(rcs.info)Quick tour

---

Prev: Concepts Up: Overview

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

1.3 Quick tour
==============

This section complements the preceding section (Note: Concepts),
presenting a handful of RCS commands in quick succession.  For details
on individual RCS commands, Note: Usage.

   Suppose you have a file ‘f.c’ that you wish to put under control of
RCS. If you have not already done so, make an ‘RCS’ directory with the
command:

     mkdir RCS

Then invoke the checkin command:

     ci f.c

This command creates an RCS file in directory ‘RCS’, stores ‘f.c’ into
it as revision 1.1, and deletes ‘f.c’.  It also asks you for a
description.  The description should be a synopsis of the contents of
the file.  All later checkin commands will ask you for a log entry,
which should summarize the changes that you made.

   To get back the working file ‘f.c’ in the previous example, use the
checkout command:

     co f.c

This command extracts the latest revision from the RCS file and writes
it into ‘f.c’.  If you want to edit ‘f.c’, you must lock it as you check
it out, with the command:

     co -l f.c

You can now edit ‘f.c’.  Suppose after some editing you want to know
what changes that you have made.  The command:

     rcsdiff f.c

tells you the difference between the most recently checked-in version
and the working file.  You can check the file back in by invoking:

     ci f.c

This increments the revision number properly.  If ci complains with the
message:

     ci error: no lock set by your name

then you have tried to check in a file even though you did not lock it
when you checked it out.  Of course, it is too late now to do the
checkout with locking, because another checkout would overwrite your
modifications.  Instead, invoke:

     rcs -l f.c

This command will lock the latest revision for you, unless somebody else
got ahead of you already.  In this case, you’ll have to negotiate with
that person.

   Locking assures that you, and only you, can check in the next update,
and avoids nasty problems if several people work on the same file.  Even
if a revision is locked, it can still be checked out for reading,
compiling, etc.  All that locking prevents is a checkin by anybody but
the locker.

   If your RCS file is private, i.e., if you are the only person who is
going to deposit revisions into it, strict locking is not needed and you
can turn it off.  If strict locking is turned off, the owner of the RCS
file need not have a lock for checkin; all others still do.  Turning
strict locking off and on is done with the commands:

     rcs -U f.c    # disable strict locking
     rcs -L f.c    # enable strict locking

   If you don’t want to clutter your working directory with RCS files,
create a subdirectory called ‘RCS’ in your working directory, and move
all your RCS files there.  RCS commands will look first into that
directory to find needed files.  All the commands discussed above will
still work, without any modification.  Note: Common elements.

   To avoid the deletion of the working file during checkin (in case you
want to continue editing or compiling), invoke one of:

     ci -l f.c     # checkin + locked checkout
     ci -u f.c     # checkin + unlocked checkout

These commands check in ‘f.c’ as usual, then perform an implicit
checkout.  The first form also locks the checked in revision, the second
one doesn’t.  Thus, these options save you one checkout operation.  The
first form is useful if you want to continue editing, the second one if
you just want to read the file.  Both update the keyword substitutions
in your working file Note: Concepts.

   You can give ci the number you want assigned to a checked-in
revision.  Assume all your revisions were numbered 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.,
and you would like to start release 2.  Either of the commands:

     ci -r2 f.c
     ci -r2.1 f.c

assigns the number 2.1 to the new revision.  From then on, ci will
number the subsequent revisions with 2.2, 2.3, etc.  The corresponding
co commands:

     co -r2 f.c
     co -r2.1 f.c

retrieve the latest revision numbered 2.x and the revision 2.1,
respectively.  co without a revision number selects the latest revision
on the trunk, i.e.  the highest revision with a number consisting of two
fields.  Numbers with more than two fields are needed for branches.  For
example, to start a branch at revision 1.3, invoke:

     ci -r1.3.1 f.c

This command starts a branch numbered 1 at revision 1.3, and assigns the
number 1.3.1.1 to the new revision.  Here is a diagram showing the new
revision in relation to its branch and the trunk.

     1.1  --  1.2  --  1.3  --  1.4  --  1.5
                        |
                     [1.3.1]  --  1.3.1.1

For more information about branches, Note: Concepts.