SCCS version control

[Bruce A. Kern]

In article <3217 at ingr.UUCP> markv at ingr.UUCP (Mark VandenBrink) writes:
>
>In developing a product under SCCS, we have, finally, gotten to the point
>where we need to make a release.  So far no problems; however, I would like
>to "remember" or baseline our platform so that some later time (fixes release,
>etc.) I can automagically recreate the platform.
>
>I've kluged up shell scripts to ferret out the "highest" delta from the s-file,
>and I save a file that has lines: "/usr2/ee/ti/src/SCCS/s.ti.c 1.3".  And
>I can write a shell script to read this file and "get -r1.3...."  But there
>has got to be a better way (ala the VAX/VMS CMS command baseline).
>
>Finally, the question.  _IS_ there a better way??  The Unix SYSV 3.1 release
>we use has a program called vc(1) that purports to be a version control
>filter for SCCS files, but darned if I can see how it is any help.
>

For years I have been on a crusade to get my coworkers to
include the following lines in every file:

static char *file_name = "whetever.c";
static char *file_date = " Fri Dec 16 22:30:49 EST 1988 ";

And then (and this is the important thing) redefine the exit
key (not the quit) to search for the date string and replace
it with teh current date on exit.

If this system is followed then every module in an executable is
date stamped, on-line in ascii, as well as every listing.  This
has saved me many hours of frustration when debugging with an out of
date listing.

Also it is very easy to draw a thread through an executable and
reconstruct it from SCCS under unix or CMS on a vax.  Finally when
going to the field or giving telephone help to some one in the field
a useful set of listings can be compiled.

The key is however that the dating be enforced by the painless method
of redefining the editor exit key so that the correct date is simply
there by default.  The programmer has to go out of his/her way to
screw things up, almost maliciously since the procedure is so simple.
-- 
Bruce A. Kern                                  1-203-270-0399 
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