reviews/pp_cvs.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<page title="Pragmatic Version Control Using CVS" keywords="">
<item>
<p>Author: Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/starter_kit/vc/">ISBN:
0974514004</a></p>
<p>Publisher: The Pragmatic Programmers</p>
<p>Reviewed by: <a href="http://www.unixdaemon.net/">Dean Wilson</a></p>
</item>
<item>
<p>While the presence of a version control system doesn't mean that
all is well with a project its absence is often a warning sign
of bad practises. Pragmatic Version Control with CVS provides the
fundamentals required to ensure your project has a least the
basics covered. </p>
<p>Firstly let's discuss what this book isn't, comprehensive and for
experienced CVS users; unless you want something to hand to your
less experienced co-workers. The book focuses on teaching the
essentials of CVS, the commands used on a daily basis to,
ideally, an audience new to the benefits and principles of
revision control and usage of CVS.</p>
<p>The first two chapters explain the why and how of version
control, beginning with an explanation of why you would want to
store a project under revision control through to an introduction
of the terminology and principles. These early chapters provide a
clear and concise guide that is accessible to people with no
previous experience in this area. In a bold move Chapter two
explains the basic concepts behind merging and branching,
something which too many articles on CVS leave to the footnote
and closing paragraphs.</p>
<p>Chapter three contains the first hands on interaction with CVS,
it explains how to install a CVS server on both Windows and Unix
machines before taking the reader through a simple exercise in
using the day-to-day functionality. It also differentiates itself
from most writing on the subject by deliberately causing
conflicts and showing you have to resolve them. This part of the
chapter shouldn't be overlooked: the tendency to use real world
examples, warts and all, makes the book a lot more useful.</p>
<p>Chapter three is extremely clear and easy to follow. If you have
coders unfamiliar with CVS who need the 20 second guide then this
chapter alone justifies the cost of the book. It's worth noting
this chapter covers all the basic, common tasks using the command
line. This ensures you understand what's going on under the hood,
it doesn't focus on tools such as TortoiseCVS that, while making
CVS easier to use, hide all the working parts and stop you
forming the mental framework required to debug and fix any
problems that may arise in casual usage.</p>
<p>Chapters five, six and seven cover CVS in more detail, chapter
five, 'Accessing the Repository', contains what you'd expect from
the title. However only the most common approaches are covered,
SSH and pserver. This is followed by details of the related
environmental variables, $CVSROOT and $CVS_RSH. These are used to
specify the transport and repository locations and receive
adequate attention. While this isn't as comprehensive as other
sources these two mechanisms should suit most people.</p>
<p>The next two chapters take a more recipe based approach and
expand upon the basics covered in chapter three. They provide a
closer look at the common CVS tasks and explain the best
practises and trade-offs involved. While most of the book should
be read sequentially these two chapters are likely to be flicked
to and referenced once CVS usage becomes the norm in the project
and the user gains confidence with the checkout, update and
commit cycle. Each recipe is self-contained and avoids
unnecessary cross-referencing to make them easy to scan and
digest in future rereads.</p>
<p>The final three chapters discuss how to set up your project in
CVS, chapter eight explains one potential structure for your
projects, detailing the directory layouts and providing an
explanation of the different types and purposes of stored content
that should steer CVS newbies away from the horror of trying to
rename files and directories once the project has begun.</p>
<p>Dividing the project into modules, systems and sub-projects is
covered in chapter nine, the advice in this chapter goes beyond
just the commands required and explains some of the potential
pitfalls you'll encounter when working in large projects or when
checking out to a central build box. The final chapter of the
book continues the theme and provides help and advice on
integration with third party code and its place in both your
project and revision system.</p>
<p>Appendix A provides what amounts to copies of the man pages for
some of the CVS commands. This is followed by an index of the
recipes covered in earlier chapters. Appendix B covers further
resources but doesn't surprise you with anything beyond what a
Google search would return.</p>
<p>If you are new to revision control in general or CVS in
particular this book is an excellent place to start; clear, hands
on, and need I say it, pragmatic in its coverage. The book's few
negatives include its focus on the more common usages, if you
want to use the more esoteric functionality, such as kerberos
authentication or the scripting hooks in CVSROOT, then you'll be
better off with the on-line docs or a different book such as
Essential CVS by Jennifer Vesperman.</p>
</item>
</page>
