Section 8.3. A GUI: jCVS


8.3. A GUI: jCVS

If you are a die-hard GUI kind of developer, and aren't yet convinced of the power and convenience of the command line, then reread Section 1.3.10. If you are still not convinced, that's OKyou can still use CVS with the help of a GUI written entirely in Java. This is an implementation of the CVS client, that is, the portion of the CVS system that communicates with a remote server. The server does the real work of managing the versions; the client collects the data, manages the local files, and communicates with the server.

If you're going to use jCVS, you will need to get a CVS server up and runningor maybe your project administrator has already done that. If so, read on.

8.3.1. Installing jCVS

jCVS can be downloaded from www.jcvs.org where you can get it as a zipped archive file. Unzip it into a directory and create a shell script to make it easy to invoke. Since jCVS is an actual Java program, all the shell script needs to do is to ensure that its JAR files are on the CLASSPATH and then invoke the jCVS main class.

Here's a straightforward shell script which will accomplish that:

 JCVS="/usr/local/jCVS-5.2.2" CLASSPATH="${CLASSPATH}:${JCVS}/jars/activation.jar" CLASSPATH="${CLASSPATH}:${JCVS}/jars/jcvsii.jar" CLASSPATH="${CLASSPATH}:${JCVS}/jars/jh.jar" CLASSPATH="${CLASSPATH}:${JCVS}/jars/js.jar" java -jar ${JCVS}/jars/jcvsii.jar 

You would need to change the definition of JCVS to match the directory where you unpacked the ZIP file, but the rest will work with your location. Of course the classpath could all be set on one longer line, but this way is more readable.

Run jCVS (Figure 8.5) and navigate to the checkout page (Figure 8.6) to fill in the parameters for your CVS server. Then you should be able to contact it for checking out your sources (Figure 8.7).

Figure 8.5. jCVS splash screen


Figure 8.6. jCVS initial screen


Figure 8.7. jCVS checkout screen


Conspicuous in its absence on the jCVS Web site is a good user manual. Since we're proponents of the command line, don't look for it here, either.

Many, if not most, Java developers these days will be using, at least part of the time, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). One of the tools that these IDEs integrate is a source code manager, and typically for Open Source tools that means CVS. So while we're not giving you much info on jCVS, you will find a useful GUI for CVS inside most IDEs.



    Java Application Development with Linux
    Java Application Development on Linux
    ISBN: 013143697X
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2004
    Pages: 292

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