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Chapter 19
Working Effectively
in Teams with Visual SourceSafe
There has been much discourse in recent years about the concepts of efficiency
and effectiveness within corporate America. These terms have been loosely used and
misconstrued so often that many people can't distinguish the difference between the
concepts. Efficiency is the act of doing things in the right manner, while effectiveness
is accomplishing the right things. Efficiency is analogous to the ship captain who,
after traveling several hours, was asked by a lost crewman where the ship was going.
He confidently responded, "I don't know, but we're making good time!" Effectiveness,
on the other hand, involves the art of knowing where you are going, how you are going
to get there, and reaching your destination.
Efficiency and effectiveness can be applied to development projects as well. You
must begin with a final goal in mind and chart a course to reach this goal. The art
and ability to work effectively with others is paramount to accomplishing your goal.
While good interpersonal skills are a critical factor for members of any development
team, that topic is for another guide. ToChapter's lesson focuses on the technical effectiveness
of a project team. How can team members on an application development team use technology
to effectively reach their goal? More specifically, how does Visual InterDev integrate
with other products to help you accomplish effective team development? You will be
able to answer both of these questions after completing toChapter's lesson.
The lesson for toChapter begins with an overview of two specific Visual InterDev features
that facilitate effective team development. One of the features enables a development
team consisting of diverse departments to work together effectively on a Web-based
development project. The other major feature involves protecting the source code
and files of your application.
The majority of the Chapter is spent demonstrating how to integrate Microsoft's Visual
SourceSafe with Visual InterDev. Visual SourceSafe 5.0 provides a robust set of functions
that enable multiple developers to work together in harmony. By the end of the Chapter,
you will understand how to install Visual SourceSafe as well as how to unleash the
power of its features within the context of your Visual InterDev projects. You also
will learn about the process of reserving code and files, merging the changes of
multiple team members, viewing and tracking the revisions, and rolling back to previous
versions of your application.
NOTE: All references to Visual SourceSafe
in this lesson represent version 5.0 of the product.
This lesson provides yet another ancillary but important advanced topic that you
need to understand to develop your Web-based application effectively.
Visual InterDev Team Support Features
Effective team development tools are a pressing need for information technology
managers and developers. Many IT managers will be impressed with a development tool's
feature, but when the rubber hits the road, they say, "That's nice, but how
will it support my team of developers?" For the past three weeks, you have learned
about all of the powerful bells and whistles of Visual InterDev. ToChapter's lesson focuses
on the pressing question of how Visual InterDev supports your team of developers.
There are two main areas where Visual InterDev can enhance the effectiveness of
your development efforts. First, Visual InterDev is completely compatible with Microsoft
FrontPage, which you learned about on Chapter 5, "WYSIWYG HTML Editing with FrontPage."
The compatibility of these products provides effectiveness and improves the productivity
of your team members. The second method by which Visual InterDev influences your
team's effectiveness is in the area of source code control. You can integrate the
power of Microsoft's Visual SourceSafe with Visual InterDev to properly manage your
project's file and source code. The following sections expound on these two aspects
of Visual InterDev.
FrontPage and Visual InterDev
During Chapter 5, you discovered the implementation of the FrontPage Editor is included
with Visual InterDev. You also learned how a web site development team can use the
full, commercial version of FrontPage along with Visual InterDev to support different
types and skills of team members. Figure 19.1 depicts this concept within the context
of a sample web site development team.
Figure 19.1.
A harmonious relationship.
In this example, the development team consists of a marketing person as well as
a web developer/programmer. Although your team could consist of many more types of
personnel, including graphic artists and database programmers, the team has been
simplified to illustrate the relationship between a web developer and a less technical
marketing person. For this web site, the marketing person assumes the role of content
author and uses FrontPage to develop and construct the web pages. By using FrontPage,
the marketing person is removed from the intricacies of HTML and other web technologies
and is able to focus on the overall design, layout, and content of the web site.
