Tracking versions with SCCS

Initialization and modification of SCCS file parameters

Part of an SCCS file is reserved for descriptive text, usually a summary of the file's contents and purpose. It can be initialized or changed by using admin -t.

When an SCCS file is first being created and -t is used, it must be followed by the name of a file from which the descriptive text is to be taken. For example, the command

   $ admin -ifirst -tdesc s.abc

specifies that the descriptive text is to be taken from file desc.

When processing an existing SCCS file, -t specifies that the descriptive text (if any) currently in the file is to be replaced with the text in the named file. Thus:

   $ admin -tdesc s.abc

specifies that the descriptive text of the SCCS file is to be replaced by the contents of desc. Omission of the filename after the -t keyletter as in

   $ admin -t s.abc

causes the removal of the descriptive text from the SCCS file.

The flags of an SCCS file may be initialized or changed by admin -f, or deleted by admin -d.

SCCS file flags are used to direct certain actions of the various commands. (See the admin(1) page for a description of all the flags.) For example, the i flag specifies that a warning message (stating that there are no ID keywords contained in the SCCS file) should be treated as an error. The d (default SID) flag specifies the default version of the SCCS file to be retrieved by the get command.

admin -f is used to set flags and, if desired, their values. For example

   $ admin -ifirst -fi -fmmodname s.abc

sets the i and m (module name) flags. The value modname specified for the m flag is the value that the get command will use to replace the %M% ID keyword. (In the absence of the m flag, the name of the g-file is used as the replacement for the %M% ID keyword.) Several -f keyletters may be supplied on a single admin, and they may be used whether the command is creating a new SCCS file or processing an existing one.

admin -d is used to delete a flag from an existing SCCS file. As an example, the command

   $ admin -dm s.abc

removes the m flag from the SCCS file. Several -d keyletters may be used with one admin and may be intermixed with -f.

SCCS files contain a list of login names and/or group IDs of users who are allowed to create deltas. This list is empty by default, allowing anyone to create deltas. To create a user list (or add to an existing one), admin -a is used. For example,

   $ admin -axyz -awql -a1234 s.abc

adds the login names xyz and wql and the group ID 1234 to the list. admin -a may be used whether creating a new SCCS file or processing an existing one.

admin -e (erase) is used to remove login names or group IDs from the list.