concurrent version system (CVS)

Concurrent Version System(CVS) is a software for managing versions of a software development. It was already introduced in 1989 as an open source project. It is used mainly for the administration of software source codes. Disadvantages are with CVS the lacking possibilities for the administration of binary data as well as the handling of directories. After CVS in former times extensive application found, it is replaced in newer time by the more comfortable version management system Subversion.

Concurrent Version System (CVS) can be used under the following conditions:

• Several developers work simultaneously on a superordinate project.
• Distributed development of software.
• Tracking of changes in the source code.
• Documentation of software.
• Restoration of older software versions.

The central element of CVS is the so-called repository - i.e. a " container". With it all files of a project are stored in a central place. For this purpose, CVS defines a self-sufficient directory for each project as well as a directory for general parameters for configuring individual user rights, for example. The stored files can be modified at any time. However, all previously stored versions remain treatable and, above all, recoverable. This is made possible by the fact that each file is first stored in the directory assigned to it and then provided with additional information. In addition to a general description of the file, this includes the differences to previous versions, the time of each change, documentation of changes as well as the name of the author and a version number, with which earlier versions can be reproduced specifically.

CVS represents a client- server application. Here, the repository is managed by a CVS server and users use a CVS client, which then accesses the repository indirectly via the server.

To access the functionality of Concurrent Version System (CVS), in addition to the original form via the command line, there are extended graphical user interfaces( GUI) for many common operating systems.