Record/Field Revision Tracking

[Ray Joseph]

I am looking for a method to keep track of revisions. I have developed many
engineering database applications. Keeping tack of changes to fields is
often required and I have never implemented a method that looks/feels good.

I see two basic types of revisions. Revisions to field values and
revisions to groups of fields. An example of this is an application that
manages datasheets for instruments used in chemical processes. There is
data associated with the process itself and data associated with the
instrument serviceing that process. When a datasheet is ready to be issued
so the associated instrument can be purchased, a view of the related data is
produced as a 'datasheet'. This datasheet has a revision designation. If
any changes occur to the data associated to the datasheet after its initial
purchase issue, a new 'revision' must be published. Additionally, once,
say, the process data changes, the instrument develpement process may change
data multiple times before the datasheet is ready to issue again. 'Most' of
these revisions must be stored/managed before the next revision of the
datasheet is issued. My difficulty here is managing all these revisions.

I would appriciate any information on how revisions like this can be
managed.

Richard

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Ray

I seem to recall that there are commercial change management systems
available. These go from the significantly expensive (e.g., IBM/Rational
ClearCase), to somewhat "bundled" solutions (MS Office Developer includes,
if I remember rightly, Visual Source Safe).

Have you tried a Google search on "change management" and/or "track
revisions"?