# FCM: User Guide: Introduction

This is the User Guide for the Flexible Configuration Management system which is known as FCM. It is designed to tell you everything you need to know if you want to develop code which has been configured within FCM. In addition it also provides the extra information you will need if you are system manager of a project within FCM.

This guide consists of the following sections:

System Overview
  A brief description of the main features of FCM.
Getting Started
  How to start using FCM. It includes a tutorial for you to work through and familiarise yourself with some FCM activities.
Code Management System
  How to use the code management system to manage code changes.
Code Management Working Practices
  Recommended ways of working with the code management system.
FCM Make
  How to use the make command to invoke the extract and build systems.
System Administration
  How to configure and maintain a new system within FCM.
FCM Command Reference
  Detailed information about each of the `fcm` commands.
Annex:
  Quick reference
    A quick reference to many useful FCM code management system commands.
  FCM Configuration File
    Detailed definitions of what declarations are allowed in different FCM configuration files.

  The annex also contains further sections relating to some deprecated features.