Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Visual SourceSafe - HOWTO
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CREATING A NEW APPLICATION
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Visual Studio
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File -> Open Web Site
In "Open Web Site" dialog select "Source Control" button on left, then "Select Source Control Project" on right
In "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog selected "Add" button on the right
Add SourceSafe Database Wizard
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i) In "Welcome to the Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" click "Next"
ii) In "Database Selection" select the "Create a new database" radio button and click "Next"
iii) In "New Database Location" click on "Browse"
We keep all our SourceSafe Databases under the \\nerone\d$\VSSBD
In "Browse For Folder" dialog you can create a new folder to hold your SourceSafe Database under \\nerone\d$\VSSBD by either:
i) expanding the tree to find this folder, left clicking once on it to select it, then clicking on "Make New Folder", or
ii) type \\nerone\d$\VSSBD, press the return key, click "Browse" again in screen 3 of "Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" dialog, (this selects the specified folder) then click on "Make New Folder"
Rename the folder (still in "Browse For Folder" dialog), make sure the newly created and renamed folder is selected, then click "Ok"
Back in "New Database Location" verify that the path to your new folder is in the "Location" textbox and click "Next"
iv) In "Database Connection Name" enter a name for your Database (I left the default - the same name as the Database file) and click "Next"
v) In "Team Version Control Model" select the radio button beside (I prefer "Copy-Modify-Merge Model") and click "Next"
vi) In "Completing the Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" verify the Name, Database Path and Team Version Control Model and click "Finish"
Finishing the "Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" will return you to the "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog with your newly created Database selected.
Before opening this database, you should setup the access rights in the Visual SourceSafe Administrator (see I below)
Then you should create your "development branch", the development project in your SourceSafe Database (see II below)
Once you have setup the access rights in the Visual SourceSafe Administrator and setup the Development Branch, change the "Username" you created for your self in Visual SourceSafe Administrator
Click on "Open"
In "Create local Project from SourceSafe":
(You must do these in the order written below, otherwise you will have to select the location twice)
i) select the development branch (the project with the name of your Application) in the "SourceSafe project to download" tree
ii) click the "Browse" button beside the "Create a new project in the folder" textbox, and choose the folder in which you wish to have the data checked out to. This folder will not be your root folder.
(example - In the SSPWEB Database, I choose the SSPWEB project node and choose e:\src\sspweb as my local folder)
Click "Ok"
"Open Web Site" dialog should now have a "Web settings" area with "Save to local folder" set to the location you chose in the previous step.
Leave the "Run as IIS Web site" UNCHECKED and click "Open"
A "Source Control" dialog will appear with some information "The Open from Source Control operation is still in progres but you can start working now. The rest...".
Click Ok
You have now created a new application! Well done!
I) Setting up the access rights in a Visual SourceSafe Database using Visual SourceSafe Administrator
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open Visual SourceSafe Administrator.
If your new database is not already opened (the name should be in the title bar of the Visual SourceSafe Administrator window):
File -> Open SourceSafe Database
In "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog select the database
Note that a user for your Windows' user was automatically created using your Windows' user name
Select Admin user (left click on user name), then
Users -> Change Password
Leave "Old SourceSafe Password" blank
Set "New SourceSafe Password" and "Verify" to new password
Click "Ok"
For each user:
Users -> Add User
In "Add User" fill in the user name (see list above) and set the password
Click "Ok"
Select the user name that is associated with your Windows' user (for example, the automatically created SDonnelly for me, rather than the newly created Shane):
Users -> Delete User
Click "Yes" in response to the "Are you sure you want to delete?" prompt
Delete also the Guest user (deleting performed as has just been described above)
Close Visual SourceSafe Administrator
II) Setting up the development branch in a Visual SourceSafe Database
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
If the Database selected in the "Log On to Visual SourceSafe Database" dialog is not the one you wish to use
i) click "Browse"
ii) in "Open SourceSafe Database" left click on the Database name and click "Open"
Fill in the "User name" and "SourceSafe Password" fields
Click "Ok"
Ensure that the Database name in the title of the "Visual SourceSafe Explorer" is the one you expect
In the left hand pane, right click the root node ($/)
Select "Create Project"
In the "Create Project in $/" dialog, put in the name of your Application, for example "SSPWEB" and fill in the comment textfield with something like "The development branch of SSPWEB"
Close Visual SourceSafe Explorer
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CREATING A BUGFIX BRANCH
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Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
In the left hand pane you should see the root of your Database and under the root your Development Branch
Right click on the root and select "Share to $/"
In "Share to $/" dialog, under projects on the right hand side, select your Development Branch
Put a check in the "Brach after share" checkbox
Click on the "Share" button
In the "Share $/<development branch name>" dialog, replace the name in the "New name" textbox field.
