Code Management System for OpenVMS (CMS) is a library system for software development and maintenance. During development, team members continually make changes to project files. CMS stores, tracks, and records user access and modifications to these files (called elements). Elements are stored in one or more central libraries where they are available to all project members. For information about using CMS, double click on an item from the list of additional topics below. To invoke CMS in the character-cell (terminal) environment, type the following command at the DCL command-line prompt: $ CMS/INTERFACE=CHARACTER_CELL. If you see a topic that lists no additional topics, click on the Go Back button or choose On Window from the Help Menu in the main CMS window. For information about using help, choose Using Help from the Help menu above.
1 – DECwindows basics
Information about using DECwindows, such as how to use
windows, dialog boxes, and scroll bars, is available
from Session Manager help. A glossary of DECwindows
terms is also available. To get Session Manager help:
o Move the pointer to the Session Manager icon
(the icon with your user name and the name of
your system) in the Icon Box.
o Double click MB1 twice quickly to display the
Session Manager window.
o Move the pointer to the Help menu; press and
hold MB1 to pull down this menu.
o Move the pointer to the On Basics menu item
and release MB1 to display information about
using DECwindows.
1.1 – SVN scroll bars
You can use scroll bars to display data outside the borders of a window. A scroll bar has stepping arrows at each end of the scroll region and a slider within the scroll region. For more information about using a scroll bar, double click on one of the additional topics.
1.1.1 – Step arrows
Stepping arrows are the triangles that appear at each end of a scroll bar. To move the window one line in the direction of the stepping arrow, move the pointer to a stepping arrow and click on MB1. This allows you to move through the data in the window at a pace that is easier to view.
1.1.2 – Scroll region
The scroll region is the area between the stepping arrows that is not highlighted. To move the data in the window by one window length, move the pointer to the scroll region and click on MB1.
1.1.3 – Slider
The slider is the highlighted rectangle that appears in the scroll bar. The size of the slider indicates how much of the data appears on the screen. For example, if the slider takes up 10 percent of the scrolling region, only 10 percent of the data is displayed in the window. To move quickly through the data, move the pointer to the slider. Press MB1, and drag the slider through the scrolling region. When you release MB1, the information from the position in the data indicated by the slider is displayed in the window.
2 – About Release Notes
You can find the release notes in SYS$HELP:CMSvvu.RELEASE_NOTES, where vv is the major version number, and u is the update number. To list all the CMS release notes available, type: $ DIRECTORY SYS$HELP:CMS*.RELEASE_NOTES.
3 – Using Libraries
A CMS library consists of an OpenVMS directory and its
subdirectories containing specially formatted files
that CMS uses. The library serves as a repository
for CMS elements and control files.
When you invoke CMS, you must open a library
environment to tell CMS which library (or libraries)
to use. The library or libraries you specify
become the library search list. Even opening one
library means that you are setting the library search
list; in this case, the library search list contains
one library.
When you specify multiple libraries, CMS accesses
them in the order in which they appear in the
search list.
A library search list can be set in two ways:
o By pulling down the File menu, then
choosing the Open... menu item to
open an existing library or libraries
o By creating a new library or libraries
(this automatically sets the library
search list--you do not need to then
specifically open it)
Libraries can be viewed in any CMS view. Use the
following steps to display a library's attributes:
1. Click on the library.
2. Pull down the View menu.
3. Pull down the Expand submenu.
4. Choose the Attributes menu item.
3.1 – Creating Libraries
You must create an empty OpenVMS directory (by using
the DCL CREATE/DIRECTORY command), or direct CMS to
create a directory, to contain the CMS library to
be created. You then create the library in that
directory by following these steps:
1. Pull down the File menu.
2. Choose the New menu item. This invokes the New
submenu.
3. Choose the Library... item from the submenu.
The New Library dialog box appears, allowing you to
specify the directory and options for the newly-created
library.
NOTE:
Once you create a library, you must access the
library exclusively with CMS commands. If a
library is accessed by means other than CMS,
unrecoverable library corruption may result.
4 – Using Elements
An element is the basic structural unit in a library. An
element consists of a file and all its versions
(generations). When you create an element and place it
in a CMS library for the first time, CMS creates
generation 1 of that element. Each time you replace an
element in the library, CMS creates a new generation of
that file. Thus, a generation represents a specific
version of an element.
CMS can store any type of OpenVMS file except a directory
file.
