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to be released, all files that are part of the system (and which are under revision control) could be <br />labeled as part of ?CRDSS prototype 1.0.? <br />Revision Control Method <br />Two revision control methods are readily available on the SGI workstations (and on other <br />workstations). These are Source Code Control System (SCCS) and Revision Control System (RCS). <br />SCCS was originally developed to maintain UNIX system software. RCS was developed at Purdue <br />University and is public domain software. Both methods are widely available and widely used. <br />Both SCCS and RCS offer similar features. However, RCS tends to be better supported by other <br />Mosaic <br />public domain software products (e.g., supports an interface to RCS to allow documents to <br />be stored under revision control, see Task Memorandum 1.05-12) and is also used more often in <br />academic settings. SCCS and RCS store revisions as deltas within a single file. SCCS uses control <br />character commands, and RCS uses ASCII commands. Both methods allow comments and other <br />information to be inserted into a revision control file. Both allow multiple layers of revisions and <br />branches. Both offer basically the same utility programs for processing files under revision control <br />(e.g., initialization, check-in, check-out, administration, and printing). <br />SCCS uses the convention of placing an ?s.? prefix on the name of a file that is under revision <br />control. RCS uses the convention of placing a ?,v? suffix on the name of a file that is under revision <br />control. Another RCS convention is to place code that is under revision control in an RCS <br />subdirectory under the working directory (the directory where compiles would take place). SCCS <br />generally leaves the SCCS code in the working directory. RCS supports some advanced features that <br />SCCS does not, and it continues to be improved. <br />RTi recommends that RCS be used for revision control because it is more accepted among the <br />general user community, and it continues to improve (through direct modifications and additional <br />features contributed by other developers). RCS is also being enhanced so that it can be used on non- <br />UNIX systems such as PCs. Additionally, the Concurrent Versions System (CVS) software, which is <br />built on RCS, is a valid revision control method. RTi also recommends that SCCS continue to be <br />supported to allow compatibility with software sources who might be using SCCS. RTi is very <br />familiar with SCCS and has developed a suite of programs to aid in the processing of SCCS files. <br />These programs will be made available to the CRDSS project. <br />It is possible to convert an SCCS file to RCS, and vice versa. This procedure involves sequentially <br />extracting the different revisions of a file from one control method and storing them as new revisions <br />under the other control method. This procedure could be automated. This situation should not occur <br />unless outside software or data are given to the CRDSS team in SCCS format. <br />Files that Can be Stored Under Revision Control <br />Text files can be stored under revision control. Text files consist of character-based files which only <br />include the first 127 ASCII characters. Extended characters (control characters) are not supported <br />because they are used in binary files (such as executable programs and binary data files), and the <br />revision control software has difficulty in accurately handling extended characters. <br />2 <br />A275 01.08.95 1.05-20 Malers <br />