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9 Keywords

Files in a project may contain instances of keywords that (in effect) prcs checkin will replace with certain information. Conceptually, upon checkin, each keyword instance in every file of the project (not just those listed in the checkin subcommand) is updated as described below with the value of its keyword in the new project version. As a performance consideration, however, this is implemented in such a way that partial checkins only have to examine the files that are listed in the checkin subcommand (see Keywords and File Identifiers).

There are two forms of keyword instance: simple and formatted. A simple keyword instance has one of the forms

     $keyword$
     $keyword: data$

This syntax is strict: prcs does not recognize a keyword when there is whitespace on either side (separating it from the dollar sign that precedes it or the dollar sign or colon that follows). There may not be newlines anywhere in the keyword instance. If the keyword is one that prcs recognizes, other than Format, prcs checkin replaces the instance with an instance of the second form, with the data part depending on the particular keyword. Formatted keyword instances allow a more flexible replacement format.