In library or source control systems, DITA source files are stored on disk as ASCII text files, typically along with the source code files for the software project being documented. A source control system stores and tracks changes to files, and features "check in/out" of files, so users of the system are not making conflicting updates. Multiple versions of source files are kept, and most systems have built-in capabilities to display differences between different versions of the same file.
Although having the code and documentation in the same system may seem useful, source control systems that were written with code in mind may not be the best place to keep content, mostly because these systems are typically not "content-aware."
A better solution would be either a content management system that integrates with the library system, or a separate content management system that has features appropriate for content.
The following table shows just a few of the many source control systems that can be used for storing DITA files.
| System name | Description |
|---|---|
| CVS (Concurrent Versions System) | Open source project. For more information, see http://www.cvsnt.org/wiki/. |
| Perforce | Commercial software configuration management system. You can download a free version for small projects. For more information, see http://www.perforce.com/. |
| Subversion | Open source project that is meant as a newer replacement for CVS. For more information, see http://subversion.tigris.org/. |