multiple -r flags to checkout

[Gwen Park]

Hi,

I am trying to debug a script someone else wrote (no longer around to
ask) in which he coded cvs commands I don't really understand. The
full commands are:

        cvs -Q co -f -p -r rev -r branch filename1 > filename2 (if rev
        is entered as argument)

        or

        cvs -Q co -f -p -D 'date' -r branch filename1 > filename2 (if
        date is entered as argument)

These commands seem to work fine unless you are attempting to get a
revision/date for other than the most current on the branch.

My questions are as follows:
        Is there any reason you would want multiple -r and/or -D flags
        to cvs co? I experimented a bit and observed that the second
        always overrides the first.

        Is there any way to update a file using the -D flag if the
        file exists solely on a branch (i.e. it has no revisions in
        the trunk other than initial 1.1)? I experimented and it seems
        that using -D will always update to the trunk revision, which
        has generally before earlier than the date entered (cvs
        informs me that file is no longer relevant).

I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you.

gwen