I am a complete newbie to source control. I was able to successfully add my projects to the software development group's TFS server and am generally pretty happy with how it's working, though I have noticed the much slower checkin process since moving to Flare 12.
Being a newbie to source control, I probably don't know how to correctly ask this question, so please bear with me.
The question is, how can I establish a point in TFS that identifies a completed project--in other words, I have documents that go through almost continuous revisions, but being that my work product is 100% print and that it has to be officially released in our PLM (product line management) tool (Omnify), I'd like to be able to grab any previously released complete project (I get that request a lot around here), and not just one or two (or more) individual project files. Is there a mechanism within Flare or TFS that lets me do this, and if so, how do I do it?
Again, apologies for my extreme novice status. I was rushed into a source control solution without too many options, to avoid a faceoff with IT who wanted me to store everything in a document management system (M-Files), which would be totally unmanaged and no workflow such as is available in TFS.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Larry Grinnell, Senior Technical Writer
SRT Group
Davie, FL
Marking completed projects in TFS
Re: Marking completed projects in TFS
Hello Larry -
Conceivably there are a few ways to handle what I think you're trying to accomplish. That said, TFS source control is meant to store the latest version of your files, whether or not that means a particular "completed project". Point is I think you should look for a way to designate a completed Flare project outside of TFS.
Here are three suggestions, any one of which should achieve what I think you're looking to do.
1) In TFS, create a new folder under each project labelled accordingly. Map your project to it and check in/out as required. Once complete, unbind your project from it. Create a new subfolder and bind your project to that.
2) Use one folder in TFS and choose to "Get a specific version" based on date or other criteria.
3) Once your project is at a point where you believe it is complete, consider saving an unbound zip file of the entire project. Whenever needed, just unzip and rebuild output. Note in this case there is no need for editing (because you have already defined it as complete) and no need for source control, because your latest files (after this was complete) is bound to TFS.
Conceivably there are a few ways to handle what I think you're trying to accomplish. That said, TFS source control is meant to store the latest version of your files, whether or not that means a particular "completed project". Point is I think you should look for a way to designate a completed Flare project outside of TFS.
Here are three suggestions, any one of which should achieve what I think you're looking to do.
1) In TFS, create a new folder under each project labelled accordingly. Map your project to it and check in/out as required. Once complete, unbind your project from it. Create a new subfolder and bind your project to that.
2) Use one folder in TFS and choose to "Get a specific version" based on date or other criteria.
3) Once your project is at a point where you believe it is complete, consider saving an unbound zip file of the entire project. Whenever needed, just unzip and rebuild output. Note in this case there is no need for editing (because you have already defined it as complete) and no need for source control, because your latest files (after this was complete) is bound to TFS.
Re: Marking completed projects in TFS
Thank you, sir (I assume "sir" because of the roboHAL name)! All three have value, though am leaning toward 1 or 3. With option "3," I can store the completed project zips (with revision number in filename) in the company-mandated document management system (M-Files). I'll let you know what I come up with.
Larry
Larry
Re: Marking completed projects in TFS
You're welcome Larry. Best of luck!