Index
RCS Shell for Windows Version 2.1

Table of Contents

General Information

CustomLogic

Limited Warranty

Registration

Requirements

Technical support

Known bugs and limitations

Using RCS Shell for Windows

Introduction

Creating and managing projects

Checking in files

Checking out files

Viewing text file contents

Diffing file revisions

Viewing file history

Locks

Lock list

Copying and Moving files

Deleting a file revision

Deleting files

Renaming a file

Editing

Preferences

__________________________________________________

RCS Shell for Windows is a trademark of CustomLogic

MKS and MKS RCS are trademarks of Mortice Kern Systems Inc.

MS-DOS and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

PC-DOS is a tradmark of IBM Corp.

This program was written by Jon E. Marinello.


CustomLogic

CustomLogic, a division of StarBase Corporation, provides a wide range of consulting services and develops custom applications written in C, C++, xBase, COBOL, SQL and other languages for MS-DOS, Windows, OS/2 and UNIX. If you need any of these services, please call us at (714) 253-6734.


Limited Warranty

CustomLogic guarantees your satisfaction with this product for a period of 90 days from the date of original purchase. If you are unsatisfied with RCS Shell for Windows within that time period contact CustomLogic via normal or electronic mail for a full refund.

CustomLogic warrants that the program will perform in substantial compliance with the documentation supplied with the software product. If a significant defect in the product is found, the Purchaser may obtain a refund.  In no event will such a refund exceed the purchase price of the product.

EXCEPT AS PROVIDED ABOVE, CUSTOMLOGIC DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, THE PURCHASER ASSUMES THE RISK OF PAYING THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION AND ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.  IN NO EVENT WILL CUSTOMLOGIC BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF CUSTOMLOGIC HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Use of this product for any period of time constitutes your acceptance of this agreement and subjects you to its contents.


Registration

RCS Shell for Windows is not and has never been public domain software, nor is it free software.  RCS Shell for Windows is a commercial application distributed as shareware.

Non-licensed users are granted a limited license (registration) to use RCS Shell for Windows on a 30-day trial basis for the purpose of determining whether RCS Shell for Windows is suitable for their needs. The use of RCS Shell for Windows, except for the initial 30-day trial period, requires registration.  The use of unlicensed (un-registered) copies of RCS Shell for Windows by any person, business, corporation, government agency or any other entity is strictly prohibited.

A single user license permits a user to use RCS Shell for Windows only on a single computer.  Licensed users may use the program on different computers, but may not use the program on more than one computer at the same time.

No one may modify or patch the RCS Shell for Windows executable and documentation files in any way, including but not limited to decompiling, disassembling, or otherwise reverse engineering the program.

A limited license is granted to copy and distribute RCS Shell for Windows only for the trial use of others, subject to the above limitations, and also the following:

1.	RCS Shell for Windows must be copied in unmodified form, complete with the file containing this license information.

2.	The RCS Shell for Windows product consists of the following files:

WINRCS.EXE	Main program executable

WINRCS.HLP	Help file

WINRCS.REG	Registration form

BWCC.DLL	Borland C++ 3.1 dialog DLL

RCSRUN.PIF	RCS command PIF file

RCSRUN.BAT	RCS command BAT file

README.TXT	Readme documentation file

All of these files must be copied in unmodified form.

3.	RCS Shell for Windows may not be distributed in conjunction with any other product without a specific license to do so from CustomLogic.

4.	No fee, charge, or other compensation may be requested or accepted, except as authorized below:

a.	Operators of electronic bulletin board systems (sysops) may make RCS Shell for Windows available for downloading only as long as the above conditions are met.  An overall or time-dependent charge for the use of the bulletin board system is permitted as long as there is not a specific charge for downloading RCS Shell for Windows.

b.	Vendors may charge a disk duplication and handling fee, which may not exceed eight dollars.

The single user registration fee for RCS Shell for Windows version 2.1 is $39 (US Dollars).  Payment of this fee entitles you to:

1.	A diskette containing a registered copy of RCS Shell for Windows without the registration banner.

2.	Free upgrade to all future shareware versions and a discount on future versions that are not distributed as shareware, if any.

