The first half of this chapter describes why keeping track of how your software changes , a process more formally known as software configuration management (SCM), is vital for any project. This chapter covers exactly what is meant by SCM, and how it differs from change management or configuration management (CM). Seven of the most commonly used or promising SCM tools are examined: CVS, Subversion, Arch, Perforce, BitKeeper, ClearCase, and Visual SourceSafe. The second half of this chapter discusses some of the most common annoyances encountered when using SCM tools and describes some of the ways you can avoid them.
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