I just added Bugfix to the end of it - so SSPWEB branches to SSPWEBBugfix
Fill in the "comment textfield" with something along the lines of "This is the bugfix branch for SSPWEB 1.0"
Put a check in the "Recursive" checkbox.
Click "Ok"
Click "Close" in the "Share to $/" dialog
You now have your bugfix. You can now perform a checkout from Visual Studio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUGFIXING AND MERGING BRANCHES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I started off by making a change to the bugfix branch. This took the form of changes to a few files, which I all checked in together. Seeing that VSS has no changeset, I installed CodeMiner VSS Manager (http://codeminer.adventnet.com/vss-manager/index.html) so that I could see check-in reports listed by date.
TO FINISH
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LABELLING A PROJECT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
Decide on what you wish to label this version of the PROJECT (for example, the Bugfix branch).
i) To see what the latest label for this project is, right click the project and choose "Properties"
ii) Under the "General" tab on the right of the dialog is the text "Last label" followed by the label number
Right click on the project (for example, the Bugfix branch) you wish to label
Select "Label"
Type the label name in the "Label" textbox
i) Bare in mind the labelling rules :
Visual SourceSafe defines a label as a string of up to 31 characters. Any of the following is a valid label: "1.0", "2.01b", "Final Beta", and "Approved for QA". Label names cannot start with a capital "L" or "#s".
Add a comment
Click "Ok"
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GETTING A PARTICULAR LABELED VERSION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
Set working folder
Right click on Project
"Show History"
Check "Include Labels"
Click "Ok"
Left click on label
"Get"
Check "Recursive"
Click "Ok" - Note: files that are "Got" are listed in bottom pane in the main SourceSafe window
Click "Close"
CREATING A NEW APPLICATION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visual Studio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
File -> Open Web Site
In "Open Web Site" dialog select "Source Control" button on left, then "Select Source Control Project" on right
In "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog selected "Add" button on the right
Add SourceSafe Database Wizard
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i) In "Welcome to the Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" click "Next"
ii) In "Database Selection" select the "Create a new database" radio button and click "Next"
iii) In "New Database Location" click on "Browse"
We keep all our SourceSafe Databases under the \\nerone\d$\VSSBD
In "Browse For Folder" dialog you can create a new folder to hold your SourceSafe Database under \\nerone\d$\VSSBD by either:
i) expanding the tree to find this folder, left clicking once on it to select it, then clicking on "Make New Folder", or
ii) type \\nerone\d$\VSSBD, press the return key, click "Browse" again in screen 3 of "Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" dialog, (this selects the specified folder) then click on "Make New Folder"
Rename the folder (still in "Browse For Folder" dialog), make sure the newly created and renamed folder is selected, then click "Ok"
Back in "New Database Location" verify that the path to your new folder is in the "Location" textbox and click "Next"
iv) In "Database Connection Name" enter a name for your Database (I left the default - the same name as the Database file) and click "Next"
v) In "Team Version Control Model" select the radio button beside (I prefer "Copy-Modify-Merge Model") and click "Next"
vi) In "Completing the Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" verify the Name, Database Path and Team Version Control Model and click "Finish"
Finishing the "Add SourceSafe Database Wizard" will return you to the "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog with your newly created Database selected.
Before opening this database, you should setup the access rights in the Visual SourceSafe Administrator (see I below)
Then you should create your "development branch", the development project in your SourceSafe Database (see II below)
Once you have setup the access rights in the Visual SourceSafe Administrator and setup the Development Branch, change the "Username" you created for your self in Visual SourceSafe Administrator
Click on "Open"
In "Create local Project from SourceSafe":
(You must do these in the order written below, otherwise you will have to select the location twice)
i) select the development branch (the project with the name of your Application) in the "SourceSafe project to download" tree
ii) click the "Browse" button beside the "Create a new project in the folder" textbox, and choose the folder in which you wish to have the data checked out to. This folder will not be your root folder.
