Re: Visual Studio .NET projects and CVS

[Mike Ayers]

Kaz Kylheku wrote:

> Knowing what files are primary objects that should be version
> controlled is a Visual .NET problem, not a CVS problem. It's your
> responsibility to understand the development tool you are using,
> and know what all the .dsw, .opt, .ncb, .aps and whatever files mean.

	So that means no asking for help?  Sheesh!  If you want to just jump 
somebody's case, do it for something legitimate, like sending HTML 
email to a mailing list.

	I have successfully rebuilt "Visual" projects with nothing more than 
a *.dsp or *.dsw file, as of Visual Studio 6, but have not tried with 
.NET.  I have also archived all the files, and that worked fine, too.

	My general rules for archiving projects from development environments 
that produce mystery files:

	1)  Examine each file with a text editor.  Do NOT use a text editor 
that autosaves to the original file.  Do NOT use a text editor   that 
cannot handle binary data.  I use emacs and never have a problem.  It 
should be immediately obvious if this is a binary file.  If so, add it 
as binary.

	2)  Add the remaining files as text individually.  If CVS feels that 
the file may be binary, abort the add and add it as Unicode.  This is 
especially relevant for Microsoft-on-Microsoft development systems 
such as the "Visual" line.

	3)  If you are working in a read-only-by-default configuration, do 
`cvs edit` on all such files.

	4)  Just do your work as usual, and check in all the changed files as 
updates before doing any reference tags.


        This methodology has a few niceties:

        1)  You need know nothing about which files are what.

	2)  If you need to go back to a certain tag, your development 
environment will go back with you (sometimes this may not be so good).

	3)  You can highly customize the development environment, using 
branches to develop features, and get the customizations for each branch.

	Of course, you need to trade off the value to your team of these 
niceties with the cost of archiving them before deciding which you 
would like to do.


        HTH,

/|/|ike