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F E A T U R E

Version Control, with Integrity

October 15, 2001
By Lori MacVittie

SiberLogic SiberSafe

This product is full of extremes. It has a repository from hell -- we were displeased with the performance provided even when client and server ran on the same machine. Then again, that same repository, the SiberShare Server Versioned Component Repository, also let us control Java and XML (Extensible Markup Language) at the component level, something no other product we tested can do. Also, we found SiberLogic's SiberMerge facilities to be the best merging feature in the batch.

SiberLogic's SiberShare (screen view)

Click here to enlarge

SiberSafe is targeted primarily at Java and XML developers but supports C/C++ as well. We noted during testing that because the product focuses on Java and XML, the hierarchical Java-based package structure was not well-suited to other languages. So while support for other languages is viable, it ain't too pretty.

We also disliked the complete lack of support for RCS keyword expansion. Come on, guys: With the speed of the system, we would like to see as much revision information as possible in the actual source file so we don't have to access the SiberSafe server too often.

SiberSafe 2.1, SiberSafe 2.1 XML, SiberShare 2.0, SiberMerge 2.0. Available: Now. SiberLogic, (905) 474-2384; fax (905) 474-2386. www.siberlogic.com

Perforce Software's Perforce 2000.2 (aka P4)

Easy to install but difficult to use, Perforce Software's Perforce is actually one of our favorites VCSes in terms of pricing and platform support. Like CVS, Perforce supports almost all platforms, and -- this is great -- it's free for open-source development. Unfortunately, the lack of security made us squeamish about its Web-based support.

Perforce 2000.2's diff feature (screen view)

Click here to enlarge

Navigation of Perforce, unlike that of Source Integrity and Visual SourceSafe, is clumsy. The notion of changelists (a list of all source files and changes made since they had been checked out) is interesting and definitely offers better tracking of modifications to source, but it is annoying that the check-in process requires two separate steps.

Perforce 2000.2. Available: Now. Perforce Software, (510) 864-7400; fax (510) 864-5340. www.perforce.com

Technology editor Lori MacVittie has been a software developer and a network administrator. Most recently, she was a member of the technical architecture team for a global transportation organization. Send your comments on this article to her at lmacvittie@nwc.com.