Microsoft Visual SourceSafe: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Discontinued source control software}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Visual SourceSafe

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| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]

}}

'''Microsoft Visual SourceSafe''' ('''VSS''') is a discontinued [[source control]] [[computer program|program]], oriented towards small software development projects. Like most source control systems, SourceSafe creates a ''virtual library'' of computer files. While most commonly used for [[source code]], SourceSafe can handle any type of file in its [[database]], but older versions were shown<ref>{{cite web

| last = De Smet

| first = Alan

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SourceSafe was initially not a client/server [[Source Code Management]], but rather a ''local'' only SCM system. Architecturally, this serves as both a strength and weakness of design, depending on the environment it is used in. It allows a single user system to be set up with less configuration than that of some other [[Source Code Management|SCM]] systems. In addition, the process of backing up can be as simple as copying all of the contents of a single directory tree. For [[multi-user]] environments, however, it lacks many important features found in other [[Source Code Management|SCM]] products, including support for [[atomic commit]]s of multiple files ([[Concurrent Versions System|CVS]] has the same problem as it is built upon the original [[Revision Control System|RCS]]). SourceSafe inherits its ''shared'' functionality using direct remote file system access to all the files in the repository. This, together with historic bugs in the codebase, occasionally led to SourceSafe database corruption, a problem noted by Microsoft.<ref>{{cite web|title=SourceSafe database corruption|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb509342%28v=vs.80%29.aspx|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=18 Dec 2014}}</ref>

Starting with VSS 2005, Microsoft added a [[client–server]] mode. In this mode, clients do not need [[write access]] to a [[Server Message Block|SMB]] share where they can potentially damage the SS database. Instead, files must be accessed through the VSS client tools - the VSS windows client, the VSS [[command-line]] tool]], or some application that integrates with or emulates these client tools.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}

=== Versions ===

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|-

| 4.0

| September 12, 1995<ref>{{cite web|title=MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES VISUAL SOURCESAFE, AN INTUITIVE CODE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/MICROSOFT+ANNOUNCES+VISUAL+SOURCESAFE,+AN+INTUITIVE+CODE-MANAGEMENT...-a017409497|publisher=The Free Library by Farlex|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521123851/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/MICROSOFT+ANNOUNCES+VISUAL+SOURCESAFE,+AN+INTUITIVE+CODE-MANAGEMENT...-a017409497 |access-date=21 May 2014|archive-date=2014-05-21 }}</ref>

|-

| 5.0

| October 7, 1996<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Announces Visual SourceSafe 5.0, An Intuitive, Project-Oriented Version Control System|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/1996/oct96/vss50pr.aspx|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610074805/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/1996/oct96/vss50pr.aspx |access-date=21 May 2014|archive-date=2014-06-10 }}</ref>

|-

| 6.0

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| page = 73

| isbn = 0-596-00796-5}}</ref>

{{quoteblockquote|Microsoft itself used an internally developed version of RCS named SLM until 1999, when it began using a version of [[Perforce]] named SourceDepot.}}

The Microsoft Developer Division was using [[Team Foundation Server]] for most of its internal projects,<ref>{{cite book

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At the same time, [[Microsoft]] also introduced a source control called [[Team Foundation Version Control]] (TFVC), which was part of project lifecycle management product [[Visual Studio Team System]]. This product addresses many of the shortcomings of Visual SourceSafe, making it suitable for larger teams requiring high levels of stability and control over activities.

With [[Visual Studio 2010]], Microsoft no longer distributes Visual SourceSafe. Microsoft now offers Team Foundation Server Basic for smaller development teams.<ref>{{cite web|last=Krill |first=Paul |url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/microsoft-looks-move-sourcesafe-users-newer-technology-983 |title=Microsoft looks to move SourceSafe users to newer technology &#124; Developer World |publisher=InfoWorld |date=2009-09-30 |access-date=2012-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa302175.aspx |title=Visual SourceSafe Road Map |date=22 March 2011 |publisher=Msdn2.microsoft.com |access-date=2012-04-13}}</ref> There iswas a [hotfix so existing customers could use SourceSafe with Visual Studio 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB976375 hotfix]|title= soKB976375 existing- SourceSafeTFS: customersVSS can use SourceSafeintegration with VisualDev10 Studio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416184257/http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB976375 |archive-date=2010.-04-16}}</ref>

The final version of the product, Visual SourceSafe 2005, retired from mainstream support on 10 July 2012 with extended support ending on 11 July 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?sort=PN&alpha=sourcesafe&Filter=FilterNO|title=Search Product and Services Lifecycle Information - Microsoft Lifecycle}}</ref>

==Further reading==