Keeping Track of Changes

[DBQueen]

Is there an easy way to keep track of which modules I've worked with day by
day. I'd like to see a log of what items I "affected" - so that when a
database goes sour I can easily see what changed from the previous version
(my feeble mind can't retain all of this, especially when a week passses
before getting back to a project).

Is there a log mechanism within Access or is there some sort of support
software someone can recommend which would help me with this?

Thanks!

Andi

[Trevor Best]

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 14:59:30 -0500 in comp.databases.ms-access,
"DBQueen" <ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote:

Is there an easy way to keep track of which modules I've worked with day by
day. I'd like to see a log of what items I "affected" - so that when a
database goes sour I can easily see what changed from the previous version
(my feeble mind can't retain all of this, especially when a week passses
before getting back to a project).

Is there a log mechanism within Access or is there some sort of support
software someone can recommend which would help me with this?

There are many source code control programs around, e.g., StarTeam,
Perforce, Visual SourceSafe. Whichever you go for, you'll need the
Office developer edition in order to integrate with it.

--
A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.

[Steve Jorgensen]

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 22:12:58 +0000, Trevor Best <bouncer@localhost> wrote:

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 14:59:30 -0500 in comp.databases.ms-access,
"DBQueen" <ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote:

Is there an easy way to keep track of which modules I've worked with day by
day. I'd like to see a log of what items I "affected" - so that when a
database goes sour I can easily see what changed from the previous version
(my feeble mind can't retain all of this, especially when a week passses
before getting back to a project).

Is there a log mechanism within Access or is there some sort of support
software someone can recommend which would help me with this?

There are many source code control programs around, e.g., StarTeam,
Perforce, Visual SourceSafe. Whichever you go for, you'll need the
Office developer edition in order to integrate with it.

Personally, for the projects I work on which are usually only 1 to 3
developers, generally not working with shared same files on a daily basis, I
prefer the manual source code control method.

Since hard drives are now cheap, and copying files is fast, I simply don't do
any work on any day without first making a new folder named something like
"2004-01Jan-20", and copying everything from the previous day's folder into
it, then start from there. In any odd case where I'm about to make big
changes to existing code at some point in the day, I'll stop first, and make a
new working folder like "2004-01Jan-20_2", copy the files there, and keep
going.

After I have a -lot- of these, I'll start doing random culling of folders in
the middle the project history. If I ever need something form a specific date
that I deleted, I can grab it off a backup.

It works well, it's easy to use, it's obvious to other developers who have to
work on your project, and it's free if you don't count the cost of the drive
space (which is still very cheap).

[Larry Linson]

I've used this method, too, on a number of projects, and it has worked well
for me. The largest development team involved on any of those projects was 6
developers (at least one of whom was mostly involved in managing the
project, working as server DBA, and not doing much actual Access
development, and another mostly doing testing).

They had previously used a now-defunct third-party source code control app
on one of those projects before the project leader determined that it was
full of bugs, and because it put the integrity of the application itself at
risk, worse than useless. In fact, in reporting some bugs to the vendor of
the source control software, he surprised them by reading their (Access 2.0)
code to them. No, he didn't take advantage of the "famous CopyObject flaw",
they just hadn't properly secured it.

Larry Linson

[Pieter Linden]

"DBQueen" <ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:<5C*******************@bignews5.bellsouth.net >...

Is there an easy way to keep track of which modules I've worked with day by
day. I'd like to see a log of what items I "affected" - so that when a
database goes sour I can easily see what changed from the previous version
(my feeble mind can't retain all of this, especially when a week passses
before getting back to a project).

Is there a log mechanism within Access or is there some sort of support
software someone can recommend which would help me with this?

Thanks!

Andi

See this thread...
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...ases.ms-access

Short answer - yes, if you have the right version of Access
(Developer).

[fp]

There are a number of source control systems out there. If you purchase the
Office Developer Version you will receive Visual Source Safe with MS Access
(the last one I have is Office XP Developer, I don't know if 2003 has the
same products). In any case, you can keep modules in any form of version
control software by exporting to the Version Control (VC) of choice and
importing into your access system.

In the end the real thing you probably want to control is components that
perform specific functions and the ability the reuse them across
applications. Any VC can do this, Visual Source Safe, PVCS, Endeavor, ENVY,
etc.

--
******************************
Fred Parker
Lynn Consulting Group, L.L.C.
http://www.lynnconsultinggroup.com
******************************

[Andi Plotsky]

Thank you to all for your help with this. Since I am using Access2000, it
looks like I'll need to go with Total Access Detective - VSS doesn't go back
to my "archaic" version. If any of you have used it, are you generally
pleased with its functionality?...or heard any rumors to the contrary?

In general are the FMS products pretty solid? I'm thinking about purchasing
Analyzer as well.

