Enhanced Client forces check-out on change of renegade file

gtaylor · Post by **gtaylor** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:10 am

I am using the Enhanced Client in VS2008. (Vault V4.1.1) Our team uses the full VSS mode (Require exclusive lock, etc.) and I've asked to change but no dice. Under the original client I could renegade a file by marking it writable via Explorer and modify it, either for experimentation or to merge later if it was checked out. Under this client, it forces a check out (or tries) when you modify the file. Is there a setting or some way to inform the client that it should just allow me to change the local copy and I'll handle the check-in/check-out?

One example of this is for the App.config. The checked in version has a connection string setup but for testing I like to renegade the file and comment out the official string and add others to experiment with or test with. (I'm not talking about unit tests here, more like running code against a copy of the database or a different staging server to replicate issues.) The only technique I've found is to make the change and then undo checkout with the Leave option. This works, but sometimes I get in a hurry and forget, thereby leaving it locked for the others.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:40 pm

If you or someone else opens Vault when you try to edit that file, does it show as checked out?

When I tried to reproduce this, it showed up in Pending Changes, but didn't show a checkout. Is that the behavior you are seeing?

gtaylor · Post by **gtaylor** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:58 pm

The exact steps are: In Explorer I find the file (or use the right-click on the tab of the open file) and use properties to write-enable the file. The Solution explorer shows the renegade flag. I click in the file and make a change and the Solution Explorer immediately changes to the checkmark and shows as checked out. If it happens to be a file that was exclusive to someone else, I get an error message stating that and it refuses to make my changes.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:20 am

With the enhanced client in VSS mode, there currently isn't a way to do what you are wanting. Your options for that would be to work in CVS mode or for the entire team to switch to the Classic Client. You can jump back and forth between CVS mode and VSS mode.

I can take a feature request to have the ability to not have automatic checkouts in VSS mode in the Enhanced Client if you want.

gtaylor · Post by **gtaylor** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:41 am

I'll just badger the team to move to CVS mode. I think some just don't want to have to do merges...

Thanks.

GregM · Post by **GregM** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:04 am

You don't have to gave the entire team on one or the other. This is a per-user setting, and it works just fine with some people checking out before editing files and others not.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:20 pm

Greg has it right on the CVS versus VSS modes. Thanks.

The entire team wouldn't have to switch anything unless you changed which client is used with Visual Studio. That's the only time.