RCS is a version control system that automates the storing, retrieval, logging, identification, and merging of revisions. RCS is useful for text that is revised frequently, for example programs, documentation, procedural graphics, papers, and form letters. RCS is also capable of handling binary files, though with reduced efficiency and efficacy. Revisions are stored with the aid of the Diff utility.

RCS was initially developed by Walter F. Tichy while he was at Purdue University. It is now maintained within the GNU project.

Because it operates only on single files, and has no way of working with an entire project, or allowing multiple users to work on a file at once, it has been superseded by CVS and other packages capable of supporting complex projects. CVS was originally built upon RCS.

External links

• RCS at Purdue (http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/trinkle/RCS/)
• RCS at GNU (http://www.gnu.org/software/rcs/rcs.html)

References

• Walter F. Tichy: RCS--A System for Version Control (http://www.uvm.edu/~ashawley/rcs/tichy1985rcs/html/). In: Software--Practice and Experience. July 1985. Volume 15. Number 7. Pages 637-654. References to the paper at CiteSeer (http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/tichy91rc.html)