PVCS

{{For|the company|PV Crystalox Solar}}

{{Infobox software

| name = PVCS Version Manager

| logo =

| screenshot =

| caption =

| author = Polytron

| developer = Micro Focus

| released = {{Start date and age|1985}}

| latest release version = 8.6.3

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2021|02}}{{Cite web |title=PVCS Version Manager 8.6.3 - Documentation {{!}} Micro Focus |url=https://www.microfocus.com/documentation/pvcs-version-manager/8.6.3/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.microfocus.com}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| operating system = DOS,{{cn|date=December 2017}} Windows, Unix-like

| platform =

| programming language = C, C++, Java

| genre = Version control

| license = Proprietary software

}}

PVCS Version Manager (originally named Polytron Version Control System) is a software package by Serena Software Inc., for version control of source code files.

PVCS follows the "locking" approach to concurrency control; it has no merge operator built-in (but does, nonetheless, have a separate merge command). However PVCS can also be configured to support several users simultaneously attempting to edit the file; in this case the second chronological committer will have a branch created for them so that both modifications, instead of conflicting, will appear as parallel histories for the same file. This is unlike Concurrent Versions System (CVS) and Subversion where the second committer needs to first merge the changes via the update command and then resolve conflicts (when they exist) before actually committing.

Originally developed by Don Kinzer and published by Polytron in 1985, through a history of acquisitions and mergers, the product was at times owned by Sage Software of Rockville (1989), Maryland (unrelated to Sage Software of the UK), Intersolv 1992, Micro Focus International 1998 and Merant PLC 2001. The latter was acquired by Serena Software in 2004, which was then acquired by Silver Lake Partners in 2006.

Synergex ported both the PVCS Version Manager and the PVCS Configuration Builder (an extended make utility, including a variant of the command line tool make[http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-make/2003-02/msg00019.html mailing list discussion about porting PVCS-make scripts to GNU-make]{{better source|date=December 2013}}) to various Unix platforms and OpenVMS.{{Citation |title=Supported Platforms |publisher=Synergex International |year=2015 |url=http://pvcs.synergex.com/products/supported_platforms.aspx |access-date=5 October 2015}}

In 2009, Serena Software clarified that it will continue to invest in PVCS and provide support to PVCS customers for the foreseeable future.
PVCS Version Manager 8.5 release (2014) introduces both new feature and new platform support.{{Citation |title=Serena PVCS: Announcing the Release of Serena PVCS Version Manager 8.5|publisher=Serena Software |year=2014 |url=http://www.serena.com/blog/2014/01/announcing-the-release-of-serena-pvcs-version-manager-8-5/|access-date=15 June 2015}}

In 2016, Micro Focus International announced the acquisition of Serena Software to again become the custodians of PVCS.{{Citation |title=Micro Focus spends $540m to add Serena to its software brand museum |publisher=The Register |year=2016 |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/22/micro_focus_serena_buy/ |access-date=23 March 2016}}

A point release was shipped in 2021.