BUG: Show Difference Causes Visual SourceSafe to Hang on Large Text Files

ID: Q238272

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 32-bit, for Windows versions 5.0, 6.0

SYMPTOMS

Performing a Show Differences between the Microsoft Visual SourceSafe copy of a 5MB or larger text file that contains either Carriage Returns or Line Feeds, and the Working Folder copy of the same file, causes Visual SourceSafe to either hang or take an excessive amount of time to complete the request.


RESOLUTION

Keep text files to less than 5 MB in size. Performing the "Show Differences" operation on files that contain Carriage Returns or Line Feeds at the end of each line, but are only 3 - 4 MB in size, results in no error.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.


MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Create a 5 MB or larger text file with carriage returns or line feeds at the end of each line.
  2. Add the file to Visual SourceSafe (VSS) by dragging it into the VSS Explorer over the root project "$/".
  3. Right-click on parent project to select it and choose "Set Working Folder...", accept the default settings and click OK.
  4. Right-click on the file and choose CHECK OUT.
  5. At the next dialog box, click OK.

  6. Modify a line of text near the top of your document. For example, on the 5th line of your sample file, change the a word to xxxxxxxx.
  7. Modify a line of text near the bottom of your document. For example, on the 5th line from the bottom, change a word to xxxxxxxx.
  8. Save the file.
  9. In the Visual SourceSafe Explorer, right-click on your sample text document and choose Show Differences.
Results:

The Show Differences command will either take a very long time to complete, more than ten minutes, or it appears to hang.

Expected Results:

The Show Differences command should take a reasonable amount of time to complete.


REFERENCES

For more information about using the Show Differences feature of Visual SourceSafe 6.0, please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Q154968 HOWTO: Customize the Difference Window
Q148512 INFO: Description of the Properties/About Command Line Commands

Additional query words: diff vis get

Keywords : kbSSafe500bug kbSSafe600bug kbSSExplorer kbDSupport kbGrpSSafe
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: November 30, 1999
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