The web developer uses the more powerful Visual InterDev to build and integrate
various components as well as to code the application's logic. This more technical
person is familiar with HTML, VBScript, Java, ActiveX, and database programming.
After the marketing team member authors the content of the web pages using FrontPage,
the developer can extend them by using Visual InterDev to further develop the application,
including advanced HTML, scripting logic, and database integration.
The key point in this example is that the developer can leverage the work that
is performed by the FrontPage author, because the files are completely compatible.
This feature enables you to assign the development tasks to the people with the right
skills without having to worry about the tools that are used. The marketing person,
who possesses the most knowledge on the team about the contents of the web page,
can use the more simplistic FrontPage without having to learn more technical web
topics. Meanwhile, the web developer, who is more intimate with the underlying technologies,
can concentrate on the more technical components of the application and use the power
of Visual InterDev to accomplish these tasks.
Visual SourceSafe and Visual InterDev
Another harmonious relationship consists of Visual SourceSafe and Visual InterDev.
The combination of these two products provides a robust solution for source code
control issues among your development team. You may be familiar with version control
issues from past client-server projects. This issue only heightens in importance
when considering a web project because of all the various technologies that can be
used in your application. Visual InterDev addresses this issue by enabling you to
integrate Visual SourceSafe into the mix.
Using Visual SourceSafe, you can control the versions and changes that are made
to a Visual InterDev project. Projects that include source code control protect developers
from overwriting individual module changes. These controlled projects also prevent
developers from organizing different releases, or versions, of the application. Given
the frequency of updates to your web site, the versioning feature can relieve many
administrative nightmares. The rest of toChapter's lesson concentrates on the integration
and use of the powerful features of Visual InterDev to manage your Web-based applications
effectively.
Integrating Visual SourceSafe with
Visual InterDev
You can use the abilities of Visual SourceSafe to get a handle on the contents
of your Visual InterDev project. These abilities include general library functions
like check-in/check-out, version control, and differential tracking.
Visual InterDev's library functions enable you to check out a specific item in
your project, like an HTML web page or ASP file, just as you would check out a guide
in a library. After you have finished using the object, you can check the item back
in to the Visual SourceSafe database, or library.
The version control feature enables you to maintain multiple versions of your
application. This feature helps you to properly manage the contents of the different
versions and migrate the versions between your different environments. You also can
use Visual SourceSafe to track the different versions of your files so that you can
compare and contrast the changes. Based on this comparison, you can choose to merge
the differences of the versions into one consolidated version, thereby resolving
the conflict between the files.
The following sections explore the installation and integration of Visual SourceSafe
with your Visual InterDev projects. The latter part of the Chapter explains and demonstrates
how to use the features of Visual SourceSafe.
NOTE: Although you may not have the Visual
SourceSafe product, you can still benefit from the topics that are covered in this
lesson. Source code control is a major issue that you need to address for your application
development teams. You may want to consider the purchase of a tool like Visual SourceSafe
to address your needs in this area. At the time this guide went to press, Microsoft
was releasing Visual Studio 97, which includes all its development tools, including
Visual InterDev, Visual J++, and Visual Basic, which comes with Visual SourceSafe.
You also can purchase the product individually.
Installing Visual SourceSafe
This section is meant to serve as an overview of how to get up and running with
Visual SourceSafe in a short amount of time so that you can place your web projects
under its control. This section doesn't represent all of the nuances of the installation
process and configuration parameters, but it does guide you through the process of
installing the server component of Visual SourceSafe, setting up the users, and using
Visual SourceSafe's features within Visual InterDev.
NOTE: This section explains the general
process of integrating the two products and is not meant to cover every detail of
the Visual SourceSafe installation process. Refer to the Visual SourceSafe documentation
for more detail on this process.
The first step is to run the setup program for Visual SourceSafe, which displays
an introductory dialog window, enabling you to enter a directory location for the
product. You should choose a secure but accessible directory on the server machine
that supports your development project. You will then be able to indicate the desired
installation of the product, as shown in Figure 19.2.
Figure 19.2.
Choosing a configuration.