3.	Technical support via electronic mail.

The most recent version of RCS Shell for Windows can always be found in the following places:

*	The MSOPSYS, WINNEW, and WINADV, forums on CompuServe.

*	The Utilities forum on PC Magazine's PC MAGNET.

Site licenses for RCS Shell for Windows are available.  Contact CustomLogic for more information.

At the present time registering for RCS Shell for Windows may be done by mail only.  To register send a check for $39 (US Dollars) drawn on a U.S. bank made out to:

CustomLogic

5405 Alton Parkway, Suite 5A494

Irvine, CA 92714

Important points to remember when registering:

1.	The only forms of payment currently accepted are by check for United States dollars drawn on a United States bank (the cost of cashing a check drawn on an international bank is typically $25-$30 which is prohibitively expensive) or cash.  If you do send a check drawn on a U.S. bank, but from an international branch, make sure the check clearly states where a U.S. branch of that bank is located.

2.	You can print the registration form WINRCS.REG.  Using this form makes processing orders much easier.

3.	Make sure your name and address are clearly legible on the registration form.


Requirements

Software

*	PC-DOS © or MS-DOS © version 3.1 or higher.

*	Windows 3.0 or higher running in standard or 386 enhanced mode (This program was written to take advantage of Windows 3.1 features but will work under Windows 3.0).

*	MKS (Mortice Kern Systems) RCS version 5.1 or higher.

Hardware

*	IBM PC-AT, PS/2, or compatable (80286 or higher).

*	800x600 or larger VGA display.

*	A mouse is recommended.

It is assumed  that you are completely familiar with the common operations of MKS RCS. If you need more information on how RCS works please refer to the MKS RCS reference manual before continuing.


Technical Support

Technical support for RCS Shell for Windows is provided to registered users only via electronic mail. If you are a registered user, you can contact the author for support on CompuServe. Send CompuServe mail to CustomLogic, CompuServe ID: 71075,507.


Introduction

RCS Shell for windows, version 2.1 provides three major enhancements to the configuration management capabilities found in Mortice Kern System's RCS (Revision Control System); a Windows GUI shell, the notion of a "Project", and automatic computation of those files which need to be checked in or out of an RCS project.  Each feature of RCS Shell for Windows was developed based on actual use of the product in-house.

This program was written for Microsoft Windows 3.1 (or higher) and gives both developers and non-technical computer users a standard, much easier to use, and more powerful user interface. In addition, non-technical users will enjoy the standard Windows interface and the ease of use it provides.

Graphical user interface

The command line interface to RCS has made it virtually unusable by non-technical personnel (writers, etc.). A GUI shell built around the command line version of RCS greatly enhances the user's ability to interact and utilize the powerful capabilities found in RCS. The RCS command line interface with its easy to forget series of flags and arguments is presented to the user as a standard, coherent, and simple series of dialogs.

Projects

Although earlier CUI (character user interface) versions of shells for RCS have been around for a while, none of them provide more than a thin layer to existing RCS capabilities.  RCS Shell for Windows introduces the notion of a "Project". A project defines paths to both the working and RCS directories. These directories may be found on the same or completely different physical drives (i.e., such as in a network environment). Without the shell, these paths must be re-entered by the user each time RCS is used.  This is both tedious and error prone.  By encapsulating these paths in projects, useful new features not found in RCS became apparent. The ability to copy, delete, and move both working and RCS versions of files has been implemented.

Automatic computation of files to be checked in or out

Probably the most popular feature found in RCS Shell for Windows is the automatic computation of the files which need to be checked in or out of an RCS project. When existing RCS files are to be checked in or out, RCS Shell for Windows performs a file by file date-time stamp comparison of the working files against the corresponding RCS files. Those files found to be out of date are automatically moved from the "Available files" picklist to the "Selected files" picklist (described later). This feature really saves the user's time in determining which files need to be checked in or out.

Comprehensive on-line help

At any time you may activate the on-line help by either pressing the Help button where available or by pressing the F1 function key when in the main application window.


