In this chapter we took an overview of the Software Configuration Management basic terminology and principles and how it provides the means to control and manage the evolution of software products. We learned about resource management using the centralized repository that stores all the resources we use to build the final product, and about the workspace that each participant uses to work independently but in sync with the other participants. We've seen that the repository is much more than a simple storage area, providing resource versioning using resource revisions, providing cooperation support using several cooperation models, and history management using labels. These features also allow us to manage the build and the release process. After releasing a new product version we must work in parallel and maintain the release while advancing towards a new release. SCM manages these situations providing parallel development on more than one codeline by creating branched codelines from the trunk or mainline. Later, when we need to integrate changes such as bug fixes between codelines, SCM provides the ability to merge the branched codelines.
Visual SourceSafe 2005 Software Configuration Management in Practice
Visual SourceSafe 2005 Software Configuration Management in Practice
Overview of this book
Why is Software Configuration Management important?Software Configuration Management (SCM) is the discipline of managing the building and modification of software through techniques including source-code control, revision control, object-build tracking, and release construction. SCM involves identifying the configuration of the software at given points in time, systematically controlling changes to the configuration, and maintaining the integrity and traceability of the configuration throughout the software development lifecycle.Software Configuration Management is one of the first skills a serious developer should master, after becoming proficient with his or her development tools of choice. Unfortunately, this does not always happen because the subject of SCM is not commonly taught in either academic or company training.When developing software, you need to have a manageable team development effort, track and maintain the history of your projects, sustain parallel development on multiple product versions, fix bugs, and release service packs while further developing the application. This is where the concepts of Software Configuration Management come into play; SCM is about getting the job done safer, faster, and better.Visual SourceSafe has a long history behind it. The previous versions were either loved for their ease of use and integration with other Microsoft products, or hated because the headaches caused by using them improperly. This book will help you to avoid such problems.
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Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Visual SourceSafe 2005 Software Configuration Management in Practice
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface
Free Chapter
Controlling the Evolution of Software Products
The SourceSafe 2005 Architecture
Creating a Service-Oriented Application
Adding Solutions to the SourceSafe Database
Developing Solutions under Source Control
Working from Remote Locations
Managing the Software Development Lifecycle
Installing Visual SourceSafe 2005
Creating and Configuring SourceSafe Databases
Customer Reviews