From this window, you can select the Server, Custom, or Client installation option.
Server installs the product on the server, while the Client option installs the client
portion of the product. You can pick the Custom option to customize which portions
of the product are installed on the machine. Figure 19.3 displays the choices for
the Custom option.
Figure 19.3.
Customizing the installation.
It is critical to Visual InterDev that you select the Enable SourceSafe Integration
option from this dialog window. If you do so, Visual SourceSafe can be smoothly integrated
with Visual InterDev, enabling you to use its features from within the Visual InterDev
development environment. After you make your custom selections, you can click OK
to begin the installation process for the product in the directory that you specified.
You will receive a confirmation message upon completion of this process.
Setting Up the Users
Once you have installed Visual SourceSafe on the server, you need to set up access
to the SourceSafe database for all of the users (developers). You can configure this
access by accessing the Visual SourceSafe Administrator tool from the Windows Start
menu. Upon opening this tool, you will see the main window, as depicted in Figure
19.4.
This administrator tool enables you to configure users for your SourceSafe projects
as well as establish characteristics and properties for your project databases. The
main window displays the users that have already been established for Visual SourceSafe
access. To provide access for your individual developers, select Add User from the
Users menu. The Add User dialog window will display as shown in Figure 19.5.
Figure 19.4.
The Visual SourceSafe Administrator.
Figure 19.5.
Adding a new user.
From this window, you can enter a username and password as well as specify that
the person has read-only access to a project database. If you don't check the Read
only box, the person will be able to read and write to the project database. After
you have established the users, you are ready to use the Visual SourceSafe features
from within Visual InterDev.
NOTE: For NT servers, the installation
process should, by default, install the anonymous user account IUSR_computername,
where computername is the name of the NT server machine. You can verify the name
of this account by running the User Manager For Domains application that is included
with Windows NT Server. If this name doesn't appear in the user list, you will need
to add the anonymous account using the method as just described. You don't need to
enter a password, nor do you need to check the Read only box.
Placing a Project Under Its Spell
After you install Visual SourceSafe and set up the developers, you can configure
a Visual InterDev project to use its source code control capabilities. You can either
open an existing project or create a new one to take advantage of these features.
Both processes are examined in the following sections.
Using an Existing Project
You can enable source code control features for an existing project by opening
the project within Visual InterDev and selecting Enable Web Source Control from the
Project menu. A dialog window containing a confirmation message (shown in Figure
19.6) will display, explaining the process that you are initiating.
Figure 19.6.
Enabling source control for an existing project.
This dialog window displays the name for the source control project that you're
establishing. This name will be used by Visual SourceSafe to establish a database
entry for the project and to manage and maintain its files and components. The name
consists of a $ (dollar) sign and a / (forward slash) along with
the name of the Visual InterDev project. All source code control project names must
contain the $/ prefix. It is recommended that you use the default name that
is provided and click OK to place the project under the control of Visual SourceSafe.
Once the process is complete, you will receive a confirmation message similar to
the one shown in Figure 19.7.
Figure 19.7.
Confirming the process.
After the process has completed, the source control features will be in effect
for your project. Enabling a project for source control affects all of the other
projects within that particular web. For example, once a project for a specific web
has been configured for source control, all of the other projects within that web
also are enabled for this feature. After the process completes for the first project,
a developer for another project within that web can open or refresh his or her project
to experience the source control features.
Creating a New Project
You also can integrate source control into new Visual InterDev projects that you
create. Use the Web Project Wizard to initiate the process of creating a new web.
If you create a project for a new web, then you will need to select Enable Web Source
Control from the Project menu once the wizard has finished in order to activate source
control for the new project. If the project that you're creating is associated with
an existing web that already contains source control, the newly created project will
also contain this feature.
Determining the Characteristics
of the Project
You can determine whether a project has been configured for source control by
selecting the Project menu and looking at the text of the source code control menu
item. If the menu shows Enable Web Source Control as in the previous example, then
the project hasn't been enabled for source control. If the menu displays Disable
Web Source Control, on the other hand, the project has been configured for source
control. For example, Figure 19.8 reveals a newly created project that was associated
with a web that has been enabled for source control.
