There is a CVS repository containing all sorts of documents, both technical and non-technical. All important documents and files, including source code, are kept in this repository.

The following rules must be followed for using this repository or for accessing any documents stored in it:

• Commit changes: Any file in the repository must be checked into the repository after it is changed. If you are going to edit an existing file and issue the edited note or document to someone, or send it out to colleagues for review, or do anything useful with it, then you must check in your edited version into the CVS repository before you use the document.

• All source into CVS: All source code of all projects must be checked into the repository in its designated sub-directory, before the code is submitted to the customer for UAT. Even if this software has been developed outside the office, one copy must be brought into the office and checked into the CVS, before or immediately after submitting it to the customer.

  All project directories in CVS are under the proj repository.

  CVS is not just used for source code at Merce. Every official document is checked into CVS, for all accounting, financial, HR and corporate matters.

• What "putting into CVS" means: Putting a file into CVS means checking it into CVS. This means that you must do a cvs add for the file if needed, and then do a cvs commit. Only then is the file "put into CVS" or "checked into CVS". Some users may be under the illusion that creating a file in their local snapshot of a CVS repository in their home directories is equivalent to putting the file "into" CVS. This is not true. It goes into CVS only after the cvs commit.

• Check out the latest: It is your responsibility to do a cvs co or cvs update for a frequently changed file just before you edit it. You may have checked out the file six months ago, and someone else may have edited the file since then. You must first pull out the latest version from the repository before you make any changes. It is your responsibility to check out a frequently changed file just before you make any changes. CVS has no automatic way of warning you that a file whose local copy you are editing has actually been updated in the repository since your last check-out.

• Meaningful log comments: are mandatory.