INFO: VB Project in a Shared Location Overwrites Modifications

ID: Q195020

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 32-bit, 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
Version :
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo


Last Reviewed: August 18, 1999
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