Creating and modifying projects
Creating and managing projects

Before you can check any files in or out of RCS, you must first define at least one project. Before you define a project, use the file manager or the DOS prompt to create a directory to contain your working files (this directory may already exist and contain working files. If so, this step may be omitted). You will also need to define a directory to store the RCS files corresponding to your working files. RCS requires that this directory be named "RCS". In a network environment, the working directory might be on your local (workstation) drive and the RCS directory could be on the network server. If you are already using RCS to manage a set of files, these directories may already exist.

In general, each project utilizes a unique working/RCS directory pair.

To add, modify or delete a project, activate the |Preferences|Project...| menu item. The Project dialog will appear.

Add button

To define a project, press the Add button. The Add Project dialog will appear.

Project text edit control

Each project must have a name. The name may contain words separated by white spaces and is limited to fifty characters. At any time, you may rename a project by just entering the new name into this field.

Current directory pick list

This pick list is used to define both the Working and RCS directories (see below). Navigation of the file system is accomplished by double-clicking on entries in the pick list.

Working directory radio button

When this radio button is selected, the Current directory pick list is used to set up the Working directory. The working directory is the place where you plan to work on checked out versions of files in the RCS directory.

RCS directory radio button

When this radio button is selected, the Current directory pick list is used to set up the RCS directory. The RCS directory is the place where RCS Shell for Windows stores checked in files.

Create button

If you are currently defining an RCS directory, the Create button allows you to create a directory called "RCS" in the current directory. You will automatically be placed in this directory after it is created. If you already have an RCS directory, just change directories to it.

File specification exclusion or inclusion text edit control

You may optionally define a list of file specifications to include or exclude when checking in files to RCS. This list is defined by commas which separate a sequence of valid file specifications. Wild cards may be used. Directory and drive specifications are not permitted. (At the current time, only file specifications of the form *.X, *.XX, and *.XXX are permitted. i.e., only file extensions are definable). Here is an example:

*.obj,*.bak,*.exe

For exclusion, For inclusion, and Don't use radio buttons

If the For exclusion radio button is selected, then all files that match any of the file specifications in the File specification exclusion or inclusion text edit control will be excluded from check in. If the For inclusion radio button is selected, then only those files that match any of the file specifications will be included for check in. If you don't want to use the File specification exclusion or inclusion text edit control, then select the Don't use radio button.

Modify button

Projects may be modified in much the same way as they are created. Press the Modify button. The Modify Project dialog will appear. See Creating projects for information on how to set up a project.

Delete button

To delete a project, press the Delete button. All information regarding the project will be discarded.

Saving projects

To save all defined projects activate the |Preferences|Save| menu item.


Checking in files

Before you can check in any files to RCS you must first define at least one project.

In order to check a file into an RCS project it must be locked by you. If the file is not already locked by you it must first be locked by you before your new version may be checked in (see Locks). Beware that if the file is currently locked by another user, you will not be able to re-lock the file until that user has unlocked the file or you break their lock. This rule does not apply to a file that is being checked in for the first time.

To check in files to an RCS project, activate the |File|Check in...| menu item. The Check in dialog will appear. There are two additional ways to activate the Check in dialog. Just press the "i" key or, if RCS Shell for Windows is iconisized, select |Check in...| from the system menu. RCS Shell for Windows will then determine which files, if any, need to be checked in. It does this by checking the date-time stamp of each file found in the working directory against the corresponding file in the RCS directory. Only those files that have been previously checked in participate in this comparison. Working files with a later date-time stamp than their corresponding RCS file are automatically placed in the Selected files pick list. This is equivalent to the user pressing the Suggest button (more on this later). The remaining files are left in the Available files pick list.

If there aren't any files that need to be checked in, then RCS Shell for Windows will automatically reload the Available files pick list with only those files not already checked in (see New files). The Selected files pick list will initially be empty.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for check in.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for check in.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name and the Description/Comment edit control (see below) contains at least one character.

File inclusion and exclusion

It is important to note that if an exclusion or inclusion list is defined for the current project, this will affect the possible entries in the Available files pick list (for more information on this topic see Creating and managing projects).

