PRB: Replacing Names.dat File Changes Long File Names

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

SYMPTOMS

The spaces in file or project names that contain spaces are changed to underscore characters if the Names.Dat file is rebuilt using Analyze -F.

RESOLUTION

To get the space characters back into the affected file and project names, use the Rename command in Visual SourceSafe and retype the file or project name using spaces.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

When you create a file or project in Visual SourceSafe, Visual SourceSafe saves the entry in its database as a file pair. The file pair consists of an eight letter file name (for example, CDFAAAAA) called a log file, and an eight letter file name with a ".a" or ".b" extension (for example, CDFAAAAA.a) called a data file.

The name of the file or project is stored in the log file. If the name contains spaces, Visual SourceSafe also stores the file name in the Names.dat file. The name of the file or project is stored differently in each place. It is stored in the Names.dat file with spaces, and it is stored in the log file with underscore characters in place of the spaces.

When the Names.dat file is corrupted and you replace it using Analyze -F to rebuild it, Analyze rebuilds the Names.dat file using information stored in the log file. As a result, the rebuilt Names.dat file contains file names with underscores instead of spaces.