Is there a check out lock in hg ?

Mike Kupfer mike.kupfer at sun.com
Fri Dec 15 19:38:03 CST 2006


>>>>> "TJ" == T J Yang <T.J.> writes:

TJ> Actually, I am using RCS as decentralized SCM. that is why I am
TJ> interested about hg. Also I am using it for Unix system
TJ> configuration file SCM not source code SCM. 

SCMs like Mercurial, Subversion, and CVS have a fundamentally different
use model than RCS.  Instead of locking a file, each user makes a
private copy; these private copies can be edited in parallel.  For
example, suppose users A and B both want to change the same file.  User
A finishes his changes first and checks them in.  When user B tries to
check in his changes, the SCM tells him that someone else has already
edited the file.  User B must then figure out how to incorporate user
A's changes into his own.

The RCS model, as you know, is that only one person at a time can edit
the file.  This works well for situations where the file is checked out
(locked) for short periods of time.  It doesn't work so well for most
software development environments.  If your files are locked for only
short periods of time, I'd have to wonder if Mercurial is really the
right SCM for you.

mike


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