NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

The container classes are instantiated with URLs. There is a URL scheme for entities under version control. The format is as follows:

    vcs://localhost/VCS::Cvs/fs/path/?query=1

The "query" part is ignored for now. The path must be an absolute path, meaningful to the given class. The class is an implementation class, such as "VCS::Cvs".

The "container" classes work as follows: when the "new" method of a container class is called, it will parse the given URL, using the "VCS->parse_url" method. It will then call the "new" of the implementation's appropriate container subclass, and return the result. For example,

    VCS::Version->new('vcs://localhost/VCS::Cvs/fs/path/file/1.2');

will return a "VCS::Cvs::Version".

Imp IMPLEMENTATION

An implementation class is recognised as follows: its name starts with "VCS::", and "require "VCS/Imp.pm"" will load the appropriate implementation classes corresponding to the container classes - "VCS::Imp::Dir", "VCS::Imp::File" and "VCS::Imp::Version"..

Hence in MANIFEST, or Unix file specificaton, syntax the Imp implementation ought to be composed of at least these files:

    VCS/Imp.pm
    VCS/Imp/Dir.pm
    VCS/Imp/File.pm
    VCS/Imp/Version.pm

In addition to the usual module distribution files such as MANIFEST, Makefile.PL, etc.

Implementation classes must include documentation for their special requirements, such as mandatory environment variables. See VCS::Cvs for an example.

If a method, or an argument to a method makes no sense for a particular implementation, then the implementation may ignore it, but must do so quietly.

The modules that make up a VCS implementation might act as wrappers around a command language interpreter (CLI or shell) command, or might directly look at files or talk over the network. It is recommended that before implementing a VCS::*::* class that implements direct access, the developer first implement a version that uses the CLI tools, and writes appropriate tests for it. Doing this will ensure that the direct-access version, which passes the tests, will be correct.

• VCS/Imp.pm

  The variable $LOG_CMD is the CLI command for obtaining revision history logs. This module typically implements five distinct non-public sub routines: "sub _boiler_plate_info {}", "sub _split_log {}", "sub _parse_log_rev {}", "sub _parse_log_header {}", "sub _read_pipe {}" is for reading from the CLI.

• VCS/Imp/Dir.pm

  This module implements three public sub routines/methods: "sub new {}", "sub name {}", "sub content {}".

• VCS/Imp/File.pm

  Revisions should be returned in reverse time order (latest first, oldest last). This module implements three public sub routines/methods: "sub new {}", "sub name {}", "sub versions {}".

• VCS/Imp/Version.pm

  The variable $DIFF_CMD is the CLI command for doing diffs. The variable $UPDATE_CMD is the CLI command for doing updates. This module implements nine public sub routines/methods: "sub new {}", "sub name {}", "sub version {}", "sub tags {}", "sub text {}", "sub diff {}", "sub author {}", "sub date {}", "sub reason {}".

EXAMPLES

    h2xs -AXf -n VCS::Imp

then add a VCS/Imp/VCS directory and put appropriate File.pm, Dir.pm and Version.pm modules in it (add them the the MANIFEST as well). If calling in to your version control system requires XS then omit the "-X" and "-f" switches and specify the header file name.

You might also be interested in looking at the other implementations for tips on how to map your version control systems' CLI commands to VCS::* methods. For parsing details it can prove helpful to see an example of the output of some of the other version control systems. (e.g. the output of the $LOG_CMD in typical usage).

TODO

Does Hms have a fci command?

See the pod in VCS/File.pm for other unimplemented things.

SEE ALSO

The CVS implementation is in VCS::Cvs along with the unpodded VCS/Cvs/*.pm modules.

The Hms implementation is in VCS::Hms along with the unpodded VCS/Hms/*.pm modules.

The rcs implementation is in VCS::Rcs along with the unpodded VCS/Rcs/*.pm modules.