This project was born with source control because it was associated with a web
that had already enabled this feature. You should notice that the text of the fifth
menu item reveals that the project has been placed under source control.
Another way to verify whether a web project has been enabled for source control
is to right-click the name of the project in the project workspace. You can then
choose Properties from the list of menu items to display the Properties window for
the project. Click the Web Server tab, shown in Figure 19.9, to view properties of
the project's web server.
Figure 19.8.
A project under source control.
Figure 19.9.
Uncovering the properties of a project.
From this window you can see that source control has been enabled for this web
server and project. The name of the source control project also is displayed in the
middle of this window.
If you are wondering what this window looks like for a project that hasn't been
enabled for source control, take a look at Figure 19.10.
Figure 19.10.
A project that is not under source control.
Notice the clear and concise message in the middle of this window, indicating
that source control hasn't been enabled for this web server or project.
Adding Files to a Source Controlled
Project
After you enable source control for an existing or new project, every file that
you add or create for the project will be added to the source control database. You
must ensure that you add the files through the Visual InterDev method to assume the
source control characteristics instead of copying the files using the file system.
To add a file to your project within Visual InterDev, you can right-click the mouse
button on the project name and select Add Files to insert files into the project.
Disabling Source Control
To remove source control from a project, open the project in Visual InterDev and
select Disable Web Source Control from the Project menu. This feature turns off the
source control features within Visual InterDev, but it doesn't delete the Visual
SourceSafe project database. If you decide to activate source control on this same
project, then it is reattached to the existing Visual SourceSafe project database.
WARNING: Because the Visual SourceSafe
database entry isn't deleted when you disable source control, you need to be careful
about turning source control repeatedly on and off. If you disable source control
for a project, delete some files, and then turn source control back on, the files
that you delete reappear within the Visual InterDev project workspace. This scenario
exists because the project workspace retrieves the entries from the Visual SourceSafe
project database when source control is reenabled. To resolve this conflict, you
can use Visual SourceSafe to remove the files directly from the database for this
project.
Unleashing the Power of Visual
SourceSafe
This section demonstrates some of the more robust features of Visual SourceSafe
concerning the library functions. Visual SourceSafe and Visual InterDev combine to
properly monitor and control the files contained in your project. These tools support
effective team development by promoting the integration of individual components
while not allowing your developers to interfere with each other's work. This uncanny
ability is the measure of a tool's worth to a development team. You must be able
to answer the following questions to weigh any tool's value:
With the integration of Visual InterDev and Visual SourceSafe, you can definitely
answer these questions with a resounding YES!
Using the Library Functions
You can access the check-in/check-out library functions from within the Visual
InterDev development environment. This ability enables developers to exclusively
reserve files contained within the web project. The developer can make any changes
to the file and then check the file back in to the Visual SourceSafe project database.
While the file is checked out, or reserved, other developers may be permitted to
access a read-only copy of the file. When the developer is through making the changes
and the updates are sent back to Visual SourceSafe, other developers can reserve
a copy to make their updates. This update ability is contingent upon the access privileges
that have been established for that user.
Checking Out Your Files
To check out a file within your project, open the file by double-clicking it within
the Visual InterDev project workspace. Because source control has been enabled for
this project, the Open File dialog window will display, as shown in Figure 19.11.
Figure 19.11.
Checking out a file.
This dialog window indicates that the file is under source control and prompts
you for the type of file that you want to reserve. You can choose to look over a
working copy that you can fully edit, or you can retrieve a read-only copy that can
be viewed but not updated.
A checkbox at the bottom of the window enables you to designate your choice on
this window as the default answer every time you access this file. For example, if
you have been assigned a module that is exclusively yours to develop, you may want
to select this checkbox so that you won't have to see this window every time you
access the file. After you make your decision, the file will open with its default
editor in the mode that you specified. Figure 19.12 depicts a write-enabled file
that has been opened.