New files

Files that are being checked in for the first time must have an associated Description. This information will be passed on to RCS and stored with the checked in version. Note that if more than one new file is being checked in, the description you enter will be used for all the selected files. If you want to use a different description for each new file, you will need to check each new file in separately (with a corresponding description).

Existing files

Files being checked in for a second or more time must have an associated Comment. This information will be passed on to RCS and stored with the checked in version. Note that if more than one new file is being checked in, the comment you enter will be used for all the selected files. If you want to use a different comment for each file, you will need to check each file in separately (with a corresponding comment). A descriptive comment is important and will become invaluable later when you need to determine which revision you wish to view or Check out .

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name and the Description/Comment edit control contains at least one character.

Comment/Description text edit control

A required Comment (if checking in an existing RCS file) or Description (if checking in a new file) is entered in this multi-line edit control. You may enter as much text as you wish in this control and it will be passed along to RCS when the check in occurs. Note that hard carriage returns are significant whereas automatically generated soft carriage returns are not (i.e., word wrapping done in the edit control is not saved with the RCS file). If you want carriage returns in the comment/description stored with the RCS file then explicitly enter them.

When a file is checked in to an RCS project, it is assigned an ascending revision number starting with 1.1.

Symbolic name text edit control

When files are checked in, you may optionally include a symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are checking in a set of files that constitute an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). This feature allows you to later Check out  a set of files based on a symbolic name.

New check box

The New check box allows you to control which set of files are currently candidates for check in. If the New button is checked, only files not already checked into the current project (see New files) will be displayed in the Available files pick list (also see File inclusion and exclusion). Otherwise, only files that have already been checked in to the current project will be displayed in the Available files pick list (also see File inclusion and exclusion). Note that when the New check box is checked, the Force check in checkbox and Suggest button are disabled.

Lock after check in check box

When files are checked in, they are automatically checked out again either with or without a lock. This check box controls this behavior. The initial state of this control is determined by the Lock after check in as default check box (For more on this topic see Preferences).

Force check in check box

Normally, RCS will not let you check in a file that has not changed. You may override this by checking this check box. This feature is useful when an entire code baseline is checked in with a symbolic name and not all the modules have actually changed. Later, the baseline can again be checked out based on the symbolic name. Note that this feature does not allow you to check in a file if it is currently locked by another user.

Suggest button

Pressing the Suggest button causes RCS Shell for Windows to determine which files, if any, need to be checked in. It does this by checking the date-time stamp of each file found in the working directory against the corresponding file in the RCS directory. Only those files that have been previously checked in participate in this comparison. Working files with a later date-time stamp than their corresponding RCS file are automatically placed in the Selected files pick list.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Check in dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

For more information regarding checking in files to RCS see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Checking out files

Before you can check any files out of RCS you must first define at least one project and have already checked in at least one file.

Checking out files is even more simple than checking them in. To check out one or more files from an RCS project, activate the |File|Check out...| menu item. The Check out dialog will appear. There are two additional ways to activate the Check out dialog. Just press the "o" key, or if RCS Shell for Windows is iconisized, select |Check out...| from the system menu. RCS Shell for Windows will then determine which files, if any, need to be checked out. It does this by checking the date-time stamp of each file found in the working directory against the corresponding file in the RCS directory. Only those files that have been previously checked in participate in this comparison. RCS files with a later date-time stamp than their corresponding Working file are automatically placed in the Selected files pick list. This is equivalent to the user pressing the Suggest button (more on this later). The remaining files are left in the Available files pick list.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for check out.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for check out.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name.

Revision text edit control

When files are checked out, you may optionally include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to check out an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are checking out a set of files that constitute an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty the latest revision will be checked out (see Viewing file history).

Lock check box

The Lock check box allows you to check out the selected files either with or without a lock. The initial state of this control is determined by the Check out with lock as default check box (For more on this topic see Preferences and Locks).

