Definitions of XML & CVS
Both XML and CVS are used by Web designers, Web developers and computer programmers. XML stands for extensible markup language. It is similar to HTML and is used to carry structured information. CVS stands for concurrent versions system. It is mainly used to record the history of source files on a computer.
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What is XML?
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XML is a markup language that transports and stores data in a document. XML doesn't actually do anything, it just structures the information. XML wraps the information in tags and then relies on another program to receive or display the information. XML is basically plain text. Software that handles plain text can also open, edit and display XML. However, there are applications that specifically handle XML files.
XML vs. HTML
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XML and HTML are both markup languages but HTML is used to display data whereas XML transports the data. XML does not replace HTML. Instead, they can work in unison. XML tags are not predefined as HTML tags are. They are instead user defined.
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XML Use
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The purpose of XML is so that structured data documents can be used on the Web. HTML could not be used for this purpose because of its strict semantics. SGML, which stands for standard generalized markup language, does provide arbitrary structure similar to XML, but it is used for much larger, complex systems.
What is CVS?
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CVS is a main feature of Source Configuration Management whereby the history of documents can be recorded. It is a production system used in many software projects. In fact, it is open source software so it is free to use and thereby has become a popular choice for developers. Because of its popularity, there is an online community that has created support documents and a use manual for CVS.
CVS vs. RCS
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RCS stands for Revision Control System. Whereas CVS manages individual file history, RCS manages multiple revisions to source files. Although it may seem that RCS is more efficient because it manages more files, there are several advantages to using CVS instead. CVS can run scripts and allow developers working in different places to operate as a team. It also allows more than one person to work on the same file at the same time. These benefits make it useful when working on large projects with many team members.
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References
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