Figure 19.12.
Editing a file.
You can now make the necessary updates to the file. Notice that the file's icon
is now displayed in color, because the developer checked out a working copy that
can be edited. Figure 19.13 illustrates the display of a read-only working copy.
Figure 19.13.
Viewing a read-only working copy.
The icon for this file appears in gray rather than in color, indicating that the
file is read-only.
TIP: You also can use the Open, Open With,
and Get Working Copy menu commands to open the file.
Checking In Your Files
As you make changes to the file, you can perform intermittent saves to the file,
which will save the file in the working directory of your client machine. When you're
ready to save your changes to the server for the world to see, you can select the
file in the project workspace and choose Release Working Copy, as demonstrated in
Figure 19.14.
Figure 19.14.
Releasing the working copy to the server.
After you select this option, you will be prompted to enter a comment to document
the changes that you made, as depicted in Figure 19.15.
You should enter a meaningful comment for the updates in the space provided. All
too many times I have seen developers who didn't take the time to document their
code. Two reasons for this scenario usually exist--job security or apathy.
Figure 19.15.
Documenting the change.
The ability to enter comments is very helpful in enabling you to document the
changes in your code for future reference. There are two main benefits to tracking
your changes with comments. First, if something goes wrong and the change that you
made now causes the server to crash, you can use the comments to trace the problem
back to the change that you made. Second, it's very helpful for other team members
to understand your code, in case they wind up supporting and testing it. If the changes
that you make are properly documented, the team members can better understand the
code's history.
You also can choose to use the entered comment for all files that you edit. Suppose
that you needed to make a change to multiple files in your project due to a common
reason. By selecting this option, you wouldn't have to enter the comment for every
file that you update. You can then click OK to release the working copy of the file
and save the changes back to the server.
Discarding the Changes
Another option that is available from the file's shortcut menu is Discard Changes.
This option enables you to ignore and discard any updates that you have made to the
file. If you choose this option, the file is sent back to the server without the
updates you have made. When you select this option, you are prompted with a confirmation
message, as shown in Figure 19.16.
Figure 19.16.
Discarding the changes.
You have the option of discarding changes to this file, or you can choose to discard
the updates to all of the files you have changed. Clicking No or Cancel returns you
to the editor for your file, enabling you to make further updates.
Using Advanced Features of Visual
SourceSafe
Visual SourceSafe offers many robust and advanced features that can be used in
accordance with Visual InterDev to properly manage your web project. This section
explores the Visual SourceSafe environment and provides an overview of some of the
more useful features.
NOTE: This section assumes that you're
using Visual SourceSafe on the server as an administrator. This section covers the
use of some of the more powerful features you can use for your web project within
the Visual SourceSafe environment. You will learn about a method to further integrate
these features into Visual InterDev so that you can execute them from the project
workspace at the end of toChapter's lesson.
Exploring the Visual SourceSafe
Environment
The Visual SourceSafe environment resembles the Windows Explorer environment and
gives you easy access to the files within your web project. Figure 19.17 depicts
the Visual SourceSafe Explorer.
Your projects are listed in the pane to the left, while the contents of the currently
selected project are displayed on the right side of the environment. The Visual SourceSafe
Explorer operates just like the Windows Explorer in that you can access and interact
with folders and files on the directory tree by clicking and double-clicking the
mouse buttons.
Figure 19.17 depicts a sample web project. The files that contain a red checkmark
over their icon represent files that have been checked out. The name of the user
who has checked out the files as well as the folder that contains the reserved files
is also displayed with these files.
Figure 19.17.
Visual SourceSafe unveiled.
From this window, you can click the right mouse button to display the shortcut
menu, as shown in Figure 19.18.
Figure 19.18.
Displaying the options of the shortcut menu.
Table 19.1 describes each of the options on the shortcut menu.
