Companies worldwide are adopting Plastic SCM because the design of the system is based on patent-pending branching and merging technology which provides the critical capability to efficiently and reliably do parallel and/or distributed development. These are absolute requisites of today's development environments. Read about the newest features available in Plastic SCM 3.0 and then download a free trial to test the value of a next generation SCM system for your development team!
XMerge/XDiff™ Toolset
Plastic SCM 3.0 introduces an innovative and patent pending XMerge/XDiff™ 2.0 integrated toolset. While some SCM products offer some "diff" functionality, the ability to perform multiple merges over time and to diff any of the resultant code sets with complete history tracking information is unique to Plastic SCM 3.0.
The XMerge/XDiff™ 2.0 integrated toolset is first in the market to help software developers effectively manage the common, traditionally error-prone and time-consuming task of code refactoring. With Plastic SCM 3.0, developers can now easily and reliably perform refactoring to optimize code performance, minimize code maintenance and reduce refactoring errors. XMerge/XDiff 2.0 is the latest of many next-generation SCM capabilities within Plastic SCM designed to improve developers' productivity and code quality by addressing challenges and limitations associated with many of the outdated legacy SCM solutions widely used by software developers today.
Most legacy SCM solutions in the market do not effectively support code branching and merging, so refactoring – the process where developers modify the internal structure of existing code to increase operational efficiency and maintainability without changing the external application functionality – is a tedious process performed on the mainline of code, which can easily introduce errors and alter the code functionality. Plastic SCM is designed to manage branch-per-task development with automated merging capabilities. The addition in Plastic SCM 3.0 of an integrated XMerge/XDiff toolset to support and track productive and reliable refactoring is a breakthrough innovation tool for the SCM market.
Integrated Code Review Makes It Easier for Developers to Review Code, to Find and Prevent Defects in Software Releases
Another significant next-generation capability in Plastic SCM 3.0, designed to help today's developers deliver higher-quality code, is the new integrated code review functionality. Code review is a critical process for defect prevention, and one of the least well-established processes among developers because most SCM solutions lack an integrated code review tool. With integrated code review functionality, Plastic 3.0 makes it possible for development teams drive defect prevention within the SCM system by reviewing tasks/branches prior to merging them into the main line of code. Here again, the branching and merging design facilitates effective use of this functionality.
Explorer Shell Extension and External Data Storage Support further Enhance Plastic SCM Usability
Plastic SCM 3.0 introduces the Plastic SCM Windows Explorer Shell Extension, which allows developers to manage files in the familiar Explorer format. Plastic SCM 3.0 also features external data storage support to facilitate size reduction of the main Plastic SCM database, while providing convenient on-demand access to the extracted data files. This new capability allows teams to, for example, manage large binary files efficiently by storing them outside the main Plastic SCM database while assuring easy anytime access both from the server or the client.
New Data Importers Encourage Adoption of our Next-Generation Plastic SCM System
Plastic SCM 3.0 includes new data importers to assist teams moving away from Subversion and Perforce legacy SCM systems. The importers allow teams to move their data files into Plastic SCM from these legacy systems, making installation and setup of Plastic SCM a simple and quick process. The importers make it easier than ever for prospective customers to try Plastic SCM's 30-day, five-user try-before-you-buy license.