Force check out check box

This feature should be used with care. Normally, if a read-write version of a file being checked out already exists in the working directory, you will be prompted for permission by RCS to overwrite it. If this check box is checked, the working file will be overwritten without confirmation by you. Use with care.

Suggest button

Pressing the Suggest button causes RCS Shell for Windows to determine which files, if any, need to be checked out. It does this by checking the date-time stamp of each file found in the working directory against the corresponding file in the RCS directory. Only those files that have been previously checked in participate in this comparison. RCS files with a later date-time stamp than their corresponding Working file are automatically placed in the Selected files pick list.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Check out dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

For more information regarding checking out files from RCS see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Viewing text file contents

Once a file has been checked into an RCS project, any revision may be viewed using RCS Shell for Windows.

In addition to viewing capabilities, the loaded file may be edited in memory and sections may be selected, cut, pasted, and cleared. The Windows clipboard is used for this function, so it is possible to copy parts or all of a viewed RCS file to another Windows process (e.g., Windows editor, programming IDE, etc.). For more information on this topic see Editing.

To view the contents of an RCS file, activate the |File|Contents...| menu item. The Contents dialog will appear.

Revision text edit control

When file contents are to be viewed, you may optionally include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to view the contents of an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are viewing a file that was a component of an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty, the latest revision will be viewed (see Viewing file history). As you choose various files in the Available files pick list, the latest revision number is fetched from the RCS file and automatically loaded in this field.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for viewing. Only one file may be viewed at a time. Single-clicking in this list with the mouse selects the file. Double-licking in this list selects the file (latest revision) and gets the file for viewing. If you want to view an older revision of a file, single-click on it, enter the revision number or symbolic name in the Revision text edit control and press the OK button.

The OK button is disabled until the Available files pick list contains at least one selected file name.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Contents dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

Binary files

Viewing the contents of a binary file is of limited use since the first null character effectively truncates the file loaded.

Also see Editing.

Current limitation


Diffing file revisions

As a file goes through multiple modifications it is checked into an RCS project repeatedly. Each new revision represents a set of changes made during the life span of the file. Very often, it useful to be able to isolate and examine these sets of changes or differences.

To diff the revisions of an RCS file, activate the |File|Diff...| menu item. The Diff dialog will appear.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are checked in to the current project. Only one file may be diffed at a time. Single-clicking in this list with the mouse selects the file. Double-clicking in this list selects the file (latest revision) and starts the diff process. For some common examples of diffing files, see Common diffing scenarios below.

The OK button is disabled until the Available files pick list contains at least one selected file name.

Revision one text edit control

When diffing a file, you may optionally include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to view the contents of an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are diffing a file that was a component of an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty the latest revision will be retrieved (see Viewing file history). As you choose various files in the Available files pick list, the latest revision number is fetched from the RCS file and automatically loaded into this field.

Revision two text edit control

When diffing a file, you may optionally include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to view the contents of an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are diffing a file that was a component of an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty, the revision specified in the Revision one text edit control will be diffed against the working file (see Viewing file history).

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Diff dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

Common diffing scenarios

To diff the current working file against the latest checked in revision, select it (notice that the latest revision number appears in the Revision text edit control) and press the OK button. Leave the Revision number two text edit control empty.

To diff the latest checked in revision of a file against an older revision, select it (notice that the latest revision number appears in the Revision text edit control), enter the desired revision number in the Revision two text edit control and press the OK button.

To diff two (older) checked in revisions of a  file, select it (notice that the latest revision number appears in the Revision text edit control), enter the first revision number in the Revision one text edit control, enter the second revision number in the Revision two text edit control and press the OK button.

Result

If the files are different, a difference log is generated and loaded into a multi-line edit control and displayed. The loaded log may be edited in memory and sections may be selected, cut, pasted, and cleared. The Windows clipboard is used for this function, so it is possible to copy parts or all of a viewed RCS file to another Windows process (e.g., Windows editor, programming IDE, etc.). For more information on this topic see Editing.

If the files are the same, you will receive a message to that effect.

Also see Editing.

