After getting the project from CVS, you can continue your usual work with the project, that is its development. Roughly, development includes file changing and adding new ones. After the project is controlled by source control system, all the source files get attribute 'readonly'. It is necessary, for you cannot start editing the file without specifying what you are going to do with it. This operation is called 'checking out a file', or briefly 'checkout'. After you finish some logically completed part of work with this file, you have to 'check a file in SourceControl', or briefly 'checkin'. This way your modifications become accessible for other developers, and it allows working with the project in team. It is important that you can checkin your modifications only if you are absolutely sure there are no serious errors in them, which can complicate the work of others, after they get these modifications.

According to said above you can assume that each file in a project under source control can be in several states: not controlled (not connected), controlled (connected to code control system), checked out (connected and accessible for checkout), reserved checked out (connected and checkout by you only), need update (a newer version is in the repository), checked out by someone else, reserved checked out by someone else (you cannot edit this file). Development environments display these states by special icons and tags, which you can see in the pictures below.

MS VB	MS VS	MS VS.NET

Besides two basic operations (checkin/checkout), other commands which can help you during development are available. These commands can appear in numerous context menus concerning the file, they can be reached from appropriate IDE menus, and also from optional toolbar which can be switched on using conventional tools of the development environment. Below you can see a list of these commands and their functions:

• Checkout
  This command allows to ask source control system to check out a selected file(s). In other words you inform the system that you are going to edit them. When you edit a file in individual mode, you forbid others indirectly to check out this file. Individual mode is on by default for binary files (as far as it is impossible to merge different versions automatically), and is off for text ones (because CVS is able to merge effectively the modifications in different parts of the file). In CVSSccProxy it is accessible offline.
• Undo Checkout
  This command allows to undo file editing: to back up the version from which the edition has started (back up your modifications) and inform the system that you finished the file editing. In CVSSccProxy it is accessible offline.
• Checkin
  Allows to upload your last file modifications and make them accessible for other developers.
• Add to source control
  Allows to add a selected file(s) to Source Control. Perform this command if necessary for the files recently added to the project.
• Remove from source control
  Allows to delete a selected file(s) from Source Control. A file or files is (are) not deleted from local disk, but become uncontrolled by source control system.
• Get latest version
  To get the latest file(s) version. In other words - to get the modifications performed by other developers. In CVSSCCProxy context this command is also used to install advanced options, to create tags, branches, sticky files etc.
• Show difference
  Allows to compare the local file version with the one from the repository. It is convenient if you need to know what exactly parts of the file you have changed during your last work. In CVSSCCProxy context it is accessible also offline but only for one, the last version in the repository.
• Show history
  Allows viewing the history (version tree) and the project work history as a whole. In CVSSccProxy it allows to perform such operations as annotation, comparing any two file versions, deleting versions, getting and sticking any version and changing file type.
• Refresh status
  The operation forcedly refreshes file status (of all files as a rule). It requests the repository if there are any modifications: files are taken by someone else, deleted, or new versions of files are added.
• Properties
  Allows for file properties viewing within source control system. For example, current version of a file, a list of those editing the file, tags, date etc.
• Start source control
  Allows calling of 'stand alone GUI' from source control system. In CVSSccProxy it makes nothing but runs previously customized executable file. In other words, the plug-in does not have its own 'stand alone GUI'. We recommend using of WinCVS instead.