KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q155888: PRB: Binary Files with Keyword Expansion Corrupted

Article: Q155888
Product(s): Microsoft SourceSafe
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbSSafe400 kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600
Last Modified: 04-MAY-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 16-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 16-bit, for Windows, version 4.0a 
- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0a 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
========

If Keyword Expansion is enabled for binary files, and a binary file containing a
SourceSafe Keyword is checked in, that file will be corrupted.

RESOLUTION
==========

1. Use Keyword Expansion in Binary Files.

Use two colons in the keyword, for example:

$Revision:: $

WARNING: This method works for all the available keywords, with the exception of
the $History:: $ and $Log:: $ keywords. These two keywords cannot be used in
binary files.

Make sure you leave enough space between the second colon and the dollar sign for
the revision number.

When you use one colon, SourceSafe puts its information between the colon and the
dollar sign. Depending on how long the information is, and how many spaces you
had, this generally makes the whole string either shorter or longer than it was
at first. In a text file, this is not a problem, but it does corrupt a binary
file.

When you use two colons, that tells SourceSafe to keep the string length the
same. In other words, SourceSafe knows to keep the exact same number of
characters between the second colon and the dollar sign. SourceSafe pads with
extra spaces, or truncates the information, as necessary, in order to keep
things the same, so the binary file is not corrupted.

Available keywords for binary files are as follows:

  $Archive:: $
  $Author:: $
  $Date:: $
  $Header:: $
  $Logfile:: $
  $Modtime:: $
  $Revision:: $
  $Workfile:: $
  $JustDate:: $
  $NoKeywords:: $

1. Disable keyword expansion in binary files using one of the following
  methods:

   - Add the case-sensitive keyword $NoKeywords: $ before adding any other
     keywords. This prevents Visual SourceSafe from expanding subsequent
     keywords.

   - Remove *.xls from the "Expand keywords in files of type" textbox.

   - Add !*.xls to the "Expand keywords in files of type" textbox.

NOTE: The preceding bullets are equivalent to editing the Keyword_Masks variable
manually in the SRCSAFE.INI file. Filetype *.xls is used in step 2 as an
example.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Steps to Reproduce Problem
--------------------------

1. In the Visual SourceSafe Administrator, go to the Tools menu and click
  Options, and then click the General tab in the Options dialog box. Add *.xls
  in the "Expand keywords in files of type" textbox. Click OK and close the
  Visual SourceSafe Administrator.

  NOTE: If the Visual SourceSafe client is open while changes are being made to
  the Visual SourceSafe Administrator, the client must be restarted in order
  for the changes to take effect.

2. Open a new Workbook in Excel and enter "Hello World" in Cell A1. Save and
  close the file.

3. Add the file to a Visual SourceSafe project and then check out the file.

4. Open the file in Excel. Enter "$History: $" in Cell A2.

5. Save and close the file. Check it into Visual SourceSafe.

RESULT: If the "Copy keyword-expanded files into working directory" check box is
selected (it is located on the Local Files tab in the Options dialog box) in the
Visual SourceSafe client, Excel hangs immediately when you view the file. If the
check box is not selected, Excel will hang the next time that file is opened by
checking it out and opening it, or by performing a Get on the file.

REFERENCES
==========

For more information on Keyword Expansion, see Chapter 5 in the Visual
SourceSafe User's Guide.

Additional query words: DLL EXE .DOC

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbSSafe400 kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600 
Technology        : kbSSafeSearch kbAudDeveloper kbSSafe600 kbSSafe400 kbSSafe400a kbSSafe500 kbSSafe16bitSearch kbSSafe32bitSearch
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.