Current limitation

For more information regarding diffing files in RCS see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Viewing file history

With each checked in revision of a file into an RCS project, you included (hopefully) a descriptive comment. If it becomes necessary to check out a prior revision, diff it against another revision, etc., then access to a log of the file history (i.e., check in comments) can be very useful in tracking down which revision is of interest. Additional information is also contained in the log like description, access list, lock list, etc.

To view the history of an RCS file, activate the |File|History...| menu item. The Display History dialog will appear.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are checked in to the current project. Only one file history may be viewed at a time. Single-clicking in this list with the mouse selects the file. Double-clicking in this list selects the file and starts the history process.

The OK button is disabled until the Available files pick list contains at least one selected file name.

Long format check box

When a file's history is viewed, it can be in either long or short format. This check box controls this behavior. If checked, then the file history header as well as all check in comments will be displayed. If not checked, then only the file history header will be displayed. The initial state of this control is determined by the Long history listing check box (For more on this topic see Preferences).

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Display History dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

Also see Editing.

Current limitation

For more information regarding RCS history logs see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Locks

Files that have been checked into an RCS project have a lock status. It is either locked or unlocked. Prior to modifying a file contained in an RCS project, it should be locked. This is normally done when the file is checked out (see Checking out files). After the modified file is checked in (see Checking in files), it is normally unlocked. If you simply want to change the lock status of one or more files without checking them in or out, read on.

To change the lock status of a set of RCS files, activate the |File|Locks|Lock or unlock files...| menu item. The Lock/Unlock dialog will appear.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates to lock or unlock.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for locking or unlocking.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name.

Revision text edit control

When files are locked or unlocked, you may optionally include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to lock or unlock an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are locking or unlocking a set of files that constitute an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty, the latest revision will be locked or unlocked (see Viewing file history).

Lock and Unlock radio buttons

The Lock and Unlock radio buttons allow you to change the lock status of one or more files. The initial state of this control is always set to Unlock.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Lock/Unlock dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

For more information regarding RCS file locks see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Lock list

Files that have been checked into an RCS project have a lock status. It is either locked or unlocked. In a work group environment it is very often useful to determine which users have locks on files in an RCS project. Even when you are working alone on a project, it is useful to know which files are locked and which files are not.

To view the user lock list of a set of RCS files, activate the |File|Locks|User lock list...| menu item. The User lock list dialog will appear.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for viewing user lock lists.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for viewing user lock lists.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the User lock lists dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

Generated list

The list of user locks is generated with entries having one of two forms:

filename: User1:m.mm User2:n.nn ...

Where filename represents a file in the Selected files picklist, User1 represents a user with a lock on revision m.mm, User2 represents a user with a lock on revision n.nn, and so on.

or:

filename: [unlocked]

Where filename represents a file in the Selected files picklist that is not locked.

Also see Editing.

Current limitation


Copying and moving files

Files that have been checked into an RCS project may be copied or moved to another project. The working versions of these files may also be copied or moved. All RCS information and status is preserved. You must have at least two projects defined in order to use this feature.

To copy or move a set of RCS files, activate the |File|Copy or move...| menu item. The Copy/Move dialog will appear.

Target project pull down combo box

All available target projects are defined here. Note that the current project is not available as a target project. The target project defines where the selected files will be copied or moved to.

Copy and Move radio buttons

To copy the selected files, choose the Copy radio button. To move the selected files, choose the Move radio button.

Copy/Move any associated working files check box

Check this control to move any associated working files. The default behavior is to copy or move any associated working files. If the Copy radio button is selected, any associated working files will be copied.  If the Move radio button is selected, any associated working files will be moved.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for copying or moving.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for copying or moving.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the copy or move files dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.


Deleting a file revision

Any revision of a file that has been checked into an RCS project may be deleted.

To delete an RCS file revision, activate the |File|Delete|Revision...| menu item. The Delete file revision dialog will appear.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are checked in to the current project. Only one file may have a revision removed at a time. Single-clicking in this list with the mouse selects the file. Double-clicking in this list selects the file and starts the delete revision process.

The OK button is disabled until the Available files pick list contains at least one selected file name and the Revision text edit control contains at least one character.

