Get latest version: New vi's do not appear

[zav]

We are using LV 8.5 SCC with Visual Source Safe(VSS) in a large Project.

Goal is to handle SCC directly in LabVIEW, whitout using the VSS-Client.

I was working on a part of a project wit an own project-file. I checked out all vi's in this project, added some new vi's in a subdirectory and checked all files (including .lvproj) in. (all done within LabVIEW project window)

Another developer gets the latest versions (of .lvproject. etc.), but the new added vi's do not appear.
The only way is to open VSS-Client and proceed  "get the latest version" there, what worked.

Why does "get latest version" in LabVIEW does not gets the new files/vi?

[Andrey_Dmitriev]

Hi, zav

We've got the same troubles with SCC/LabVIEW integration.
The problem that *.lvproj (as well as *.lvlib) files not refreshed in LabVIEW when you get the new version. Also data lost possible here:
- Developer 1 and developer 2 both opened project *.lvproj (but not checked out).
- Developer 1 has checked out *.lvproj, add few VIs and checked new *.lvproj and *.vi in. Developer 2 stays with opened *.lvproj.
- Developer 2 has checked out the *.lvproj file (now versions on the disk and in memory different), add new VIs, save project (now version on disc overwritten with version from memory) and checked it in back.
Now you lost the changes in *.lvproj which was done by Developer 1. You need to add the files which was added by Developer 1 again.
The same troubles with project options (Build/Installer configurations, etc)
Workarond is: after Checking Out/Get Latest Version from LabVIEW  you need to close project and open it again.

best regards,
Andrey.

[gmart]

zav,

In your scenario, when another developer opens the project (which had new VIs added), what they will see is that the project reports there are missing files. Why are these files missing? In this case, it is because they were added by the first developer but not pulled down from source control. How would the project distinguish between a file that is missing because it was deleted versus one that is new and just needs to be pulled down from the server? A helpful step might be to provide an option on the project to "get all files from server". This option would show a list of files (the missing ones) and let you select which ones to get. Currently, there is no way to do this from LabVIEW. You must do as you stated and go to the provider's client and get all the new fles.

Andrey,

Some source control providers perform a check to see if the file you are about to check out is the latest version. When that situation is encountered, you get a prompt that informs you that the file is out of date. That behavior should minimize the scenario you laid out.

[TCPlomp]

Did the missing files show up on the lvproject file as missing?

You should be able to get the latest version of these missing files.

Ton

[zav]

> A helpful step might be to provide an option on the project to "get all files from server".

> This option would show a list of files (the missing ones) and let you select which ones to get.

> Currently, there is no way to do this from LabVIEW

Excactly thats the feature, what we are looking for. I can't understand, why "Get Latest Version" in LabVIEW  works different as in Visual Source Safe:

In VSS if i select this option on a project/folder, it also downloads new files, that were added by an other developer.

In LV it does not.

Ok, now I know that that is not avaiable in 8.5 and we do not have to search longer for that..

After some experience with SCC & LV my oppinion is, that the integrated SCC in LabVIEW is not very helpful for large application / multiple developers. The idea behind is ok, but should also cover this issues.

We can work with the limitations, because all developer are in the same location and we can "speak" directly ("Hey, I m wokking on project xyz, don't touch it at the moment", but I do not know how to work with the SCC in a LabVIEW project over different locations.

[Andrey_Dmitriev]

Hi, George,

We talking about Microsoft SCC provider, and assumed, that all SCC operations performed from LabVIEW IDE, not from SCC.
The problem that LabVIEW will not renew project tree when you check out or get latest version of the project from LabVIEW IDE. There are no problem if you will close project before, then get lates version from SCC, the open project in LabVIEW. But if all operations performed only within LabVIEW, then you can see what happened in the attachment. You can see, that also data lost possible even if you working with Source Code Control. And I guess, this problem absolutely independed from used SCC provider.

best regards,
Andrey.

[TCPlomp]

Andrej,

Thank you for the detailed bug description. Basically a checkout doesn't do a 'get latest' before checking out.

I consider this a bug. Please report to NI directly.

Ton

[zav]

Also thanks from my side for help.

My wish is only, that "Get latest version"  in LabVIEW and in the SCC client does the same, so I can work without thinking "oh, that operation I have to do in the SCC client".

When integrating such a function in an developement enviroment, daily task should be fully supported. We use SCC to avoid loosing data and not to be afraid to loose data because using a SCC (see pdf)

[Andrey_Dmitriev]

Hi, zav,

SCC is very helpful for large projects, sure. Your VIs are safe. And normally when other developer working with project, then you will see blue mark on the project means that the project locked by other one. But in some cases you may get troubles (see attachemnt in the post above). So, you should be a bit carefully with lvproj and lvlib files. But SCC is very helpful, it is. Hopefully the "Get Latest" behaviour will be changed in a future. At least project tree should be renewed when developer would like to get latest version, and, optional, all missing VIs from the project's hierarchy should be delivered to the developer with this operation if they present in SCC (here is another small trouble if developer forgot to add some SubVIs to SCC - you have no chance to check if all VIs in project added to SCC or not).

Andrey.

[gmart]

1. Missing files in the project do not get SCC options (menus, etc. since the file may not be on disk, we don't allow SCC operations on it).

2. The problem with not prompting to get the latest version is a SourceSafe issue. I checked the status information that SourceSafe returns for files that are not up to date, and it does not report those files as such. So LabVIEW has no way of knowing that the file is out of date. I tried this with Perforce and it does report out of date files properly.

3. zav, your example was very helpful. The problem is related to what I said above. When you check the project out, SourceSafe does not report it is out of date so LabVIEW does not prompt to get the latest version. What you will have to do is perform a Get Latest manually before checking out. Regarding Get Latest, when I perform that action, I do get a prompt that states that the file has been changed on disk and that you need to manually reload the project. The project is not automatically reloaded due to issues involving running VIs, connected targets, etc. and what the behavior would be of automatically shutting all that down. We figured the customer would be know how to clean up and then manually reload the project.


Message Edited by gmart on 07-24-2008 09:39 AM