KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q195020: INFO: VB Project in a Shared Location Overwrites Modifications

Article: Q195020
Product(s): Microsoft SourceSafe
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbinterop kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600 kbVBp
Last Modified: 01-MAY-2001

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

- Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

When a group of people use Visual SourceSafe with Visual Basic, it is important
for each user have his or her own unique working folder. Developers tend to have
their source-code controlled projects in a shared location and all users get
access to projects through a network drive. If Multiple check out is enabled,
then many users can check out the same file at the same time. This might end up
in losing the modifications made by one user, when another user checks in or
checks out the project. This article describes this problem and how to resolve
it.

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

The following scenario takes place when a Visual Basic project is under source
control and all users have the same working folder. Let us assume that there are
two users, UserA and UserB, who are working in a Visual Basic project that is
integrated with Visual SourceSafe located in a Shared location
\\shared\VBProject. This Visual Basic project contains a project file
(Project1.vbp) and two form files (Form1.frm and Form2.frm).

UserA opens the shared project Project1.vbp and checks out Project1.vbp and
Form1.frm. Then, UserB opens the same project from the same location. Now, UserB
will not see the padlock glyph for Project1.vbp and Form1.frm in the project
window. (You can see this padlock glyph only if the file is read- only. Since
UserA checked out the file, it changed the read-only attribute of both the files
to read-write).

UserA makes some changes in Form1.frm and saves it. Now UserB Checks Out
Form2.frm and he modifies and he clicks on the save button. This saves both
Project1.vbp, Form1.frm, and Form2.frm. As a result, the modification performed
by UserA are overwritten. If UserA checks in all the files, her modifications
will be lost.

To avoid this problem, each user needs to have the Visual Basic project in his or
her local machine and integrate it with the server copy through Visual
SourceSafe addins. Each source-controlled project (.vbp) is associated with a
Mssccprj.scc file. This file is created as soon as you do one of the following:

- Add a Visual Basic project to Visual SourceSafe.

- Download a project from Visual SourceSafe.

Each user will have this file in his or her local directory where the
source-controlled project is located. This file contains information about the
source-controlled project to which the Visual Basic project is integrated and
the path to the SrcSafe.ini file.

Sample Entry in Mssccprj.scc File:

     [SCC]
     SCC=This is a source code control file
     [Project1.vbp]
     SCC_Project_Name = "$/MyProject", WQAAAAAA
     SCC_Aux_Path=C:\vss,

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q147585 INFO: The Mssccprj.scc File and How Is It Used

After creating a project in Visual Basic, you need to add it to Visual SourceSafe
from one of the Visual SourceSafe client/server computers. Then, each user has
to download the project from Visual SourceSafe to his or her local machine.
Following are the various steps involved in this process.

NOTE: This article assumes that Visual Basic and Visual SourceSafe integration is
enabled.

Creating a Sample Visual Basic Project
--------------------------------------

First, let us create a sample VB project from a client computer by name Machine1
and let the Visual SourceSafe user be UserA:

1. Start Visual Basic.

2. Open a new project. By default, it will create a project Project1.vbp and a
  form Form1.frm.

3. Add another form, Form2.frm, to the project.

4. Add a Command Button Command1 to the form Form1.frm.

5. Add a Text Box, Text1, to the form Form2.frm.

6. Click Save and save the project and forms under C:\MyProjects.

Adding the Visual Basic project to Visual SourceSafe
----------------------------------------------------

After creating a project in Visual Basic, you need to add it to Source Control as
follows:

1. Under the Tools menu, click SourceSafe and then click Add Project to
  SourceSafe to add the project to Source Control.

  NOTE: If, 'Add files to Source Control when adding them to VB project?' option
  in the Options dialog box is set to Yes, then Visual Basic automatically asks
  you to add the project to Source Control as soon as you save the project.

2. In the Add Project dialog box that appears, select "$/" and type the
  following in the project text box:

  MyProject

  NOTE: This dialog box appears only when the Choose SourceSafe Database option
  (under Tools menu, click SourceSafe, click Options, click Advanced, and then
  click the Integeration tab) is set to Use Default. If it set to "prompt",
  then you have choose the correct database and login.

3. Click Create, and then click OK.

4. In the Add files to SourceSafe dialog box, click Select All and then click
  OK. You can now see a Mssccprj.scc file under C:\MyProjects.

Creating Local Copy of the Project from Visual SourceSafe
---------------------------------------------------------

Now, UserA has added the Visual Basic project to Source Control from Machine1.
UserB has to download the project locally to his computer from SourceSafe. Let
his machine name be Machine2.

1. Open Visual Basic from Machine2.

2. Under the Tools menu, click SourceSafe, and then click Create project from
  SourceSafe to download the project.

3. In the Create local project from SourceSafe dialog box, select $/MyProject
  from the list box, type C:\MyProject, and then click OK.

  NOTE: This dialog box only appears when Choose SourceSafe Database option
  (under the Tools menu, click SourceSafe, click Options, click Advanced, and
  then click the Integeration tab) is set to Use Default. If it set to
  "prompt," then you have choose the correct database and login. Also, it is
  not necessary that all users store the Visual Basic project in the same
  directory name.

RESULT: You can see a Mssccprj.scc file in C:\MyProjects.

Now UserA and UserB have created the Visual Basic project locally. If UserA want
to modify the forms, all he needs to do is check out the form with the project
file and modify.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q142823 INFO: Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Visual SourceSafe

  Q135995 FAQ: Visual SourceSafe Integration with Visual Basic 4.0

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbinterop kbSSafe500 kbSSafe600 kbVBp 
Technology        : kbSSafeSearch kbAudDeveloper kbSSafe600 kbSSafe500
Issue type        : kbinfo

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

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.