Revision text edit control

When deleting a file revision, you must include a revision number or symbolic name. This name should not contain any spaces. Use of a revision number is useful if you want to delete an older version of a file. Use of a symbolic name is useful when you are deleting a file revision that constitutes part of an important milestone (e.g., Alpha_1, Beta_1, etc.). If you leave this field empty the latest revision will be deleted (see Viewing file history). As you choose various files in the Available files pick list the latest revision number is fetched from the RCS file and automatically loaded in this field.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Delete file revision dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.

For more information regarding deleting a revision of an RCS file see the documentation provided with your copy of MKS RCS.


Deleting files

Files that have been checked into an RCS project may be deleted. The working versions of these files may also be deleted.

To delete a set of RCS files, activate the |File|Delete|File...| menu item. The Delete file dialog will appear.

Delete any associated working files check box

Check this control to control deletion of any associated working files. The default behavior is not to delete any associated working files.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are possible candidates for deletion.

Selected files pick list

The Selected files pick list enumerates all the files that have been selected for deletion.

You may move files back and forth in these pick lists by double-clicking on them.

The OK button is disabled until the Selected files pick list contains at least one file name.

Select all button

Pressing the Select all button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Available pick list to the Selected files pick list.

Reset button

Pressing the Reset button causes RCS Shell for Windows to move all files in the Selected files pick list to the Available pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Delete files dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.


Renaming a file

Any file that has been checked into an RCS project may be renamed. The working version of the file may also be renamed. All RCS information and status is preserved.

To rename an RCS file, activate the |File|Rename...| menu item. The Rename file dialog will appear.

Rename any associated working files check box

Check this control to rename any associated working file. The default behavior is to rename any associated working file.

Available files pick list

The Available files pick list enumerates all the files that are checked in to the current project. Only one file may be renamed at a time. Single-clicking or double-clicking in this list with the mouse selects the file.

The OK button is disabled until the Available files pick list contains at least one selected file name and the New name text edit control has a valid file name that does not already exist in the current RCS project.

New name text edit control

This text edit control is used to enter the new name for the selected file. The new name entered into this control may not contain any wild card characters (i.e., *, ?), drive or path specifiers (i.e., :, \), must obey standard MS-DOS file naming conventions, and must not exist in the Avaliable files pick list.

Project button

Pressing the Project button allows you to interact with the Project dialog. This is very useful when you want to change the current project while still in the Rename file dialog. For more information regarding projects see Creating and managing projects.


Preferences

RCS Shell for Windows may be configured to best suit your needs through the setting of preferences. These preference settings may be saved from session to session.

Confirmations

To change confirmation preference settings, activate the Preference|Confirmations...| menu item. The Confirmation preferences dialog will appear.

Confirm on delete check box

Prior to deleting any files or file revisions (see Deleting files or  Deleting a file revision), RCS Shell for Windows always checks the state of this check box. If this control is checked, you will be given a chance to delete, skip, or cancel. We recommend leaving this control checked (the default).

Confirm on exit check box

Prior to exiting, RCS Shell for Windows checks the state of this check box.  If this control is checked, you will be asked to confirm your request to exit.

Pause after running RCS command check box

If you want the DOS command window used to run RCS commands to pause before returning to RCS Shell for Windows, check this control. This feature is useful if there is some message from RCS that is displayed and the DOS session closes before you are able to see it. Note that DOS sessions used to run RCS commands are always run in a window (i.e., not iconisized) if this control is checked (see Run DOS sessions as an icon check box below).

Confirm on empty suggest result check box

When files are checked in or out, RCS Shell for Windows tries to automatically determine which files need to be checked in or out. Similarly, you can ask RCS Shell for Windows to do this by pressing the Suggest button (see Checking in files and Checking out files). If the result of either of these operations is empty (i.e., no files need to be checked in or out), RCS Shell for Windows will display a confirmation box informing you of this. If you do not want to receive this confirmation box, do not check this control.

Display

To change display preference settings, activate the |Preference|Display...| menu item. The Display preferences dialog will appear.