(example - In the SSPWEB Database, I choose the SSPWEB project node and choose e:\src\sspweb as my local folder)
Click "Ok"
"Open Web Site" dialog should now have a "Web settings" area with "Save to local folder" set to the location you chose in the previous step.
Leave the "Run as IIS Web site" UNCHECKED and click "Open"
A "Source Control" dialog will appear with some information "The Open from Source Control operation is still in progres but you can start working now. The rest...".
Click Ok
You have now created a new application! Well done!
I) Setting up the access rights in a Visual SourceSafe Database using Visual SourceSafe Administrator
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open Visual SourceSafe Administrator.
If your new database is not already opened (the name should be in the title bar of the Visual SourceSafe Administrator window):
File -> Open SourceSafe Database
In "Open SourceSafe Database" dialog select the database
Note that a user for your Windows' user was automatically created using your Windows' user name
Select Admin user (left click on user name), then
Users -> Change Password
Leave "Old SourceSafe Password" blank
Set "New SourceSafe Password" and "Verify" to new password
Click "Ok"
For each user:
Users -> Add User
In "Add User" fill in the user name (see list above) and set the password
Click "Ok"
Select the user name that is associated with your Windows' user (for example, the automatically created SDonnelly for me, rather than the newly created Shane):
Users -> Delete User
Click "Yes" in response to the "Are you sure you want to delete?" prompt
Delete also the Guest user (deleting performed as has just been described above)
Close Visual SourceSafe Administrator
II) Setting up the development branch in a Visual SourceSafe Database
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
If the Database selected in the "Log On to Visual SourceSafe Database" dialog is not the one you wish to use
i) click "Browse"
ii) in "Open SourceSafe Database" left click on the Database name and click "Open"
Fill in the "User name" and "SourceSafe Password" fields
Click "Ok"
Ensure that the Database name in the title of the "Visual SourceSafe Explorer" is the one you expect
In the left hand pane, right click the root node ($/)
Select "Create Project"
In the "Create Project in $/" dialog, put in the name of your Application, for example "SSPWEB" and fill in the comment textfield with something like "The development branch of SSPWEB"
Close Visual SourceSafe Explorer
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREATING A BUGFIX BRANCH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
In the left hand pane you should see the root of your Database and under the root your Development Branch
Right click on the root and select "Share to $/"
In "Share to $/" dialog, under projects on the right hand side, select your Development Branch
Put a check in the "Brach after share" checkbox
Click on the "Share" button
In the "Share $/<development branch name>" dialog, replace the name in the "New name" textbox field.
I just added Bugfix to the end of it - so SSPWEB branches to SSPWEBBugfix
Fill in the "comment textfield" with something along the lines of "This is the bugfix branch for SSPWEB 1.0"
Put a check in the "Recursive" checkbox.
Click "Ok"
Click "Close" in the "Share to $/" dialog
You now have your bugfix. You can now perform a checkout from Visual Studio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUGFIXING AND MERGING BRANCHES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I started off by making a change to the bugfix branch. This took the form of changes to a few files, which I all checked in together. Seeing that VSS has no changeset, I installed CodeMiner VSS Manager (http://codeminer.adventnet.com/vss-manager/index.html) so that I could see check-in reports listed by date.
TO FINISH
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LABELLING A PROJECT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
Decide on what you wish to label this version of the PROJECT (for example, the Bugfix branch).
i) To see what the latest label for this project is, right click the project and choose "Properties"
ii) Under the "General" tab on the right of the dialog is the text "Last label" followed by the label number
Right click on the project (for example, the Bugfix branch) you wish to label
Select "Label"
Type the label name in the "Label" textbox
i) Bare in mind the labelling rules :
Visual SourceSafe defines a label as a string of up to 31 characters. Any of the following is a valid label: "1.0", "2.01b", "Final Beta", and "Approved for QA". Label names cannot start with a capital "L" or "#s".
Add a comment
Click "Ok"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GETTING A PARTICULAR LABELED VERSION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open the Visual SourceSafe client - this opens the Visual SourceSafe Explorer
Set working folder
Right click on Project
"Show History"
Check "Include Labels"
Click "Ok"
Left click on label
"Get"
Check "Recursive"
Click "Ok" - Note: files that are "Got" are listed in bottom pane in the main SourceSafe window
Click "Close"
# posted by Shane @ 5:12 p.m. 
