SourceSafe Options Dialog Box, General Tab
Allows you to specify general configuration options that affect all users in the database user list. The tab is available in Visual SourceSafe Explorer, Visual SourceSafe Administrator, or in Visual Studio, for a SourceSafe plug-in. The appearance of the tab is slightly different in Visual SourceSafe Administrator from the way it appears in Visual SourceSafe Explorer or a SourceSafe plug-in.
Dialog Box Access
In Visual SourceSafe Explorer or Visual SourceSafe Administrator, click Options on the Tools menu, then click General.
In Visual Studio, on the Tools menu, click Options. In the Options dialog box for source control, select Source Control, then Plug-in Settings, and click Advanced. See the "Plug-in Tabs for Source Control (Options Dialog Box)" topic in the Visual Studio Help.
UI Element List (Visual SourceSafe Administrator)
When you use the General tab in Visual SourceSafe Administrator, you must coordinate with other users for your changes to take effect. Quit Visual SourceSafe Administrator and tell all your users to close and restart Visual SourceSafe Explorer.
- Allow multiple checkouts
Allows more than one person to check out a file simultaneously, or allows multiple checkouts by the same person to different locations. This might require file merging of changes made by different users.
- Browse
Allows you to navigate to a file in existing folders.
Default Database name
Sets the name of the default Visual SourceSafe database as displayed in the title bar of the Visual SourceSafe Explorer program. If you do not set this option, the title bar reads "Visual SourceSafe Explorer," with no database name. There is a 31-character limit for the database name.Tip
If you have several Visual SourceSafe databases, you can often end up running the program without knowing what the database is. You can use this option to uniquely identify the database, even including the folder or share name in the name of the database.
- Expand keywords in files of type
Specifies the use of keyword expansion when selected files are checked in or added to the database. By default, Visual SourceSafe does not scan files for keyword expansion. For syntax and more information, see Keyword Expansion Support.
- Log all actions in journal file
Specifies a journal file if you want to log all commands that change stored data. You can also use the Browse button to locate the file. The default is to use no journal file.
- Only allow checkouts of the latest version
Specifies if Visual SourceSafe should check out the version on which the user last performed a get operation, even if later versions exist in the database.
Use network name for automatic user log in
Specifies if Visual SourceSafe should bypass Visual SourceSafe user passwords and automatically attempt to trust the user name of the currently logged on user. Selecting this check box will cause Visual SourceSafe to log you on if your network name matches a Visual SourceSafe user name..gif)
Security NoteYou should only use the network name for automatic user login in protected networks in which all users are fully trusted. For more information about the security considerations, see How to: Add User Accounts.
UI Element List (Visual SourceSafe Explorer and Plug-in)
- Act on projects recursively
Specifies that Visual SourceSafe is to perform all commands on a selected project recursively. Recursive operations are useful if you have a project with many subprojects that you want to check out and check in as if it were one item.
- Always check out the working folder version of files
Specifies that Visual SourceSafe should always check out the working folder version of a file.
- Always keep files checked out
Specifies that Visual SourceSafe is to keep a file checked out to your working folder, even if you check it in to the database.
- Browse
Allows you to navigate to a file in existing folders.
Check in unchanged files
Specifies how unchanged files are handled when you check them in. Possible options are:Option Description Default
Uses initialization file settings for the relevant project to define how files are handled.
Ask
Prompts you to choose how to handle each unchanged file.
Check In
Records each checked-in file as a new version, even if no changes are detected.
Undo Check Out
Automatically undoes the checkout for any unchanged file you try to check in.
Double-click on a file
Specifies what happens when you double-click a database file. Possible options are:Option Description Ask
Prompts you to choose whether to view or edit the file. This is the default setting.
View File
Displays the latest version of the file in the database for viewing. You cannot edit the file.
Edit File
Checks out the latest version of the file to your working folder and opens it for editing. Holding down the SHIFT key while double-clicking a file overrides this setting to Ask.
- Editor for viewing files
Specifies the editor program used to display text files when you choose the View File command. You can also click Browse to find an editor.
Folder for temporary files
Specifies a folder in which to store temporary files used by Visual SourceSafe. The default is the <%temp% system environment> variable. You can also click Browse to choose a folder.Note
Creating your temporary folder locally, instead of on the server, might increase database performance.
- Reuse last comment
Uses the last comment for the next command. The comment remains the same until you change it.
Use visual merge
Specifies the use of visual merge when merging files after a branch or multiple checkout. Possible options are:Option Description Yes
Specifies that visual merge is always used when merging files after a branch or multiple checkout. All changes will be displayed during the merge.
No
Specifies that manual merge is used instead of visual merge when merging files.
Only if there are conflicts
Specifies that visual merge is used when there are conflicting changes in the two files to be merged, and that manual merge is used otherwise. This is the default setting.