Vesrion Control without Developer Edition?

[Steve Jorgensen]

Hi All,

I'm starting some projects now that could really benefit from source code
control, but for various reasons, I don't want to have to be working in the
Developer Edition of Access to use it.

For one thing, I'm often making changes on client machines that don't have the
developer edition installed, and for another, I'm interested in starting an
open source project which will need to incorporate changes from many Access
developers, many of whom probably can't justify the expense of buying the
developer edition just so they can participate in the project.

Now, from what I can tell, it doesn' matter what source code control system
you have, Access doesn't provide a simple way to interact with it without the
vss integration plug-in that comes with the ADE, so I'm trying to figure out
what else will work well enough.

I'm looking at the idea of checking in by using SaveAsText to write files to a
temp directory, compare them to files in an official directory, update those
that have changed, then check in from the official directory, and reverse that
for check-out. The only problem with that is that there's no evidence from
within Access of what the status of the object is, and nothing to stop you
from inadvertently changing things you haven't checked out. The problem is
only discovered later during the check-in attempt.

I was thinking there might be a way to use an add-in to work around that by
detecting attempts to change objects, but I don't see any event hooks do
detect such activity.

Any thoughts or other techniques people are using successfully?

[Alan Webb]

Steve,
It's not a trivial project to take on. I'd do it if someone wanted to pay
me my bill rate for a year. Even then there is no guarentee the results
would be useful. But, modules have some methods and properties that could
be used for something like this. And the replication object has the ability
to synchronize changes. I'd start by looking at these two features and plan
from there.

"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:be********************************@4ax.com...

Hi All,

I'm starting some projects now that could really benefit from source code
control, but for various reasons, I don't want to have to be working in the Developer Edition of Access to use it.

For one thing, I'm often making changes on client machines that don't have the developer edition installed, and for another, I'm interested in starting an open source project which will need to incorporate changes from many Access developers, many of whom probably can't justify the expense of buying the
developer edition just so they can participate in the project.

Now, from what I can tell, it doesn' matter what source code control system you have, Access doesn't provide a simple way to interact with it without the vss integration plug-in that comes with the ADE, so I'm trying to figure out what else will work well enough.

I'm looking at the idea of checking in by using SaveAsText to write files to a temp directory, compare them to files in an official directory, update those that have changed, then check in from the official directory, and reverse that for check-out. The only problem with that is that there's no evidence from within Access of what the status of the object is, and nothing to stop you
from inadvertently changing things you haven't checked out. The problem is only discovered later during the check-in attempt.

I was thinking there might be a way to use an add-in to work around that by detecting attempts to change objects, but I don't see any event hooks do
detect such activity.

Any thoughts or other techniques people are using successfully?

[Steve Jorgensen]

OK, but then how about ideas on a simple set of procedures and code to provide
an easy and decent version control process, even if it might not have all the
bells and whistles?

On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:55:37 -0400, "Alan Webb" <kn*****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Steve,
It's not a trivial project to take on. I'd do it if someone wanted to pay
me my bill rate for a year. Even then there is no guarentee the results
would be useful. But, modules have some methods and properties that could
be used for something like this. And the replication object has the ability
to synchronize changes. I'd start by looking at these two features and plan
from there.

"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:be********************************@4ax.com.. .

Hi All,

I'm starting some projects now that could really benefit from source code
control, but for various reasons, I don't want to have to be working in

the

Developer Edition of Access to use it.

For one thing, I'm often making changes on client machines that don't have

the

developer edition installed, and for another, I'm interested in starting

an

open source project which will need to incorporate changes from many

Access

developers, many of whom probably can't justify the expense of buying the
developer edition just so they can participate in the project.

Now, from what I can tell, it doesn' matter what source code control

system

you have, Access doesn't provide a simple way to interact with it without

the

vss integration plug-in that comes with the ADE, so I'm trying to figure

out

what else will work well enough.

I'm looking at the idea of checking in by using SaveAsText to write files

to a

temp directory, compare them to files in an official directory, update

those

that have changed, then check in from the official directory, and reverse

that

for check-out. The only problem with that is that there's no evidence

from

within Access of what the status of the object is, and nothing to stop you
from inadvertently changing things you haven't checked out. The problem

is

only discovered later during the check-in attempt.

I was thinking there might be a way to use an add-in to work around that

by

detecting attempts to change objects, but I don't see any event hooks do
detect such activity.

Any thoughts or other techniques people are using successfully?

[Alan Webb]

Steve,
Source code control relies on treating code like books in a library. A user
checks out a copy of the code for his or her local instance. He or she
makes changes and then submits the changed code to the master library where
it is synchronized with the changes submitted by others. There is a
concurrent "go/no go" process that allows a project manager to review
changes and accept or reject them. Where code can automatically referee
conflicting changes it is unnecessary for a human to review what is getting
changed. Code could also do a basic syntax check to assure that the
submitted changes don't break code stored in the master library.
I am giving you a high level description on purpose. This is one of those
projects that without a plan will get knarly fast. The usual modeling steps
need to happen first. Requirements are needed before that. Then once a
model exists and the requirements agreed to, coding can happen. I won't
talk about specific procedures, etc. until the planning is done. To just go
for it is asking for trouble.

"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:pm********************************@4ax.com...

OK, but then how about ideas on a simple set of procedures and code to provide an easy and decent version control process, even if it might not have all the bells and whistles?

On Wed, 26 May 2004 13:55:37 -0400, "Alan Webb" <kn*****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Steve,
It's not a trivial project to take on. I'd do it if someone wanted to payme my bill rate for a year. Even then there is no guarentee the results
would be useful. But, modules have some methods and properties that couldbe used for something like this. And the replication object has the abilityto synchronize changes. I'd start by looking at these two features and planfrom there.

"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:be********************************@4ax.com.. .

Hi All,

I'm starting some projects now that could really benefit from source code control, but for various reasons, I don't want to have to be working in

the

Developer Edition of Access to use it.

For one thing, I'm often making changes on client machines that don't have

the

developer edition installed, and for another, I'm interested in

startingan

open source project which will need to incorporate changes from many

Access

developers, many of whom probably can't justify the expense of buying

the developer edition just so they can participate in the project.

Now, from what I can tell, it doesn' matter what source code control

system

you have, Access doesn't provide a simple way to interact with it withoutthe

vss integration plug-in that comes with the ADE, so I'm trying to

figureout

what else will work well enough.

I'm looking at the idea of checking in by using SaveAsText to write

filesto a

temp directory, compare them to files in an official directory, update

those

that have changed, then check in from the official directory, and

reversethat

for check-out. The only problem with that is that there's no evidence

from

within Access of what the status of the object is, and nothing to stop

you from inadvertently changing things you haven't checked out. The problemis

only discovered later during the check-in attempt.

I was thinking there might be a way to use an add-in to work around

thatby

detecting attempts to change objects, but I don't see any event hooks

do detect such activity.

Any thoughts or other techniques people are using successfully?