Open the VSS Explorer, it’ll ask you to choose the specific database.

VSS Explorer displays important status information, such as your current working folder, search criteria, number of files, and so on. Some of this information is shown in file pane column headings, and other information is shown in the status bar at the bottom of the VSS Explorer window. The title bar of VSS Explorer shows the database you are connected to. VSS Explorer uses symbols to provide information about the files and projects.

Browse to the location where you create your db and point to srcsafe.ini. (In my example D:\may\DATA\VSSDemo\srcsafe.ini is where my database is and I’ve given the name “VSSDemo” for that database.)

After selecting the required database, you may have to login with your username and password. Since this is my local VSS, I can use “admin” with no password to login to any database.

You will then be able to access the VSS Explorer as shown in the following figure.

By default there is no working folder been set. You will need to set up your working folder according to your directory structure.

The working folder is where you actually work on a file. When you Check Out or Get a file, VSS copies the item into your working folder for that project. After you make changes to the file and check it in, VSS copies it from your working folder back into the database.

Since my projects are going to be in D:\may\dev, I’ve set my root “$” to be D:\may\dev.
NB: While you are working with the team, it is very important that, all your team members set up their local directory the same structure as in VSS. This will make it a lot easier for working with files check-ins/outs.

Currently we are setting up the proper team environment and all necessary procedures to start our main project of the year. We’ve been looking through and studying many to get ready for that including Visual Source Safe which is one of the requirements for team project.

Personally I hate VSS and I prefer not to work with it as much as possible. There are lots of personal reasons for that one of which is I do not like working with team which always mess up my schedules, another is VSS is a big pain to work with. Anyway I can’t complain since we all be using that a lot so I tried to familiarize and learn it as much as I can. I’ll be posting some notes on VSS as I study in coming week. Here is the first lots.

Creating a VSS Database

• From VSS Administrator panel > Tools > Create Databases
• Browse to a directory where you want to place your VSS DB (If you are saving your DB on the server then you need to map the drive before choosing the mapped drive)
• Click on “Ok” and it will create new VSS DB in the specified location.
• More options can be set on your Db by selecting Tools > options
• You may wish to add team members/users of the db by creating new users to your db.
• The VSS Db folder now contains:
  • Data folder
  • Temp folder
  • Users folder
  • srcsafe.ini and
  • users.txt

For the purpose of this demo, I’ll be using D:\ for all my project files.
Good readings from MSDN Library:
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/dnbda/html/tdlg_ch6.htm
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/guides/html/vstskworking_folders.htm

Since last week my “nose” wanted to take a sick leave and I wouldn’t let it.
Though I know it works so hard through out the year, everyday, every minute, each and every second, I can’t spare one single day off for my dear nose. I just couldn’t cope without it.

So today it paired up with his buddy “throat” and took industrial action. Because their demands were not met and suffered many unfavorable condition, they had no choice but to take a rightful demonstration against me.

Their union raps, my head and my eyes, joined in very soon and gave me a big headache with heated arguments (sore eyes). My nose stopped transporting the normal stocks (O2, CO2) and started throwing wastes (blocked & running nose). Due to excessive damage I had to employ some guards to control the area. (tissues). My throat done the worst painful effect on me, refusing to accept any bribe (food) and shouted back at me (cough).

Due to their united action against me, my whole system messed up and had to seek some help from the emergency sector (Paracetamol). I decided to check upon their demands and see what I can do to fulfill some of it, such as :

• Improve working environment for “nose” (picking it regularly),
• Reducing night shift for my eyes and let him take day shift only (take good night sleeps)
• Some bonus for throat (eating vegetables, fruits & drinking juices)
• Reduce amount of work load for my head (not to think too much rubbish)
• Occasional functions for the whole team (exercise, movie etc).

I guess that should satisfy my “nose” and hopefully back to work again soon. Anymore suggestion on satisfying my team, do let me know.

Try this short quiz and find out which Guru you are.

I’m “Shaun Inman – Javascript grand poobah”

http://www.shauninman.com
Shaun Inman is the designer/developer responsible for Designologue, Mint and IFR. Originally from the Boston, Massachusetts area, he now resides in Baltimore, Maryland.