VSS provides version control and history services, to ensure that each version of a file is recoverable. The date/time stamp is used to record when files are checked out or changed. See How VSS Uses the Date/Time Stamp for more information.
VSS uses three methods to track versions of files and projects:
The following table compares and contrasts version numbers and labels.
Version number | Label |
Assigned automatically by VSS | Assigned by user, using the Label command from the File menu or the History dialog box |
Always a numeric value | Any combination of letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces up to 31 characters |
Always increases to next whole number | Anything user assigns |
Increases each time an action that affects storage is taken on a file or project such as adding, checking in, or branching | Assigned when user feels that a significant milestone has been reached |
Displayed in history, paths, links, share, and file properties dialog boxes and in file pane of VSS Explorer | Displayed in history dialog boxes as a user-supplied string. Indicated by a label icon next to the project name in place of a version number. The user-supplied label string is displayed in the Action column of the History dialog box. |
Does not create a new version, simply identifies a new version | Creating a label can create a new version of the file or project and the label is associated with the new version |
Cannot be edited or changed by user | Can be edited in the History Details dialog box |
Note Some software development groups label VSS with every build. You can get equivalent functionality and less database clutter by doing a history, get at a specific date-time stamp.
For information on how VSS uses the date/time stamp, refer to: