Q165883: Errors with Large Recursive Branch and Share Operations
Article: Q165883
Product(s): Microsoft SourceSafe
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0,4.0a,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbfile kbSSafe400 kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600
Last Modified: 04-MAY-2001
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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
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SUMMARY
=======
While executing a recursive Share and Branch operation on a SourceSafe project
that contains a large number of files and 4 or more nested subprojects, the
operation fails with a General Protection Fault, Out of Memory message or other
memory related problems.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Sharing and Branching is an expensive operation in SourceSafe. Because the
operation itself involves intensive memory usage and file I/O, any problems at
the operating system or network level could cause it to fail. Once completed,
the Branch causes the SourceSafe database to grow in size as a second copy of
each branched file is created. For these reasons, large Sharing and Branching
should be used sparingly.
The dobranch.exe utility provides an alternative method of Sharing and Branching
that avoids the potential memory problems mentioned in the SUMMARY section.
The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download
Center:
Dbrnch.exe
For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click
the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of
posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure
servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.
Below is the content of the readme.txt files that are included with the utility.
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| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY |
| ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as a Microsoft |
| Software Library [MSL] file) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY |
| OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT |
| LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR |
| FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk |
| as to the accuracy and the use of this MSL file. This MSL file |
| may be copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: |
| 1) All text must be copied without modification and all pages must |
| be included; 2) If software is included, all files must be copied |
| without modification; 3) All components of this MSL file must be |
| distributed together; and 4) This MSL file may not be distributed |
| for profit. |
| |
| Copyright 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. |
| Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. |
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This download consists of the following three files:
1. This file (readme.txt)
2. dobranch.exe
3. dobranch.cpp
This utility can be used as an alternative method of performing a recursive share
and branch of a SourceSafe project.
Dobranch.exe
------------
The file dobranch.exe is the utility itself, and should be saved in the WIN32
directory under the SourceSafe installation.
Its usage is:
dobranch <target project> <source project> [new project name]
The operation is analogous to a right mouse drag and drop in the SourceSafe
explorer. If your project tree looks like this:
$/
Applications
Develop
source
include
lib
Bugfix
Other Stuff
and you right-click the $/Applications/Develop project, drag it over the $/Bugfix
project, choose Share and branch from the popup menu, then check the "Recursive"
checkbox, the equivalent command for this utility would be:
dobranch $/Bugfix $Applications/Develop
NOTE: You should provide the full path to the target and source projects.
Just like the drag and drop operation, this would create a new subproject:
$/Bugfix/Develop
that would have the three nested subprojects.
To share and branch to a sibling subproject of Develop, use the following
command:
dobranch $/Applications $/Applications/Develop NewDev.
The project tree would then be:
$/
Applications
Develop
source
include
lib
NewDev
source
include
lib
Bugfix
Other Stuff
If your project names contain spaces, wrap the project name in quotes. For
example:
dobranch "$/Other Stuff" $/Applications/Develop "More Stuff"
to create the following project tree:
$/
Applications
Develop
source
include
lib
Bugfix
Other Stuff
More Stuff
source
include
lib
The utility creates two text files in the Win32 subdirectory, dirfile.out and
errfile.log. The first is the output from a recursive ss dir command of the
source project, the second is a log file of errors encountered by the various
Visual SourceSafe operations.
If the program is executed successfully, these files are deleted (you'll never
know they were there).
If the utility fails, you can check errfile.log for clues about what caused the
failure, and dirfile.out can be deleted manually (however, this is not
necessary).
Dobranch.cpp
------------
The file dobranch.cpp is the source code for dobranch.exe and can be examined to
understand how the program works, and for those interested, can be modified to
provide more functionality (for example, providing an extra parameter to specify
a project version, or specifying the path to any SourceSafe database). It was
compiled with Microsoft Visual C++ version 4.0 Most users, however, will not
need to look at this file.
Additional Notes
----------------
1. Branching a specific version.
There is no switch for this in dobranch.exe, but it can easily be accomplished
by PINning the project before executing dobranch.exe. For example, if the
$/Applications/Develop project has a label 'beta1', type the following
command-line command before executing dobranch.exe
SS Pin $/Applications/Develop/*.* -Vbeta1
2. Limitations of the utility.
Internal links within the source project are not be retained in the target
project. For example, if a file in $/Apllications/Develop/lib is shared or
branched to a file in $/Apllications/Develop/include, and you execute:
dobranch $/Applications $/Applications/Develop NewDev
the file in $/Applications/NewDev/lib will not have links to the file in
$/Applications/NewDev/include.
Additional query words:
======================================================================
Keywords : kbfile kbSSafe400 kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600
Technology : kbSSafeSearch kbAudDeveloper kbSSafe600 kbSSafe400 kbSSafe400a kbSSafe500 kbSSafe16bitSearch kbSSafe32bitSearch
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,4.0a,5.0,6.0
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