The RCS log command can retrieve and display meta-information about versions of a file. Here is information of what we have done to the example text file in RCS:

$ rlog our_file.txt

RCS file: RCS/our_file.txt,v
Working file: our_file.txt
head: 1.3
branch:
locks: strict
access list:
symbolic names:
keyword substitution: kv
total revisions: 3;     selected revisions: 3
description:
Our Example RCS Text File
----------------------------
revision 1.3
date: 2003-05-27 03:11:54-04;  author: ashawley;  state: Exp;  lines: +1 -0
Added Id keyword.
----------------------------
revision 1.2
date: 2003-05-27 03:08:56-04;  author: ashawley;  state: Exp;  lines: +1 -0
Added another question.
----------------------------
revision 1.1
date: 2003-05-27 03:07:51-04;  author: ashawley;  state: Exp;
Initial revision
=============================================================================

The response of the RCS log command highlights the file's information including the path of the RCS file (see section on RCS file), the path of the working file, the description (see section on file description), the number of revisions (see section on revisions) and information about revisions including check-in date, author and the log submitted for the revision.