Source code control system (SCCS)

Source code control system (SCCS)

Source Code Control System (SCCS) is a collection of UNIX system commands that maintain and track changes made to source code or documentation. SCCS is basically a file custodian. Under SCCS, whenever changes are made to a file, SCCS records those changes and maintains the original. SCCS can:

store text files
retrieve specific versions of files
control updating access to files
identify the version of a retrieved file
record when, why and by whom changes are made to a file

These features are important if code and documentation undergo frequent changes due to maintenance or enhancement work. Whenever changes are applied to a file under SCCS control, only the latest set of changes are added to the SCCS image of that file. Using this approach, SCCS maintains successive versions, consuming minimal amounts of increased disk space. This allows for efficient use of resources and easy regeneration of previous file versions.

This chapter covers the following topics:

SCCS for beginners: How to create, retrieve, and update SCCS files
Delta numbering: How versions are numbered and named under SCCS
SCCS command conventions: Conventions and rules applied to SCCS commands
SCCS commands: Explanation of SCCS commands, with argument usage
SCCS files: How SCCS files are formatted, protected, and audited

NOTE: Installation and implementation of SCCS are not covered here.