Even if there are a few lines regarding the use of a ChangeLog files in the "Release Management Process" description, it is not very clear and consistent how to write maintenance information.

Here a quick summary of what we can find already in some packages:

• FileLog: explains at a glance the modifications carried out in this file.
  

  Example:

  /* MyFile.h
   *
   * who      when     what
   * ----------------------------------------------------------------
   * rsmith   29/11/05 command HL added
   * jcruz    28/11/05 commands X2, Y3 and HH added
   * rsmith   28/07/05 pthread included
   * rmsith   15/04/05 created
   *
   */

• ChangeLog: located at <package>/<version>/ChangeLog, lists all files that have been modified and gives a general idea about the changes.
  

  Example:

  v0r2 23/06/06 jcruz
    	* src/MyFile.h:
   	* src/MyFile.c: commands added
    	* cmt/requirements: aligned with Ghb v3r45
  v0r1 22/04/05 rsmith
        * created

• SCVS history log: written when archiving a package, giving a general idea about the modification.
  

  Example:

  version: v0r1   date: 2005 06 07 17:30:56       user: rmsith
           reason: first approach  previous: v0
  version: v0r2   date: 2005 06 08 10:59:09       user: rsmith
           reason: further implementation added    previous: v0r1
  version: v0r3   date: 2005 06 08 15:00:23       user: jcruz
           reason: commands added, aligned with Ghb v3r45 (SPR#394)
           previous: v0r2

Writing these few lines does not take much time, but allows that also other developers understand quickly what has been done, where and by whom, i.e. making the SW maintenance much easier...