Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

This forum is for all Flare issues related to using Source Control.
Post Reply
lgrinnell
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:44 am

Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

Post by lgrinnell »

I'm a Flare 2017r3 user. My IT organization, to satisfy needs of our software developer community, has upgraded to TeamFoundation 2018. Is there a bulk method to change server paths from the old to the new (yes, they did change URLs, too...). At present, I can't open my projects. Am I going to have to manually update hundreds of project files to the new TFS?

Larry Grinnell
lgrinnell
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:44 am

Re: Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

Post by lgrinnell »

I think I found a solution (I was getting impatient, so I started looking around), but I want someone in the community to issue an OK on this before I proceed to fix several hundred project files:

First, I right-clicked the project file (.flprj) and unchecked the Read Only checkbox (basically checking the file out). I then opened the file in a text editor (my favorite is Notepad +), and found the path string in the first paragraph of the file. Here, I changed the server name in the path name. As an example, it might have said teamfoundation.domain.com, and I had to change it to tfs.domain.com. I saved it and then double-clicked the flprj file. Amazingly, it opened, it asked if I wanted to get the newest files, and all seems good. I generated a PDF file which was also problem-free.

Is this the preferred method to switch to a new TeamFoundation 2018 server? I didn't see anywhere I could make this change once and have it reflect across all .flprj files, and I figured search and replace was much too dangerous to try on my master files.
AlexFox
Sr. Propeller Head
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 1:56 am

Re: Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

Post by AlexFox »

I believe the 'proper' place to do this would be Project > Project Properties > Source Control, but AFAIK, all this actually does is edit the .flproj file as you've already done. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say and if your method works, then I guess you're good to go!
lgrinnell
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:44 am

Re: Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

Post by lgrinnell »

Problem is, when I try to open a project that can no longer point to the TFS server because the old server is gone, Flare pretty much locks up for about 10 minutes or so when it finally times out. Tech support agreed that my process might work, but have problems down the road. Looking at the flprj file, each file has a ProjectGUID code. I don't know if Flare generated that code or if TFS did. If it's Flare, I probably would have no problems using my process of manually changing the URL of the TFS server string. If TFS generates that code, many problems could occur. Sigh. Well, now to reply to Tech Support to get guidance on how to open the file after it points to a nonexistent TFS server. Thanks for the reply!
lgrinnell
Propeller Head
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:44 am

Re: Updating to TeamFoundation 2018

Post by lgrinnell »

After explaining myself again to Madcap Tech Support (via email), they finally had their own Aha! moment, realizing the obstacles in my way (if the old server is gone, I can't open the project file at all), and that the only logical way to fix this would be to edit the .flprj file to change the server name in the source control server path, which is exactly what I am doing.

If I were braver, I'd try doing a global search and replace with Notepad ++, but I dismissed it as being unnecessarily dangerous, and it would make it much more difficult to test each corrected file to ensure it did indeed connect to the TFS server correctly.

In any case, much joy has occurred, along with a ton of drudgery to correct hundreds of projects. :)
Post Reply