CVS Module


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Documentation version 0.94

In team development projects where more than one developer may work on the same code, there are a number of challenges, such as:

Forte for Java's CVS module helps you meet these challenges by making it easier to use the popular (and free) Concurrent Versions System (CVS) version control software.

How the CVS module works

The CVS module registers itself with the IDE as a file system. Files accessed through it have all the properties of files on the local file system (access dates, attributes, etc.) - along with two additional properties: file state and locker status.

Note: Every operation is invoked in asynchronous manner, so that you can do your work and don't have to wait for commands to complete. Therefore, the file state and locker status of a file will not necessarily be visible until the CVS module needs this information (for example, when an attempt is made to modify a file) and requests it from your version control system.

The CVS Module is effectively an object wrapper which integrates CVS into the Forte for Java environment. For each action performed on your files, your version control system is called, and the information it returns on the command line is processed by the module.

Many of the calls to your version control system (for example, to retrieve status information) happen automatically, behind the scenes. However, there are some actions that must be performed manually, such as committing changes. When the CVS module is installed, a new node appears under the Repository tab of the Explorer with the label Root of the [your CVS] filesystem. To manually dispatch commands to the version control system, right-click on select from the submenu accessed through this item on the context menu for the file or directory you are working with.

Note: Since the CVS module is designed to work across many platforms and operating systems, some configuration is necessary to get the systems interacting properly. CVS is called from within the context of a command shell.

Using the CVS module

Before you begin

If you have not already done so, download and install CVS on to your system. The GNU website at http://www.gnu.org/ is one place where you can obtain more a copy of CVS as well as more information.

You will then need to configure the CVS module according to your needs and set up the working directory it will use (see the sample project below).

Sample project using the CVS version control system

You should have the CVS system installed on your system before you start using it from within Forte for Java IDE. If you are not sure if it is installed, start a command shell and type cvs. If it is installed, a help message will appear. Ensure that you have the path to CVS properly set and that you have a CVS directory.

Important: If you have not worked much with CVS, we strongly recommend you take the time to familiarize yourself with the documentation for it.

To set up CVS with Forte for Java:

Once you have set up the CVS module, you can begin creating projects.

To create a project:
To create the project CVSDemo: