How To Set up a Shadow Dir in Visual SourceSafe Administrator

Last reviewed: January 29, 1997
Article ID: Q138344
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows NT, versions 4.0, 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for Windows 95, versions 4.0, 5.0

SUMMARY

Visual SourceSafe gives the administrator the ability to configure the system for shadow directories. A shadow directory is a centralized directory on your network server that contains all the files in a project. The shadow directory contains a copy of the most recently checked-in version of each file in the project. Therefore, it serves as a centralized area to view and compile your source code.

MORE INFORMATION

Setting up shadow directories in Visual SourceSafe is a multiple-step process. This article shows the SourceSafe administrator how to properly configure the system for a shadow directory.

Step-by-Step Procedure

  1. Open the Visual SourceSafe Administrator.

    a. On the Tools menu click Options.

    b. Click the Shadow Directories tab.

    c. Set the project to be shadowed. Use the Browse button if necessary.

    d. Set the directory to which this project will be shadowed.

    e. Set the shadow directory options in the "Files in Shadow Directory"

          section.
    

    f. Click OK to save these options.

  2. Go to the directory that you set in step 1.d. Delete all files from that directory that are in the SourceSafe project that is to be shadowed to that directory.

    NOTE: If you are using Visual SourceSafe version 5.0, you can skip the next step.

  3. Go to the Visual SourceSafe Explorer.

    a. Select the project that was shadowed in the Visual SourceSafe

          Administrator.
    

    b. Click the Get toolbar button. On the SourceSafe menu, click Get,

          or press CTRL+G to bring up the Get dialog box.
    

    c. Enter the directory to which the project was shadowed, and click OK.

At this point, a copy of all of the files for the project will be placed in the shadow directory. Whenever the file is updated in Visual SourceSafe, the file will be updated in the shadow directory as well.

REFERENCES

Query using "Shadow Directories" in the Visual SourceSafe Help file.

Query "Shadow" in the Visual SourceSafe Books Online.

For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q124529
   TITLE     : How to Access SourceSafe Code from a Central Directory


KBCategory: kbusage kbhowto
KBSubcategory: SourceSafe
Additional reference words: vss vbwin 4.00 5.00 Windows 95


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: January 29, 1997
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.