How to manage your Visual SourceSafe configuration for use with Visual Studio .NET (317883)

SUMMARY

This article describes how to set common configuration options in Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for use with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.

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Requirements

The following list outlines the recommended hardware, software, network infrastructure, and service packs that are required:

• Visual SourceSafe 6.0c
• Visual Studio .NET

This article assumes that you are familiar with the following topics:

• Visual Studio .NET
• Source control programs

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Visual SourceSafe configuration options

The sections to follow demonstrate how to set several common configuration settings in Visual SourceSafe. You can use these settings to customize Visual SourceSafe to your own specific needs.

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Configuring Visual SourceSafe

1. Start Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
2. On the File menu, point to Source Control, and then click Microsoft Visual SourceSafe. Visual SourceSafe 6.0 starts in a new window.
   
   Note Depending on the account that you are currently logged in as, the Visual SourceSafe Login dialog box may appear. If this dialog box appears, type your user name, your password, and your database, and then click OK. If you are not sure of this information, contact your Visual SourceSafe Administrator.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options.
4. The Visual SourceSafe Options dialog box includes the following tabs:
   • General
     Among other options, this tab includes the Reuse last comment check box. You can click to select this check box so that Visual SourceSafe automatically reuses the last comment that you typed for the next operation. When you repeat tasks, such as setting the start position for all forms in a Microsoft .NET Windows Forms application, this setting can save you extra typing.
   • Local Files
     On this tab, you can change the various settings for the files that are stored on your local computer. Among other options, this tab includes the following options:
     • Use read-only flag for files that are not checked out
       Make sure that this check box is selected. This setting is very important because it prevents you from making changes to a file that has not been checked out.
     • Set date/time on local files
       In this list, click Modification. This setting determines how Visual SourceSafe sets the date/time stamp for files in your working folder when you get the latest file or check out a file. When you set this option to modification, your local copy of each file includes the date and the time that the file was last modified.
   • View
     On this tab, you can select whether to display the toolbar, the status bar, and the results pane in Visual SourceSafe. You can also change the auto-refresh rate for the file list.
   • Difference
     On this tab, you can set the font, the color, and other viewing options for when you compare files.
   • Command Dialogs
     For every command that is performed on a file or on a project, there is an associated dialog box that includes additional options.
     
     For example, when you use the Get Latest Version command on a file, a dialog box appears that includes additional options such as the ability to override the working folder. Typically, you do not want to override the working folder. Therefore, you may not want to be prompted with this dialog box every time you use the Get Latest Version command. You can click to clear the Get Latest Version check box so that this dialog box does not appear.
     
     Click to clear both of the Get Latest Version check boxes.
     
     Note If you change your mind later, you can click to select the Get Latest Version check boxes. Alternatively, you can press the SHIFT key when you perform an individual command.
   • Warnings
     On this tab, you can turn on or turn off various warning dialog boxes. These warnings are displayed when perform a command that may result in the loss of data. Typically, you do not want to change these options.
5. Click OK to accept the changes, or click Cancel to reject the changes.
6. On the File menu, click Exit to close Visual SourceSafe.
7. On the File menu, click Exit to close Visual Studio .NET.

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Configuring Visual SourceSafe Administrator

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 6.0, and then click Visual SourceSafe 6.0 Admin.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. The SourceSafe Options dialog box includes the following tabs:
   • General
     On this tab, you can set general settings. Among other options, this tab includes the following options:
     • Allow multiple checkouts
       With this setting, multiple programmers can check out the same file at the same time. Typically, you do not want to click to select this check box.
     • Log all actions in journal file
       In this box, you can type a path such as C:\LogFile.txt. With this setting, you can track all actions (such as Get Latest Version and Check Out) that the users perform.
   • Project Security
     You can use the settings on this tab as the default access rights when you add a new user to Visual SourceSafe. For example, you may not want new users to have access rights to destroy a file. In that case, click to select the Enable project security check box, and then click to clear the Destroy check box under Default user rights.
   • Shadows Folder
     The shadows folder is a directory that contains all of the current versions of all of the files in a project. Because all files are stored in the Visual SourceSafe database, there is no absolute requirement to use a shadows folder. However, some users may find it useful to have a central location for all of the latest files.
     
     The Shadow Folders tab includes the following text boxes:
     • Set shadow folder for project
       In this box, you can type the name of an existing project, or you can click Browse to select a folder from a graphical list. The exact name of the project depends on what projects are under Visual SourceSafe control.
     • Set shadow folder to
       In this box, you can type the name of an existing directory on your file system, or you can click Browse to select a folder from a graphical list.
   • Web Projects
     On this tab, you can set various options for Web projects such as the URL, the virtual root, and the deployment path. These settings are useful for Microsoft ASP.NET and Web Service applications. These settings apply on a per project basis.
   • Web
     This tab includes the following options:
     • Proxy for deploying over ftp
       You can use this setting to specify a proxy when you deploy a project through a firewall.
     • Do not use the proxy for these local servers
       This setting overrides the Proxy for deploying over ftp setting for local servers.
     • Default filename for Web pages
       You can use this setting during a Check Hyperlinks run.
     Unlike the Web Projects tab, the settings on the Web tab apply across your Web projects.
4. Click OK to accept the changes, or click Cancel to reject the changes.
5. On the Users menu, click Exit to close Visual SourceSafe Administrator.

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Troubleshooting

The user must have a Visual SourceSafe account to access these configuration options. If the user does not have a Visual SourceSafe account, the user must contact the Visual SourceSafe administrator.

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