[AccessD] Access source control

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Tue Jul 13 23:45:02 CDT 2010


I managed to use Maxe's EatBloat to export a pretty complex FE to disk.  I then set up a local SVN 
repository and checked in the files, through Windows Explorer.  I then checked them back out.  So 
all files have a green check mark.

I am not really sure what to do next.  I think I could just export another version of the database 
into this source controlled directory tree and then do a put (check in).  That might store the diffs 
between the two versions.  Or not.

Logically I think I would need to delete all of the existing files before doing so because that 
would cause any objects deleted between versions to show up as deletions in version control.

I know someone said that they use subversion from the command line / explorer.  Feel free to speak 
up on this.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


jwcolby wrote:
>  > I guess the success will depend on what you hope to gain.
> 
> I am hoping to gain differentials immediately.
> 
>  >Without a check in/out from within Access, any changes to a database will have to be manually 
> exported and then imported to subversion, right?
> 
> Yes, unless Subversion can be automated from within Access, which I would guess would be possible.
> 
>  >I'm not familiar with the product, so how do you keep versions of the objects rather than 
> overwriting, or does it matter?
> 
> I am not sure how, this is just an idea that popped into my head.
> 
> I am currently faced with a set of FEs that I need to see the differentials of.  That is what 
> Subversion is all about after all.  So the big picture is to check in two versions of the FE and 
> then see what Subversion shows me for differentials.
> 
> How???  No clue, but it is a matter of pride that having no clue has never stopped me before.  ;)
> 
> What I know is that we have this thing called EatBloat which neatly exports everything in a database 
> to files.  Well... it has some issues (number of items in a list control IIRC) but those can be 
> worked out.
> 
> What has to be done is figure out how to have subversion check those files in.  Even better would be 
> to have subversion executed from inside of Access to check those files in, though that is not an 
> absolute requirement.
> 
> Once EatBloat is run on two different versions, and each is checked in to subversion , differentials 
> should be available.
> 
> I use subversion from inside of Visual Studio, but I have never done so from the command line or 
> from a right click menu for explorer.  But apparently others in this forum have done so.  They need 
> to speak up.
> 
> I have a manual for subversion that I need to start reading.
> 
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
> 
> 
> Charlotte Foust wrote:
>> I guess the success will depend on what you hope to gain.  Without a
>> checkin/out from within Access, any changes to a database will have to
>> be manually exported and then imported to subversion, right?  I'm not
>> familiar with the product, so how do you keep versions of the objects
>> rather than overwriting, or does it matter?
>>
>> Charlotte
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 4:21 PM, jwcolby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote:
>>> I am trying a workaround.  Max has written code that exports all the objects in an access database
>>> to text files.  It seems a short step to using that to get them into subversion.
>>>
>>> John W. Colby
>>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>>>
>>>
>>> Charlotte Foust wrote:
>>>> How would you move items in an out of Access?  Source Safe uses an
>>>> Access add-in to handle source control at the object level.  Is there
>>>> something similar for subversion, or are you trying a workaround?
>>>>
>>>> Charlotte
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 1:35 PM, jwcolby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote:
>>>>> I am wondering whether we could put together subversion and Access to do source control.
>>>>>
>>>>> Max's eatbloat will export and import most things Access into a directory structure.  Subversion
>>>>> could be used to move that stuff into version control.  Once in subversion, we might be able to do
>>>>> differencing etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Whaddayathink?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> John W. Colby
>>>>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>>>>> --
>>>>> AccessD mailing list
>>>>> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
>>>>> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
>>>>> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
>>>>>
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>>>



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