transparent file versioning system

[VJ]

Hello,

Does anyone here use a file versioning system for non-software development?

I was thinking of configuring CVS to track versions of TEX files (LaTeX text editing), and perhaps even office documents (don't know yet if this latter is possible). The main reason for doing this is to keep track of changes: even though I would use it as a single user, sometimes one needs to go back to a previous version...

But as I have no experience with CVS, I'm not sure whether one can configure it without support from the program used (tex-editor, office-application, ...). Are there perhaps easier options to configure?


Jörg

[VJ]

Just had a suggestions to use Subversion as the core versioning system. While it doesn't support office binaries (nor does CVS), this isn't such a big deal as TEX files are text-based...


Jörg

[Wombat]

What do you mean, support binaries?

[VJ]

office documents and similar programs


Jörg

[Wombat]

Okay, what do you mean "support?"

You can tell CVS that you're checking in a binary file, and it won't try to do things like diff it.

[spadnos]

There was an article a few years about a binary diff program. It basically chose a byte value to use as a "new-line", and then used a standard diff algorithm to re-synchronize after a difference. I think it was in Dr. Dobbs Journal.

A quick google for "binary diff" turned up XDelta on SourceForge.

Something of that sort may be usable with CVS or SubVersion.

If not, you'll have to start using VMS.

- Steve

[VJ]

Wombat: what I meant with "don't support" is that they don't do anything with them (which is in fact a good thing)...

But, I don't really need the interpretation of binary files, as I usually use LaTeX to edit (BTW, the Microsoft versioning system can cope with office documents), and while one looses fuctions such as merge and stuff like that for binaries, this wouldn't bother me.



Jörg

[KeiFront]

Just use Subversion, CVS or Perforce (using Perforce atm but not for non-software development, Perforce is free for personal use). Stay far far away (and I mean really far far away) from MS Visual SourceSafe it's an awful product, but I guess SourceSafe 2005 will be totally different but still I wouldn't waste my money on it.

[VJ]

Ok, I'll give subversion a try (have heard some good things about it).

Main use for me is for maintaining versions when writing texts (scientific articles, ...) in LaTeX.


Jörg

[VJ]

The subversion/tortoiseSVN seems like a great combination!
After some experimenting with it, I can surely see the benefits of it.

Thanks!


Jörg