Table 19.1. Shortcut menu options.
| Item |
Description |
| View |
Enables you to view the file |
| Edit |
Opens a copy in a working folder that you can edit |
| Get Latest Version |
Retrieves the most up-to-date version of the file |
| Check Out |
Reserves a copy of the file |
| Check In |
Checks the file back into the project |
| Undo Check Out |
Reverses the reservation of a file |
| Show History |
Displays a history of updates to the file |
| Show Differences |
Displays the differences between two or more versions of a file |
| Delete |
Deletes the files |
| Rename |
Renames a file |
| Properties |
Displays the Properties window for a file |
Viewing the History of a File
The Show History option is a very valuable feature that enables you to view the
history of updates to a file and track the individual changes to your files and why
they are made. When you select Show History for a particular file, you are presented
with a window similar to the one displayed in Figure 19.19.
Figure 19.19.
Viewing the history of a file.
This window displays a listbox that shows the history of changes to a particular
file. The first column in the listbox reveals the version number, which is automatically
generated by Visual SourceSafe. The next few columns display who made the change,
the date the change was made, and the action that was taken regarding the change.
From this window, you can choose to view the file as well as get a working copy
of the file that you can edit. You also can see more details about a particular change
that was made as well as view the differences between the different versions of the
files. This window also enables you to roll back to a previous version of a file.
Seeing the Differences
Visual SourceSafe enables you to view the differences between two or more versions
of a file. This feature is helpful in resolving conflicts between versions of a file
and can help you roll back to a previous version of a file. To effectively use this
feature, open the Show History dialog window for the desired file. Then select the
versions of the file that you want to compare. You can select multiple files by using
the combination of the right mouse button and the Ctrl (Control) key. Click an item
in the list to select the first item. Next, press the Ctrl key and click each additional
file that you want to select. After selecting all of the files that you want to compare,
click the Diff push button. The Differences dialog window displays, as shown in Figure
19.20.
Figure 19.20.
Examining the capabilities.
All of the differences between the files will be highlighted, enabling you to
compare and contrast the versions. As you can see, the status bar at the bottom of
the window defines the color-coded syntax contained in the files. This legend helps
you to discern what has been added, changed, and deleted.
Further Integrating the Features
of Visual SourceSafe
You can install a personal version of Visual SourceSafe on the machines of individual
developers to enable them to further integrate the features with their development
tools. Specifically, you can install Visual SourceSafe on a developer's client machine,
enabling the execution of its features from within the Visual InterDev environment.
To accomplish this task, run the NETSETUP program, which is a part of Visual
SourceSafe. This program installs a client version of Visual SourceSafe that integrates
with the server database that was previously established. The main reason that you
would want to install a client version is extra features that become enabled within
Visual InterDev.
Examining the Remnants of Visual
SourceSafe
Once you have installed the client version of Visual SourceSafe, you can use the
options associated with the Source Control menu item located under the Project menu.
Figure 19.21 displays the additional SourceSafe features that are available within
Visual InterDev.
As you can tell, you now have the ability to execute many of the SourceSafe features
from within Visual InterDev, including an option to start Visual SourceSafe. These
features give your developers a lot of power and flexibility in accomplishing their
tasks.
As you can see, the combination of Visual SourceSafe and Visual InterDev provides
the support you need to effectively work in harmony with your other team members.
Figure 19.21.
Examining the capabilities.
Summary
Unity in diversity is the central theme of effective team development. For an
application development project to be a success, you must be able to bring together
various people, processes, and technologies to work toward a common goal. You have
discovered toChapter how Visual InterDev facilitates effective team development through
its integration with other tools. The harmonious relationship that exists between
Visual InterDev and FrontPage brings together people of different backgrounds and
skills for the good of the application. The synergy and tight integration that exists
between Visual InterDev and Visual SourceSafe enables developers to achieve maximum
productivity through the proper management and control of the application's files
and content.
During the first part of the Chapter, you learned the importance of effective team
development and how Visual InterDev promotes the productivity of your team members.
Specifically, the lesson explained how Visual InterDev and FrontPage can be used
on your project to enable different members of your team to be productive. You also
learned about the tight integration that exists between Visual InterDev and Visual
SourceSafe and why source code control is important.
