Check-in and Check-out Overview

This topic presents an overview of the check-in and check-out processes.

In this topic:

Check-in and Check-out Introduction

To place a file under version control, it must be added to a folder in a project view, which stores a copy of the file in the repository. After the file has been added to the repository, you and other members of your team can check it out, revise it, and check in new revisions, while the application maintains information on all revisions of the file. When checking out a file revision, you should verify that you have the tip or latest version of the file. Doing this ensures that the file you see contains the latest changes.

When you check in a file from a working folder on your computer, the application stores it by the MD5 value of its contents. If the file is identified as one that compresses well, it is compressed and placed in the hive's archive with a .gz extension. Otherwise, the uncompressed version is placed in the hive's archive.

When you check out a file, the application copies the requested revision of that file to the appropriate working folder. If a copy of that file is already in the working folder, it is overwritten unless the working file appears to be more recent. In that case, you are prompted to confirm the check out.

You can perform check-out operations on more than one file at a time. For example, you can select files across multiple child folders using the All Descendants button, or you can check out all the files in the selected folder and its descendant folders using the Check Out All item on the File or context menu. This selection is equivalent to selecting All Descendants, all the files in the upper pane, and Check Out. When you use the Check Out All command, a confirmation dialog appears, regardless of your personal options settings.

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Check-in and Check-out Recommendations

Every time you check a file revision out, its contents are copied to a working folder. Checking out a revision also ensures that you have the tip or a specific revision to work on. For example, you may need a team member’s most recent changes to a file, or you may have deleted the working file from your hard drive and now need another copy.

Below are some recommendations about using files that are under version control:

• To let other team members know that you intend to make changes to a file, change the lock status to exclusive as part of the check-out process.
• As part of the check-in process, you can notify others both that you are finished making your changes to the file and that it is available for them to check out by removing the lock status.
• If you intend to continue making changes to the file but still want to check it in for backup purposes, keep the file locked.
• If two team members change the same text file simultaneously or if one member changes an outdated file, you can use the merge option to combine the changes in these files so no work is lost. In such cases, the application gives the file a Merge status.
• To prevent yourself from changing a file that you have not locked, select the Mark Unlocked Working Files Read-only personal option. Then, if you check out a file that you have not locked, the working copy becomes read-only.

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The File List Display

The files that appear in the upper pane depend upon the following factors:

• The application folder you select from the folder hierarchy in the left pane.
• The filter you select from the Filter drop-down list box above the upper pane.
• The depth you specify with the All Descendants button or by selecting All Descendants from the File menu. When this button is not selected, the application displays information for the selected folder only. When this button is selected, the application displays information for the selected folder, its children, its children’s children, and so on.
• The application folder you select from the folder hierarchy in the left pane.
• The sorting, rearranging, and querying you perform on the list. The application sorts files in alphanumeric order, regardless of case.
• The files you have excluded from the display by using the folder’s current or inherited exclude list.

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