Perforce

The Perforce SCM System features comprehensive software configuration management capabilities built around scalable client/server architecture. Requiring only TCP/IP, developers can access the Perforce Server through a variety of Perforce clients (Windows GUI, Web, or Command-Line). Perforce can be deployed quickly and easily, and requires minimal administration, even for large or distributed sites. Available on over 50 operating systems, Perforce includes version control, workspace management, atomic change transactions and a powerful branching model to develop and maintain multiple codelines. For a one-page synopsis of Perforce features, platforms and system requirements All files managed by PERFORCE reside in a PERFORCE depot and can be opened to a client workspace, where they are edited and then resubmitted to the depot. The depot keeps track of all the current and previous revisions of a file, as well as of the changelists associated with each revision.

One of PERFORCE’s key features is its ability to manage local workspaces. Instead of using network stores for all workspaces, individual users keep files in local workspaces. These are linked via TCP/IP connections to a central repository, which manages the metadata for the SCM operations. This means that while files are managed locally, all the information about the files managed by PERFORCE can be accessed from anywhere in the network—so users and managers can see what’s being worked on, and by whom.

File Syncing in PERFORCE:

If multiple files are selected in the PERFORCE depot, all the selected files are synced with the client workspace. If directories are selected in the PERFORCE depot, all the selected files and directories are included in the sync operation. If the latest revision of a file in the PERFORCE depot is a deletion of that file, syncing the file will delete the file from the client workspace.

Visual Source Safe

Microsoft Visual Source Safe (VSS) helps in managing projects, regardless of the file type (text files, graphics files, binary files, sound files, or video files) by saving them to a database. When we need to share files between two or more projects, we can share them quickly and efficiently. When we add a file to VSS, the file is backed up on the database, made available to other people, and changes that have been made to the file are saved so we can recover an old version at any time. Members of the team can see the latest version of any file, make changes, and save a new version in the database.

VSS project organization makes team coordination easy and intuitive. When a file (or set of files) is ready to deliver to another person, group, Web site, or any other location, VSS makes it easy to share and secure different versions of the selected set of files.

More and more, developers are accessing VSS functions from within their development environment. VSS can be easily integrated with Visual Studio .NET and other development tools. If VSS is integrated into the development environment, we do not
need to run VSS separately to realize the advantages of source code control.

Microsoft VSS 6.0 has many new features, including:

Archive and Restore — These operations can now be performed from a user-friendly VSS Administrator wizard. In previous versions of VSS, Archive and Restore were only available from the command line.

Move files — When you move a file, VSS now automatically shares the file to a new project, deleting it from the original project. In the new project, the file appears as shared.

Compare differences in multiple projects — This feature allows you to compare differences in a project against another project.

Deploy individual files — In earlier versions of VSS you could only deploy a folder; using the new wizard, you can now deploy a file as well.

Fast Get — Because of VSS's improved capabilities, you can perform a Get two times faster than in older versions of VSS.

Filter history information — You can now view history of files and projects without including labels.

Label promotion — This feature allows you to promote or add a file to an existing label.

Clean temporary folder option — This feature allows you to easily clean temporary folders now.

Check external hyperlinks — In previous versions of VSS only internal hyperlinks and jumps within the project were checked. Now VSS allows you to check hyperlinks and jumps outside the project.

Create desktop shortcuts to VSS databases (from VSS Explorer) — This feature allows you to create a shortcut on your desktop that opens a specified VSS database. HTML Help — Previous versions of VSS used Win Help.