The lesson then demonstrated how Visual SourceSafe can be integrated with Visual
InterDev. You received a personal tour through the process--from installing Visual
SourceSafe to enabling source control for your Visual InterDev project. Next, the
lesson provided an overview of the robust features of Visual SourceSafe. You gained
an understanding of these features and learned how to take advantage of them within
the Visual InterDev and Visual SourceSafe environments. Throughout the Chapter, the lesson
illustrated how the marriage of Visual InterDev and Visual SourceSafe can definitely
increase the productivity and effectiveness of your development team.
This lesson has provided you with the knowledge you need to work effectively with
others. There still may be interpersonal conflicts that arise during the course of
your projects, but at least you won't have developers writing over each other's code.
Q&A
- Q I still don't understand the difference between FrontPage and the FrontPage
Editor for Visual InterDev. Does Visual InterDev include the full version of FrontPage?
A The lesson toChapter provided insight into how you can use the full commercial
version of FrontPage with Visual InterDev. The FrontPage Editor included as a part
of Visual InterDev is a special implementation of the editor that comes as a part
of the full version of FrontPage. While Visual InterDev is compatible with the commercial
version of FrontPage and includes an implementation of one of its products, they
are separate products. The results that are produced by FrontPage can be used within
your Visual InterDev projects, enabling team members with different skill sets to
work in congruence.
Q Should I use Visual SourceSafe to edit files contained in my Visual InterDev project?
A While this capability does exist, you should not edit your Visual InterDev
project files using Visual SourceSafe. As a general rule, you should use the Visual
InterDev development environment and tools to make all updates to your project files.
In this way, you can be assured of the results of your application. You should, however,
take advantage of the integrated features that are available by integrating the two
products.
Q You mentioned Visual Studio 97 during toChapter's lesson. What is it and how does it
relate to Visual InterDev
AVisual Studio 97 provides a common integrated development environment (IDE)
for all of the Visual Tools from Microsoft. This common IDE is achieved through the
use of Developer Studio, which you have discovered by using Visual InterDev. Visual
Studio enables you to take advantage of both client-server and Internet development
tools to provide truly integrated solutions for your users. You can understand from
the lesson on Chapter 17, "Using Active Server Components to Create Multitier Applications,"
how a common IDE for both client-server and Internet development tools can be very
useful.
Workshop
ToChapter's workshop extends the lesson for toChapter by enabling you to practice using
the integrated features of Visual SourceSafe. You should create a Visual InterDev
project and enable the source control for the project. Once you have accomplished
this step, use Visual InterDev to create some files for your project. These files
can consist of HTML pages, ASP files, images, and any other item that you want to
include. As you develop these components, notice the behavior of Visual InterDev
as the Visual SourceSafe features are enforced. You also should make several updates
to one of your web pages and then compare the differences of the versions to understand
how this process works. Also, you may want to practice merging different versions
of files as well as rolling back to a different version of a file. The more familiar
you become with the features and process, the more productive you will be.
Quiz
- 1. What is the command that enables you to activate source control for
your Visual InterDev project?
2 What happens when you disable source control for your Visual InterDev project?
3.Describe the Visual SourceSafe library functions.
Quiz Answers
- 1. Enable Web Source Control, found under the Project menu in Visual InterDev.
2 When you choose to disable source control for a Visual InterDev project, source
control is deactivated, and your files are no longer governed by the Visual SourceSafe
rules of versioning and source code control. The Visual SourceSafe database entry
that contains your Visual InterDev project, however, isn't deleted.
3.The Visual SourceSafe library functions include check-in and check-out, which
enable you to reserve working copies of your project files. The check-out function
enables you to reserve an exclusive copy of a file which can be either read-only
or read- and write-enabled. The check-in function enables you to send your file changes
back to the Visual SourceSafe database where others are then free to reserve their
working copy of the file. Both of these functions are available from within the Visual
InterDev environment.
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