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(cvs.info)Tagging add/remove

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Tagging and adding and removing files
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   The subject of exactly how tagging interacts with adding and
removing files is somewhat obscure; for the most part CVS will keep
track of whether files exist or not without too much fussing.  By
default, tags are applied to only files which have a revision
corresponding to what is being tagged.  Files which did not exist yet,
or which were already removed, simply omit the tag, and CVS knows to
treat the absence of a tag as meaning that the file didn't exist as of
that tag.

   However, this can lose a small amount of information.  For example,
suppose a file was added and then removed.  Then, if the tag is missing
for that file, there is no way to know whether the tag refers to the
time before the file was added, or the time after it was removed.  If
you specify the `-r' option to `cvs rtag', then CVS tags the files
which have been removed, and thereby avoids this problem.  For example,
one might specify `-r HEAD' to tag the head.

   On the subject of adding and removing files, the `cvs rtag' command
has a `-a' option which means to clear the tag from removed files that
would not otherwise be tagged.  For example, one might specify this
option in conjunction with `-F' when moving a tag.  If one moved a tag
without `-a', then the tag in the removed files might still refer to
the old revision, rather than reflecting the fact that the file had
been removed.  I don't think this is necessary if `-r' is specified, as
noted above.