Multiple versions of novel files

azbikergirl · Apr 13, 2005

If you've ever made a change to your story and then, much later, wish you hadn't and didn't back up the file at the time... you might be interested in Perforce. http://www.perforce.com/

Perforce is a free program intended as a repository for software geeks like me to keep versions of program (source code) files, in case we need to back out code changes or figure out why we made a particular change.

I've found it works superbly for storing versions of my novel chapters. It works somewhat like a library, where you "check out" the file you want to work on, make your changes, and check it back in. Every time you do so, it prompts you for a note about what change you made (added new scene, edits, whatever), and it keeps all the versions for you. Since you decide when to check in the file, you can have lots of versions, each with a few changes, or just a few with huge chunks of changes. It even has an MS Word plug-in, so you can check in and out right from within Word (it adds a Perforce menu to the menu bar). If you want to compare versions, it'll use Word's compare/merge feature, in case you want to restore a scene, paragraph or whatever that was changed or deleted.

I'm not affiliated with Perforce in any way. Just an azbikergeek who's tried many source control solutions and like this one the best.

Writing Again · Apr 13, 2005

Sure sounds worth a try, Biker Girl.

maestrowork · Apr 13, 2005

I tried it out. I think it's okay, but probably a little too techno for the regular writer Joe. However, if you think you know enough about computers and source control system, it's worth a try.

Jamesaritchie · Apr 13, 2005

Perforce

azbikergirl said:
If you've ever made a change to your story and then, much later, wish you hadn't and didn't back up the file at the time... you might be interested in Perforce. http://www.perforce.com/

Perforce is a free program intended as a repository for software geeks like me to keep versions of program (source code) files, in case we need to back out code changes or figure out why we made a particular change.

I've found it works superbly for storing versions of my novel chapters. It works somewhat like a library, where you "check out" the file you want to work on, make your changes, and check it back in. Every time you do so, it prompts you for a note about what change you made (added new scene, edits, whatever), and it keeps all the versions for you. Since you decide when to check in the file, you can have lots of versions, each with a few changes, or just a few with huge chunks of changes. It even has an MS Word plug-in, so you can check in and out right from within Word (it adds a Perforce menu to the menu bar). If you want to compare versions, it'll use Word's compare/merge feature, in case you want to restore a scene, paragraph or whatever that was changed or deleted.

I'm not affiliated with Perforce in any way. Just an azbikergeek who's tried many source control solutions and like this one the best.

What's the advantage over a simple online briefcase? I can see its uses for software, but versions of novel chapters are very easy to store, both offline and on.

astonwest · Apr 14, 2005

Jamesaritchie said:
What's the advantage over a simple online briefcase? I can see its uses for software, but versions of novel chapters are very easy to store, both offline and on.

What I tend to do (when I make major changes) is create a new sub-folder under the novel folder and file the old (or new) version away there...

dragonjax · Apr 14, 2005

I have roughly 20 different versions of my completed novel, each in a slightly different phase of readiness. As I go through to make tweaks here and there (depending on feedback), I save each version with a unique file name, which includes the date (month.year) and the name of the person who will get the file (either an agent or an editor). It's a bit frustrating; I wish I had only one file. (Then again, I wish I had an agent. Heh.)

azbikergirl · Apr 14, 2005

I was doing something similar, taking advantage of the document properties to record what changes I was making, but the bother of doing that tended to result in infrequent version-creation. With a source control system like Perforce, it's so easy to make minute changes, like "Removed Paragraph 5.1.2" (chapter.scene.para), and save the version. At any time, I can view the document history, showing me a list of all the versions with the changes I made.

Of course, my descriptions are more like "changed scene to Gavin's POV" or "removed argument with Trayev" than Removed paragraph 5.2.1, which is hardly meaningful 3 months later...

jules · Apr 17, 2005

Something I've found useful in the past is OpenOffice's facility to store a copy of the document as it is now in the file you're working with, so you can do comparisons with it later. Kind of like saving a separate copy, but it keeps everything inside one file, so it's just tidier.

Don't know if Word can do this or not, though.

Multiple versions of novel files

azbikergirl

I really do look like this.

Writing Again

Living Life In The Sandbox

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Jamesaritchie

astonwest

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

dragonjax

I write stuff and break boards.

azbikergirl

I really do look like this.

jules

Bored fanatic