Re: Clarification needed on determining checkout/in status.

[Laine Stump]

Richard Sharp <address@hidden> writes:

> it is my understanding that to determine whether a module is checked out or
> in is to :
> 
> "cvs his -ao"         this lists all the files that have been or are, checked 
> out
> - look for you module and check the date/time of the most recent entry.
> 
>  "cvs his -ac"        this lists all the files that have been or are, checked 
> in -
> look for you module and check the date/time of the most recent entry.
> 
> If the date of the first command is older than the date of the second
> command - then that module is checked out.
> 
> If the date of the first command is younger than the date of the second
> command - then that module is checked in.
> 
> Is this correct ?

No.

In CVS "checked out" is not a state, it is an action. Likewise,
"checked in" is not a state, but also is an action. You are thinking
in terms of other version control systems, which use the term "checked
out" to indicate the state of a file that has been locked by a single
user for exclusive write privileges, and "checked in" for the state of
a file that was locked by a user, but is no longer locked, since that
user committed their changes to the source control repository.

In CVS "checking out" a file is the act of getting a local copy in
your work directory, and "checking in" is the act of committing
changes; multiple people can edit a file at once, so there is no need
for a "checked out" *status* with CVS. What you're probably looking
for is the edit status of a file - read the manual sections about "cvs
edit" and "cvs watch", oh and "cvs status" (and the rest of the
manual, so you'll understand the difference in philosophy between CVS
and systems like PVCS, SCCS, RCS, and SourceSafe).