * Go to **Betas** tab and select **dev - Development Branch** from the dropdown: <image src="gmod_betas_dev.png"/> * You can ignore the "Enter beta access code" field, it does nothing for Garry's Mod. ## How do I switch back? To switch back to 'Live' branch: * Right click on **Garry's Mod** in Steam and select **Properties**: <image src="right_click_gmod.png"/> * Go to **Betas** tab and select **NONE - Opt out of all beta programs** from the dropdown: <image src="gmod_betas_none.png"/> * You can ignore the "Enter beta access code" field, it does nothing for Garry's Mod. ⤶ ⤶ ## How do I check for the Branch of my Player? To check the Branch the Player is using, you can check the Global Variable **BRANCH** in the Client Realm. This can help if you develop something with functions that the current branch does not have, as an Example the Chromium Features in the x86-64 Branch.⤶ ⤶ For Example:⤶ ⤶ ```⤶ -- to prevent a player without the x86-64 branch doing something:⤶ if (BRANCH ~= "x86-64") then⤶ ⤶ ## How can I check the branch of my player?⤶ To check which branch the player is using, you can check the <page>Global Variables</page> `BRANCH` in the client side. This can be useful if you are developing something with features that the current branch does not have, such as Chromium features in the `x86-64` branch. ```⤶ if BRANCH ~= "x86-64" then⤶ return end ```