No configuration management tool - sharing by copying

When sharing by copying, your directory contains a replica of the common directory. You make your modifications to your local directory, then copy the file to the common directory to update the project. This strategy is appropriate for individual or small teams.

The following figure shows the concept of sharing by copying.

This technique has some obvious flaws. For example, there is no mechanism to prevent someone else from modifying the same file at the same time. This technique can cause a problem when the two team members copy files back to the common directory. The second developer overwrites (eliminating) the changes made by the first. At some point, the two team members must compare their versions and merge the two sets of changes.

In addition, the copying process can be time‑consuming for large projects. There is no method for parallel development or for tracking the history of changes made to the project.

This form of configuration management is done using the file system, not the Rhapsody® interface. However, you can use Rhapsody DiffMerge to detect differences between the original file and the modified file, or to merge changes made to the same file by two different developers. For more information, see Developing in parallel with Rhapsody DiffMerge.