CVS format is pretty easy to understand plus that is open source, so you ca=
n
even have the version control system in sources if you want it. You can
setup the server of your own or just use it locally (so you are not
dependent on 3rd party).

Few reasons why a source control is better than ZIPs:

1. You can have a server, not only a local copy of archive files
2. You can collaborate -- so many developer can work on the same project,
you can merge changes fairly easily etc
3. You can create labels and branches, which helps a lot to maintain
different versions of your software, yet still able to patch them with
bugfixes or improvements (think as you create a new device and you need to
customize the firmware for each)
4. You can find these patches and other changes easier (if you maintain the
comments etc correctly)
5. You can leave bugfixes in a temporary branch till you code review and QA
done -- that makes the review faster as the reviewer can see the change
immediately, which source fie is affected etc, and if failed the reviewer
simply just do not merge it to the live code branch.
6. A good source control system only stores changes instead of the entire
source file -- saving you up spaces

Tamas


On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 2:14 PM, William Couture <bcouture@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 7:28 AM, Chris McSweeny <cpmcsweeny@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 9:38 AM, Jesse Lackey <jsl-ml@celestialaudio.com=
>
> wrote:
> >> If you are developing ... with
> >> Subversion/CVS ...
> >> This is not the majority of microcontroller development that I do or a=
m
> >> involved in, in any way.
> >
> > So why don't you use any version control? I use Subversion for even my
> > hack projects.
>
> While I have worked at companies that used it, I have personally never us=
ed
> it, and will never encourage any company that I work for to use it.
>
> Why?
>
> Because it can leave you with irretrievable source code.
>
> The company I work for now used a source control system in it's "early
> days".  Problem is, the executable was lost over the years.  And the
> software
> vendor disappeared.
>
> So, we have "source files" that were some source, plus internal links in =
an
> unidentified format.  Guess what... I can not figure out what the actual
> source is.  Nor can anyone else.  And all the "sandboxes" are long gone.
>
> As a result, the source to several products has been lost.  Some we had t=
o
> let die, others we had to re-write from scratch.
>
> If you *MUST* use a source control system, *KEEP A COPY OF ALL
> RELEASED VERSIONS OUTSIDE THE SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM*.
>
> What I do personally is to make a .ZIP file every day of the project I'm
> working on, source and build files.  Then copy it to a network server.
> This lets me back up to any point I desire, and I'm also safe in case my
> work computer dies suddenly.
>
> And, yes, this can create a problem for work groups where several
> people are working on the same project.  I can understand the
> need for a source control system in such cases, but I have to reiterate
> the need for keeping copies of all source outside the source control
> system.
>
> Bill
>
> --
> Psst...  Hey, you... Buddy...  Want a kitten?  straycatblues.petfinder.or=
g
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
>



--=20
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printf(s=3D%s%s%s, q=3D%s%s%s%s,s,q,q,a=3D%s%s%s%s,q,q,q,a,a,q); }",
q=3D"\"",s,q,q,a=3D"\\",q,q,q,a,a,q); }
--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
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