PRB: SourceSafe Status Truncates Filenames to 20 Characters

• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

Using the Visual SourceSafe Command line command "SS Status" to determine the checkout status of files only returns the first 20 characters of the filename.

CAUSE

The SS Status Command line returns information in a columnar format. Because of the columns for Filename, User name, Date/Time, and checkout directory, there is a limit of 20 characters for the filename. When working with files that have long filenames greater than 20 characters, the filenames are truncated at the 20th character.

RESOLUTION

An alternative is to use the short filename mode that displays the long filename using MS-DOS 8.3 filename conventions such as SS Status -NS. Although the 16-bit version of the Visual SourceSafe Explorer allows the use of long file names, the 16-bit Command line does not.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Be aware that Visual SourceSafe does not use the same method for converting long filenames as Windows 95 or Windows NT, so the converted Short filename as supplied by Visual SourceSafe may not match the filenames in the working directory exactly.

Step-by-Step Example

1. In a project ($/TEST), place a file with the name "New Text Document.txt," and check the file out.

2. From the Visual SourceSafe MS-DOS directory Command line, issue the following command:

         "ss status $/TEST"
   

3. The resultant filename of the SS STATUS should be: NEW_TE~1.TXT.

4. From the MS-DOS prompt, perform a directory (dir) of the working directory (or the directory where the file was checked out). The resultant filename should be "NEWTEX~1 TXT" (Win95 or WinNT).