Syncronizing ports tree with package build

[rpratt]

I am preparing to update a few 8.3-RELEASE machines to 8.4-RELEASE-p2
or 8.4-STABLE as well as installed ports to their latest version.

Updating sources is well documented in the Handbook but I've not been
able to find a way of getting the version of the ports tree that would
match a package build of either packages-8-stable or "Latest".  Do I
just update to the latest tree?  Is there a revison level to match?

I've been building all ports from source but I want to become more
familar with the progress that has been made with using packages.
Still, there are situations where I will want to build from source
for options other than defaults.  Likewise, there are instances where
no packages exist for various reasons.

Using packages has the potential for saving a lot of time.  Any
suggestions or pointers to accomplish using a tree/pkg mix would
be appreciated.

Thanks!

Randy Pratt