On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 07:00:48AM -0800, Marc Shapiro wrote: > > > I have never used a VCS before, but I have a question about them. I > just got a programming job again (after about 13 years). I hate to > admit, but it is on M$ using VB 6. The company uses Source Safe, which > has what I consider to be a really big flaw and I am hoping to verify > that the standard vcs's in linux manage this problem better. > I am not sure about Source Safe, having never used it. However, I personally a number of people who have used it and the *only* positive thing I have heard about it is that it is well integrated with the MS toolchain. > This project contains over 50 classes, a similar number of forms, and > dozens of non-class modules. Obviously there are a lot of > interconnections between all of these files. The problem is this: When > you check out a file the system gives you a fresh, up-to-date copy of > the file, but tells you nothing about changes to other files that the > file checked out file is dependant on that my have changed. This means > there could easily be dozens of other files that have changes in them > that you actually need to update on your system before you will be able > to compile and run the program. You find out about these only when you > do try to run the program and get errors due to changed funtion > signatures, missing functions and simply changed funtionality within > existing funtions called from the checked out file but residing in other > files. > > Please tell me that linux's vcs systems handle this better by keeping > track of file dependancies. > What you want is not possible in the current breed of VCS systems. The best practice is to always update your entire working copy. For it to know what depends on what would require that it reimplement make. It would also require that the developer keep that information in some form that the VCS can understand. It is probably too much of a burden for most teams. Regards, -Roberto -- Roberto C. Sanchez http://people.connexer.com/~roberto http://www.connexer.com
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