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(emacs)VC Dired Mode

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Dired under VC
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   The VC Dired Mode described here works with all the version control
systems that VC supports.  Another more powerful facility, designed
specifically for CVS, is called PCL-CVS.  *Note About PCL-CVS:
(pcl-cvs)Top.

   When you are working on a large program, it is often useful to find
out which files have changed within an entire directory tree, or to view
the status of all files under version control at once, and to perform
version control operations on collections of files.  You can use the
command `C-x v d' (`vc-directory') to make a directory listing that
includes only files relevant for version control.

   `C-x v d' creates a buffer which uses VC Dired Mode.  This looks
much like an ordinary Dired buffer (Note: Dired); however, normally it
shows only the noteworthy files (those locked or not up-to-date).  This
is called "terse display".  If you set the variable
`vc-dired-terse-display' to `nil', then VC Dired shows all relevant
files--those managed under version control, plus all subdirectories
("full display").  The command `v t' in a VC Dired buffer toggles
between terse display and full display (Note: VC Dired Commands).

   By default, VC Dired produces a recursive listing of noteworthy or
relevant files at or below the given directory.  You can change this by
setting the variable `vc-dired-recurse' to `nil'; then VC Dired shows
only the files in the given directory.

   The line for an individual file shows the version control state in
the place of the hard link count, owner, group, and size of the file.
If the file is unmodified, in sync with the master file, the version
control state shown is blank.  Otherwise it consists of text in
parentheses.  Under RCS and SCCS, the name of the user locking the file
is shown; under CVS, an abbreviated version of the `cvs status' output
is used.  Here is an example using RCS:

       /home/jim/project:
     
       -rw-r--r-- (jim)      Apr  2 23:39 file1
       -r--r--r--            Apr  5 20:21 file2

The files `file1' and `file2' are under version control, `file1' is
locked by user jim, and `file2' is unlocked.

   Here is an example using CVS:

       /home/joe/develop:
     
       -rw-r--r-- (modified) Aug  2  1997 file1.c
       -rw-r--r--            Apr  4 20:09 file2.c
       -rw-r--r-- (merge)    Sep 13  1996 file3.c

   Here `file1.c' is modified with respect to the repository, and
`file2.c' is not.  `file3.c' is modified, but other changes have also
been checked in to the repository--you need to merge them with the work
file before you can check it in.

   When VC Dired displays subdirectories (in the "full" display mode),
it omits some that should never contain any files under version control.
By default, this includes Version Control subdirectories such as `RCS'
and `CVS'; you can customize this by setting the variable
`vc-directory-exclusion-list'.

   You can fine-tune VC Dired's format by typing `C-u C-x v d'--as in
ordinary Dired, that allows you to specify additional switches for the
`ls' command.