SCCS: The Source Code Motel After 50 Years
2024-12-13
This article retrospectively examines the influence of the Source Code Control System (SCCS) over the past 50 years. Author Larry McVoy details SCCS's unique weave format, which allows for merging by reference, avoiding the inefficiencies of patch-based copying found in other systems. He explains how SCCS leverages this weave to retrieve any file version in constant time and preserves authorship across versions. While acknowledging shortcomings like long-term locks and file-orientation, McVoy highlights the efficiency of the weave format and its preservation of authorship as groundbreaking, laying the groundwork for later systems like BitKeeper.
Development
Source Code Management