Andi

"fp" <et****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:zy*******************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

There are a number of source control systems out there. If you purchase the Office Developer Version you will receive Visual Source Safe with MS Access (the last one I have is Office XP Developer, I don't know if 2003 has the
same products). In any case, you can keep modules in any form of version
control software by exporting to the Version Control (VC) of choice and
importing into your access system.

In the end the real thing you probably want to control is components that
perform specific functions and the ability the reuse them across
applications. Any VC can do this, Visual Source Safe, PVCS, Endeavor, ENVY, etc.

--
******************************
Fred Parker
Lynn Consulting Group, L.L.C.
http://www.lynnconsultinggroup.com
******************************

[Larry Linson]

There was a version of Visual Source Safe included in the Access 2000
Developer Edition, IIRC. You might be able to pick up a copy of A2K Dev.
Edition at one of the online auction sites.

Perhaps you mean that a more recent version of VSS doesn't handle Access
2000? That could be the case, but I was under the impression that VSS was
insensitive to the version of the products you used with it.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

"Andi Plotsky" <ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:ZQ****************@bignews3.bellsouth.net...

Thank you to all for your help with this. Since I am using Access2000, it
looks like I'll need to go with Total Access Detective - VSS doesn't go back to my "archaic" version. If any of you have used it, are you generally
pleased with its functionality?...or heard any rumors to the contrary?

In general are the FMS products pretty solid? I'm thinking about purchasing Analyzer as well.

Andi

"fp" <et****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:zy*******************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

There are a number of source control systems out there. If you purchase

the

Office Developer Version you will receive Visual Source Safe with MS

Access

(the last one I have is Office XP Developer, I don't know if 2003 has the same products). In any case, you can keep modules in any form of version
control software by exporting to the Version Control (VC) of choice and
importing into your access system.

In the end the real thing you probably want to control is components that perform specific functions and the ability the reuse them across
applications. Any VC can do this, Visual Source Safe, PVCS, Endeavor,

ENVY,

etc.

--
******************************
Fred Parker
Lynn Consulting Group, L.L.C.
http://www.lynnconsultinggroup.com
******************************

[Andi Plotsky]

According to the Microsoft website, it is available for .NET. The only
older version available from Microsoft says:

"Licensed users of Visual SourceSafe should get the Microsoft Office 97,
Developers Edition (ODE), which includes Microsoft Access 97 as well as the
integration files needed to take advantage of Visual SourceSafe."

Also, according to the Evaluator's Guide, the newest version of Access
listed is Access97. (However, this page is dated 2/2000.)

So I was concerned that it wouldn't work with Access2000.

It also mentioned that it was compatible with Win95 and WindowsNT
environments - but I have Win98 and XP running on my computers. I guess I
should check with Microsoft Sales to see if it is, in fact, compatible with
my system. I like your idea of getting an old copy of A2K Developer's
Edition - now that I'm not in school anymore and in the REAL world, I
suppose the time has come to upgrade to the REAL Developers' World :) Most
of my clients have Office2000, so I hesitate to upgrade everything and leave
them behind.

Thanks!

Andi
"Larry Linson" <bo*****@localhost.not> wrote in message
news:Pz***************@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...

There was a version of Visual Source Safe included in the Access 2000
Developer Edition, IIRC. You might be able to pick up a copy of A2K Dev.
Edition at one of the online auction sites.

Perhaps you mean that a more recent version of VSS doesn't handle Access
2000? That could be the case, but I was under the impression that VSS was
insensitive to the version of the products you used with it.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

"Andi Plotsky" <ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:ZQ****************@bignews3.bellsouth.net...

Thank you to all for your help with this. Since I am using Access2000, it

looks like I'll need to go with Total Access Detective - VSS doesn't go

back

to my "archaic" version. If any of you have used it, are you generally
pleased with its functionality?...or heard any rumors to the contrary?

In general are the FMS products pretty solid? I'm thinking about

purchasing

Analyzer as well.

Andi

"fp" <et****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:zy*******************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

There are a number of source control systems out there. If you purchase

the

Office Developer Version you will receive Visual Source Safe with MS

Access

(the last one I have is Office XP Developer, I don't know if 2003 has

the same products). In any case, you can keep modules in any form of

version control software by exporting to the Version Control (VC) of choice and importing into your access system.

In the end the real thing you probably want to control is components

that perform specific functions and the ability the reuse them across
applications. Any VC can do this, Visual Source Safe, PVCS, Endeavor,

ENVY,

etc.

--
******************************
Fred Parker
Lynn Consulting Group, L.L.C.
http://www.lynnconsultinggroup.com
******************************

[Mike Sherrill]

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 17:43:00 -0500, "Andi Plotsky"
<ir******@bellsouth.net> wrote:

"Licensed users of Visual SourceSafe should get the Microsoft Office 97,
Developers Edition (ODE), which includes Microsoft Access 97 as well as the
integration files needed to take advantage of Visual SourceSafe."

I'm pretty sure the "integration files needed to take advantage of
Visual SourceSafe" do not include SourceSafe itself.

--
Mike Sherrill
Information Management Systems