What should be stored in Version Control
User question:
While we will definitely be placing all the source files in VSS (Frame, Word, graphics and the Master Stationery and project which produces the Master Stationery), we wonder whether:
- Does anything else need to be put in? (My personal view is that everything else is ephemeral and can be reproduced quickly and accurately with the above source files. Further, the Output could be included by the developers in *their* version cut.)
- Does the Data directory in the Master Stationery area need to be version controlled? Similarly,does the Data dir in the Master project used to produce the Master Stationery need to be version controlled? It is big.
WebWorks.com Answer:
I recommend keeping the Master Project file (*.wep) in version control, along with any overrides (Formats or Targets folder) and the Files folder, if applicable. The Data folder does not need to be backed up, as it's just a temporary cache directory that will be recreated the next time you use the project.
You can store the full Stationery directory (containing the *.wxsp file and associated folders) in VC. You can check in the ePublisher Express production project (*.wrp) if you like, but the other files in that directory are replicated in the Stationery, so to save space, it might be best to just check out the latest version of the Stationery and synchronize each time you want to use the Production projects, rather than storing all of the redundant files for those projects in VC.
As for Output, I usually recommend deploying/copying any output generated to another directory, and then checking that folder into the version control, rather than checking in the Output folder within a project directory (since ePublisher deletes some files before generating, you can run into issues with the version control system).
I hope that all makes sense, and that it helps you to efficiently and effectively store all of your pertinent project files in the version control system. If you have any other questions concerning this issue, please let me know.