reviews/pp_cvs.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<page title="Pragmatic Version Control Using CVS" keywords="">
<item>
<p>Author: Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/starter_kit/vc/">ISBN:
0974514004</a></p>
<p>Publisher: The Pragmatic Programmers</p>
<p>Reviewed by: <a href="http://www.unixdaemon.net/">Dean Wilson</a></p>
</item>
<item>
<p>While the presence of a version control system doesn't mean that
all is well with a project its absence is often a warning sign
of bad practises. Pragmatic Version Control with CVS provides the
fundamentals required to ensure your project has a least the
basics covered. </p>
<p>Firstly let's discuss what this book isn't, comprehensive and for
experienced CVS users; unless you want something to hand to your
less experienced co-workers. The book focuses on teaching the
essentials of CVS, the commands used on a daily basis to,
ideally, an audience new to the benefits and principles of
revision control and usage of CVS.</p>
<p>The first two chapters explain the why and how of version
control, beginning with an explanation of why you would want to
store a project under revision control through to an introduction
of the terminology and principles. These early chapters provide a
clear and concise guide that is accessible to people with no
previous experience in this area. In a bold move Chapter two
explains the basic concepts behind merging and branching,
something which too many articles on CVS leave to the footnote
and closing paragraphs.</p>
<p>Chapter three contains the first hands on interaction with CVS,
it explains how to install a CVS server on both Windows and Unix
machines before taking the reader through a simple exercise in
using the day-to-day functionality. It also differentiates itself
from most writing on the subject by deliberately causing
conflicts and showing you have to resolve them. This part of the
chapter shouldn't be overlooked: the tendency to use real world
examples, warts and all, makes the book a lot more useful.</p>
<p>Chapter three is extremely clear and easy to follow. If you have
coders unfamiliar with CVS who need the 20 second guide then this
chapter alone justifies the cost of the book. It's worth noting
this chapter covers all the basic, common tasks using the command
line. This ensures you understand what's going on under the hood,
it doesn't focus on tools such as TortoiseCVS that, while making
CVS easier to use, hide all the working parts and stop you
forming the mental framework required to debug and fix any
problems that may arise in casual usage.</p>
<p>Chapters five, six and seven cover CVS in more detail, chapter
five, 'Accessing the Repository', contains what you'd expect from
the title. However only the most common approaches are covered,
SSH and pserver. This is followed by details of the related
environmental variables, $CVSROOT and $CVS_RSH. These are used to
specify the transport and repository locations and receive
adequate attention. While this isn't as comprehensive as other
sources these two mechanisms should suit most people.</p>
<p>The next two chapters take a more recipe based approach and
expand upon the basics covered in chapter three. They provide a
closer look at the common CVS tasks and explain the best
practises and trade-offs involved. While most of the book should
be read sequentially these two chapters are likely to be flicked
to and referenced once CVS usage becomes the norm in the project
and the user gains confidence with the checkout, update and
commit cycle. Each recipe is self-contained and avoids
unnecessary cross-referencing to make them easy to scan and
digest in future rereads.</p>
<p>The final three chapters discuss how to set up your project in
CVS, chapter eight explains one potential structure for your
projects, detailing the directory layouts and providing an
explanation of the different types and purposes of stored content
that should steer CVS newbies away from the horror of trying to
rename files and directories once the project has begun.</p>
<p>Dividing the project into modules, systems and sub-projects is
covered in chapter nine, the advice in this chapter goes beyond
just the commands required and explains some of the potential
pitfalls you'll encounter when working in large projects or when
checking out to a central build box. The final chapter of the
book continues the theme and provides help and advice on
integration with third party code and its place in both your
project and revision system.</p>
<p>Appendix A provides what amounts to copies of the man pages for
some of the CVS commands. This is followed by an index of the
recipes covered in earlier chapters. Appendix B covers further
resources but doesn't surprise you with anything beyond what a
Google search would return.</p>
<p>If you are new to revision control in general or CVS in
particular this book is an excellent place to start; clear, hands
on, and need I say it, pragmatic in its coverage. The book's few
negatives include its focus on the more common usages, if you
want to use the more esoteric functionality, such as kerberos
authentication or the scripting hooks in CVSROOT, then you'll be
better off with the on-line docs or a different book such as
Essential CVS by Jennifer Vesperman.</p>
</item>
</page>