[Cvs-mvs] Hello, and basic questions

[Terrence Enger]

Greetings.

First, let me introduce myself and explain my interest in cvs/mvs.  I am an
iSeries application programmer working as a rent-a-nerd.  In my spare time,
I am hacking cvs onto the iSeries.  cvs/mvs faces many of the same issues
of code page translation that I am coming to terms with.  Perhaps we can
help each other.

My experience includes AS/400 programming--mostly rpg--since 1988.  I have
done a little work in C/C++, but this is my first foray into C/400.  I have
no experience with the 390.  I have barely started to look at cvs/mvs
source files.  Please pitch your comments accordingly.

Enough about me, on to cvs/mvs.  I wonder ...

(*)	Do you envisage being able to merge your changes back into the
"official" cvs source, or is this a permanent fork from the common code base?

(*)	Have you tried to track the common code base since you started the
project?  What release of cvs would form the best basis for comparison to
cvs/mvs?

(*)	It is clear from Changes_390.txt that cvs/mvs runs in EBCDIC, and I see
nothing there that I recognize as implementing translation between code
pages.  Are you using ASCII for the repository files and for communication
between client and server?  Does the 390 do the translation automagically?

(*)	How do you handle text files which are not ASCII?  (My hack does not
deal with this.)

(*)	cvs controls files and, to a lesser extent, directories.  Does the 390
have other kinds of things which it would be useful to control, and does
(or will) cvs/mvs do anything with them?  (My hack does not deal with these.)

(*)	Is it appropriate to post attachments to this mailing list?

This is probably plenty to start with.  Thank you for your attention.

Terry.