Tab stops text edit control

Enter the tab stop value desired. This value is used by the edit window (used for Contents, Diff, History, and Lock list).

Also see Editing.

Fonts pull down combo box

One of five possible fonts may be chosen from this pull down combo box:

Courier

Helvetica

System

System Proportional

Terminal

When viewing program source code, Courier or System Proportional is usually best.

Also see Editing.

Animated icon check box

When RCS Shell for Windows is iconisized, a simple animation of three icons is displayed. This feature may be disabled by not checking this control.

Long history listing check box

When the File history dialog is activated, the initial state of its Long format check box is controlled by the Long history listing check box (see Viewing file history).

Run DOS sessions as an icon check box

RCS commands are spawned as DOS sessions. These sessions may be run as either a window or an icon. If this control is checked, all DOS sessions used to run RCS commands will run as an icon. The only exception is if the Pause after running RCS command check box is also checked.

Locks

To change lock preference settings, activate the Preference|Locks...| menu item. The Lock preferences dialog will appear.

Lock after check in as default check box

When the Check in dialog is activated, the initial state of its Lock after check in check box is controlled by the Lock after check in as default check box (see Checking in files).

Check out with lock as default check box

When the Check out dialog is activated, the initial state of its Lock check box is controlled by the Check out with lock as default check box (see Checking out files).

Project

See Creating and managing projects.

Save

Activating the |Preferences|Save| menu item saves all preferences. If you exit from RCS Shell for Windows and the current preferences have changed, you will be given a chance to save the new preferences.


Editing

The Edit dialog is used for viewing file contents, file revision differences, file history, and lock lists. The main feature of this dialog is a multi-line edit control.

Sharing data between RCS Shell for Windows and another application

The contents of this multi-line edit control may be selected, cleared, copied, cut and pasted. The Windows clipboard is used for this purpose. This allows you to move data to and from this application to another (e.g., programming environment, text editor, etc.).

All the standard Windows keyboard shortcuts for basic editing are supported as well as the usual edit popup menu items:

Undo	Alt+BkSp

Cut	Shift+Del

Copy	Ctrl+Ins

Paste	Shift+Ins

Clear	Del

One very common activity that uses the Edit dialog is accessing a code fragment (function, etc.) from an older revision that has been deleted from the current revision. This code fragment may be needed again in the same or different module. This is accomplished by finding the last revision that contained the code fragment using Viewing file history; then editing this revision in RCS Shell for Windows using Viewing text file contents. Once the file revision is loaded into the Edit dialog, the code fragment may be cut or copied to the Windows clipboard and then pasted into another application (e.g., programming editor).

Display preferences

See Preferences.

Also see Viewing text file contents, Diffing file revisions, Viewing file history, and Lock list.

Current limitation


Known bugs and limitations

A 800x600 VGA display is required (some of the dialogs are too large to fit into a smaller sized display). This limitation may be removed at a later date.

Some display drivers that support "large fonts" (e.g., 8514/a Large Fonts, etc.) have problems with the Borland style dialogs used in this program. Some dialog controls may be sized incorrectly.

The Edit dialog (used for Contents, Diff, History, and Lock list) contains a multi-line-edit control that is limited to 64K of data. However, the effective limit is actually somewhat smaller and will vary from machine to machine.

The maximum number of projects is limited to sixty four.  This can easily be increased if needed (although the product must be recompiled).

RCS Shell for Windows version 2.1 does not support all the capabilities found in MKS RCS. Instead, those features that we needed to access 90% of the time have been implemented. If you need to use some feature of MKS RCS not supported in this product (i.e., the other 10%), then you will need to access MKS RCS directly. If you find that one of the unsupported features is one that you really can't live without, please feel free to drop us an email message on CompuServe (see Technical support) and we will consider it for a future release.


Edit window size limitation
Edit dialog multi-line edit control size limitation

The current version limits the amount of text that may be loaded to just under 64K. However, the effective limit is actually somewhat smaller and will vary from machine to machine. If an attempt is made to load the edit window with information exceding this limit, you will receive a warning and only the maximum number of characters will be loaded.