Locking files in XP

Right click on file. Select "Properties". Tick "read only". "Apply". ??

There are free tools to make it easier but you can mark files "Read-Only" by right clicking on them => properties => click the appropriate box.

Robert H.

Er, you *are* using a versioning system like SVN, right? You just go back in the repository and fish out a previously committed version.

Martin,

just make regular backups. I typically have a backup directory under the one I am working in; and every week or so I do a CD or DVD backup. No versioning tool nonsense can beat that practice.

Dimiter

Right, because a tool that commits automatically to a dedicated server is "nonsense", but manually goofing around and burning discs (that's like so 1999) is better. Any software worth its salt automatically connects to a versioning system, it's transparent. Even Microchip's free IDE does.

I actually do both.

Subversion is really nice, and with TortoiseSVN, it's directly integrated into the Windows shell.

I find that some simple features, like adding comments on exactly what was changed that edit time/session, and those being stored along side each revision is nice. It's simple to go back in time, to reverse changes, etc. I still keep some change info inside the source itself, but having it external is nice. Plus the included DIFF tools can't be beat for figuring out what changed.

Subversion also has the ability to run a small server on your PC, and connect remotely to access the repository. This is a no frills, basic, run-as-a-service server. No need to install a bunch of junk, web server, etc for it. It's nice because I can work remotely on my project, without copying files back and forth. And when you back up the repository, you aren't just backing up one version, you are backing up all of them.

Oh, and mozy.com for online backup kicks butt, is like $5/month unlimited storage, and depending on how you configure it can be used like a poor-man's versioning tool. Since my machine is constantly backed up, w/ changes being detected and uploaded in the background, I end up with having multiple daily copies of each changed file. And I can go back a minimum of 30 days, (in some cases, its MONTHS), and retrieve the particular version of the file I need. Bunch of other benefits like off-site storage, etc.

Last but not least, with as much flack as Vista catches, it has a simple integrated right-click, "restore previous version" which has saved my butt more than once.

Versioning tools take a little time to get used to, but are really quite powerful -- if your ide has integrated access great. Even if it doesn't, using them manually is easy.

HTH

Keith

Thanks, that helps a lot. I've d/l subversion, and going through the help files, quite complicated for us luddites.

martin

You're welcome.

If I were you, just download TortoiseSVN, it includes the latest subversion.

The task list is easy once you boil it down for using subversion:

1> Create a repository. Just pick any EMPTY directory for the repository to sit in. (if you use Tortoise, right click inside a directory and say "create repository here") 2> Import files into the repository. right-click the folder/files you want to import, and say "import..." Browse to the repository directory you just created. Type a little message like, "added xyz files to the repository" 3> Checkout a working copy. Right-click anyplace and click "SVN checkout....", choose the repository you created in Step 1, and make sure the checkout directory is where you want it. 4> edit your WORKING COPY in your checked-out directory. Don't touch your repository directory, EVER. Your original import directory can be deleted. 5> After making changes, right-click your WORKING COPY folder or files, and say "SVN commit." Once again, type a little message about what you changed.

If you are the only editor of the files, you'll probably only do 1-3 one time. I spend most of my time going between step 4 and 5. Edit-commit-edit-commit-edit-commit.

Now if you use an IDE that supports subversion, then you just need to do step 1 & 2 and then point your IDE to the repo. You should be somewhat familiar with the manual process --- it makes understanding what the IDE's do for you much easier.

As far as looking at past revisions and revert'ing, etc, I usually right-click the file in question and do a "show log", and then right-click the revision number and there's all the options.

Just remember that any changes to the contents of the working copy should be done in the scope of subversion. If you add, copy, delete, move, files to or from the directory, you should use the subversion commands to do it --- not the normal windows interface ones. Editing the files themselves any way you want is fine. See, subversion keeps track of which files were present, what directories were created when, file date and time stamps, etc. This is so when you go "Back in time", you get an exact copy of the environment as it was. If you do stuff outside the scope, subversion doesn't version or touch them.

You know, I use subversion for a bunch of different things. It works for all file types. It's nice when editing images, for instance. If you edit one large image, and realize that you screwed up 2 days ago, but you've already saved a newer version, it's nice to be able to go back....

Good luck,

Keith

For the things i do on the job it is hardly worthwhile. For my personal use it is sounding more attractive.