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Can anybody explain some details about how is implemented the automatic file versioning in the Lion?

  • It is transparent for any file? (for example, for files created in the Terminal.app with shell command like ls >file.txt and ls -l > file.txt mean than the file.txt got versioning?, or
  • every application should call some versioning API at the save?
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  • lion questions are currently off-topic.
    – user6124
    Jun 19, 2011 at 11:15

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The only information has released to non-Mac Developer Program members is the following.

If you have a document-based application, Lion offers an efficient, built-in auto save feature that stores changes to the working document instead of creating additional copies on a disk. Versions automatically records a history of changes made to your documents and lets your app display a Time Machine like interface so users can browse through previous versions. ADC

There is more information available for Mac Developer Program subscribers. The information, however, is currently restricted by a non-disclosure agreement . The information will most likely be made available for everyone once the final version of Lion is released. This is how Apple have done it in the past.

Personally I am a bit disappointed that Apple chose to go with ‘something else’ instead of the native handling of this offered by the ZFS file system. (As rumored as far back as Leopard.)

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    ZFS would've been great from a technical perspective, but became a non-option the moment it was announced that Oracle might buy Sun. AIUI there's just no way Apple was going to give Oracle that sort of licensing leverage.
    – Gordon Davisson
    Jun 19, 2011 at 13:46
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    Just browsed a bit and for now im sure than versioning will need support from developer, so the application must be built with some API to support versioning. It is not OS level.
    – clt60
    Jun 19, 2011 at 13:53

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