Recent SCO/Linux News

From: Kathryn Barrett <kathrynb@oreilly.com>
Subject: "Essential CVS" Released by O'Reilly
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 00:21:42 GMT

Applying Order to Concurrent Versions
O'Reilly Releases "Essential CVS"

Sebastopol, CA--One of the greatest frustrations of most software
projects is version control. The increasingly fast pace of version
revision has only heightened the problem; consecutive work on code or
single-programmer software is a rare sight these days. Without careful
attention to version control, concurrent and collaborative work can
create more headaches than it solves.

CVS, the Concurrent Versions System, is a popular source-code
management tool that frees developers from the chaos that too often
ensues when multiple users work on the same file. "Version control is
essential in any project--even small projects," explains Jennifer
Vesperman, author of the just released book, "Essential CVS" (O'Reilly,
US $39.95). "CVS provided everything I needed in the way of version
control. But the documentation that is out there is out of date, or
written for people who already know CVS. The first time I used CVS I
lost another person's work. Entirely unnecessary. I wanted to buy a
book that gave an introduction for beginners, and that would clearly
explain the advanced topics as well. But it didn't exist."

"CVS is an extremely versatile tool," says Vesperman. CVS allows
multiple users to check out files from a directory tree, make changes,
and then commit those changes back into the directory. If two
developers modify the same file, CVS enables both sets of changes to be
merged together into one final file. CVS identifies changes from
multiple sources that conflict with each other and can't be resolved
automatically. Users can tag specific versions of source code files
that combine for any particular software release, allowing them to
check out that same combination of files to recreate a particular
release.

Although CVS is a lifesaver--and a timesaver--in many development
scenarios, it suffers from poor documentation. But with "Essential
CVS," developers can have it all: the order that CVS brings and the
comprehensive documentation that developers need.

"Essential CVS" is a complete and easy-to-follow reference that helps
programmers and system administrators apply order to the task of
managing large quantities of documents. The book covers basic concepts
and usage of CVS, and features a comprehensive reference for CVS
commands--including a handy Command Reference Card for quick,
on-the-job checks. The book also includes advanced information on all
aspects of CVS that involve automation, logging, branching and merging,
and "watches."

Any CVS user, from beginners to team leaders and system administrators,
will find this practical guide to CVS indispensable in getting the most
from this valuable tool.


Additional Resources:

An article by the author, "Running Arbitrary Scripts Under CVS," is
online at:
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2003/06/05/scripts.html

Chapter 2, "CVS Quickstart Guide," is available free online at:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/cvs/chapter/index.html

For more information about the book, including Table of Contents,
index, author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/cvs/

For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to:
ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596004591.jpg

Essential CVS
Jennifer Vesperman
ISBN 0-596-00459-1, 336 pages, $39.95 US, $61.95 CA, 28.50 UK
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
http://www.oreilly.com

About O'Reilly
O'Reilly & Associates is the premier information source for
leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences,
and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators.
O'Reilly books, known for the animals on their covers, occupy a
treasured place on the shelves of the developers building the next
generation of software. O'Reilly conferences and summits bring alpha
geeks and forward-thinking business leaders together to shape the
revolutionary ideas that spark new industries. From the Internet to
XML, open source, .NET, Java, and web services, O'Reilly puts
technologies on the map. For more information: http://www.oreilly.com

# # #

O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. All
other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Index

Unix and Linux Support

Jump to Comments

Many of the products and books I review are things I purchased for my own use. Some were given to me specifically for the purpose of reviewing them. I resell or can earn commissions from the sale of some of these items. Links within these pages may be affiliate links that pay me for referring you to them. That's mostly insignificant amounts of money; whenever it is not I have made my relationship plain. I also may own stock in companies mentioned here. If you have any question, please do feel free to contact me.

Specific links that take you to pages that allow you to purchase the item I reviewed are very likely to pay me a commission. Many of the books I review were given to me by the publishers specifically for the purpose of writing a review. These gifts and referral fees do not affect my opinions; I often give bad reviews anyway.

We use Google third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.