Re: CVS vs ClearCase, was cvs -n update vs cvs diff

[Kaz Kylheku]

On Tue, 22 Oct 2002, Johnson, Susan wrote:

> I'm used to ClearCase, where a person worked within a
> dynamic view and you could build, label (tag), branch,
> merge and do everything within the same workspace.
> 
> How does CVS differ from that model?

In that it does not have dynamic views; only the sandbox model.  A
mirror image of what is in the repository is replicated in the local
filesystem. This is known as a working copy, but most people use the
``sandbox'' jargon.

On the other hand, ClearCase is integrated into operating systems at
the filesystem level.  When you look at a dynamic view, you are not
looking at regular files on your hard drive, but at an MVFS (ClearCase
multi version filesystem) mount. If the version control system is
integrated into your operating system kernel, it can do things much
differently from a sandbox-based version control system.

With the sandbox model, you still do everything within the same
workspace, but you have a replica of the objects from version control.