You can perform the following functions on elements:
o Create and delete elements
o Reserve elements
o Fetch a readonly copy of an element
o Insert elements into and remove elements from
groups
o Set or change the attributes of an element
o View elements, their generations, and their
attributes
4.1 – Element attrs
You can display and set the following types of element
attributes:
o Whether concurrent reservations are allowed
o Whether reference copies are maintained for
elements
o Whether new element generations are marked
for review
o Whether history information is included when the
element is retrieved
o Whether notes are included when the element is
retrieved
Use the following steps to display an element's
attributes:
1. Display an Element view.
2. Choose the desired element.
3. Pull down the View menu.
4. Pull down the Expand submenu.
5. Choose the Attributes menu item.
Use the following steps to set or change an element's
attributes:
1. Pull down the Maintenance menu.
2. Pull down the Modify submenu.
3. Choose the Element... menu item.
A dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the element.
5 – Using Groups
A group is a set of elements or other groups (or both)
that you can combine and manipulate as a unit.
For example, you might create a group that contains all
the elements that process error messages; or you might
create a group that contains all the chapters in a book.
A group name is a string of 39 or fewer characters that
consists of letters, digits, underlines, hyphens, or
dollar signs. Periods are not allowed in group names.
You can perform the following functions on groups:
o Create and delete groups
o Fetch, reserve, replace, review, and set an access
control list (ACL) on the contents of a group
o Insert elements (and other groups) into a group
o Remove elements (and other groups) from a group
o Set or change the attributes of a group
o View the contents and attributes of a group
5.1 – Group attrs
You can change the following types of group attributes: o The name of the group o The creation remark associated with the group o The readonly attribute of the group Use the following steps to display a group's attributes: 1. Display a Group view. 2. Choose the desired group. 3. Pull down the View menu. 4. Pull down the Expand submenu. 5. Choose the Attributes menu item. Use the following steps to set or change a group's attributes: 1. Pull down the Maintenance menu. 2. Pull down the Modify submenu. 3. Choose the Group... menu item. A dialog box appears, allowing you to change the desired attributes.
6 – Using Classes
A class is a set of particular generations of elements.
You typically combine generations into classes to
represent the state of elements at a particular time or
stage.
For example, you might create a class containing only
those generations of elements that were used to produce
the first draft of a manual in base level 1.
A class name is a string of 39 or fewer characters that
consists of letters, digits, underlines, hyphens, dollar
signs, and periods. Class names must begin with a letter.
You can perform the following functions on classes:
o Create and delete classes
o Fetch, reserve, replace, review, and set an access
control list (ACL) on the contents of a class
o Insert generations into a class
o Remove generations from a class
o Set or change the attributes of a class
o View the contents and attributes of a class
6.1 – Class attrs
You can change the following types of class attributes: o The name of the class o The creation remark associated with the class o The readonly attribute of the class Use the following steps to display a class's attributes: 1. Display a Class view. 2. Choose the desired class. 3. Pull down the View menu. 4. Pull down the Expand submenu. 5. Choose the Attributes menu item. Use the following steps to set or change a class's attributes: 1. Pull down the Maintenance menu. 2. Pull down the Modify submenu. 3. Choose the Class... menu item. A dialog box appears, allowing you to change the desired attributes.
7 – Ref copy def
A reference copy directory is a directory in which CMS
stores a copy of the latest generation on the main
line of descent for each element in a library. (The main
line of descent of an element consists of generation 1
of the element and all its direct descendants; that is,
generations 2, 3, 4, and so on.)
The reference copy directory is not a CMS library; it is
an OpenVMS directory associated with a CMS library. You cannot
assign a CMS library as a reference copy directory, nor
should it be a subdirectory of a CMS library.
To establish reference copies, you must:
1. Create an OpenVMS directory at DCL level (with the DCL
CREATE/DIRECTORY command). For new libraries, you
may direct CMS to create the directory for you.
2. Associate the reference copy directory with the CMS
library:
o For new libraries, supply the name of the reference
copy directory in the New Library dialog box. If
you would like CMS to create the library for you,
click on the Automatically Create Directory button.
o For existing libraries, supply the name of the
reference copy directory in the Modify Library
dialog box.
3. Associate the reference copy directory with elements:
o For new elements: new elements inherit the
reference copy attribute from the library;
that is, new elements have their reference
copy attribute turned on by default if the
library has a reference copy directory.
o For existing elements: You must set the
reference copy attribute for existing elements;
pull down the Modify Element dialog box and
activate the Reference Copy option.
8 – Exiting from CMS
To exit from CMS, pull down the Library menu and choose Exit.