Re: Query with respect to RCS

[Bob Proulx]

Aaron S. Hawley wrote:
> Mathews, Shane wrote:
> > I was wondering whether there was any command/switch that could
> > help identify the current version of the file contained in the RCS
> > repository.
>
> If you insert RCS keywords into the source file, then you can use the
> `ident' command.  See the man page for `co'.

A problem with embedded keywords is that keyword expansion will cause
a lot of merge conflicts if you ever branch.  The keywords are always
different and are always a source of conflict.  Plus when looking for
differences they always cause differences.  Many projects forbid them.

If you *never* branch then it isn't a problem, *at the time*.  It does
become a problem later when you try to bridge from one version control
system to another.  These days it is almost inevitable that history
will be ported from one system to another.  When importing the history
from one system into another it is much better not to have to deal
with the problem of embedded keywords.

Embedded keywords.  Some people love them.  Other people hate them.
There is very little in between.

Bob