Integration with VS2005

Hi
If I add a folder in the Version Control section of the options dialog I get an error dialog stating I have not got the expected .NET framework
I am using VS2005 - does this mean I cannot use version control

Graham

[Chris]

Beyond Compare 2 doesn't require the .NET Framework. However, your version control system might.

By VS2005, do you mean Visual SourceSafe 2005, or are you using a different version control system?

[Michael Bulgrien]

I am using VS2005 - does this mean I cannot use version control



VSS 2005 (Visual Source Safe 2005) requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 to be installed. I have VSS 2005 integrated. I am running Visual SourceSafe 2005 hotfix KB932874 (version 8.0.50727.811).

VS 2005 (Visual Studio 2005) requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 to be installed. If you are using the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server MSSCCI Provider, Beyond Compare is currently not able to support it. You can configure BC2 to use it, but when you attempt to open a folder mapped to source control, BC2 errors. I am guessing that it has something to do with TFS's implementation of local workspaces. I've reported the problem to Scooter Software via e-mail.

[dezdez]

If you are using the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server MSSCCI Provider, Beyond Compare is currently not able to support it.



Oh my God this is terrible news! Has your email been replied to?

[Chris]

Dez,

This is on our todo list to be fixed. Lack of SCC support will prevent check-in/check-out from BC.

You can still use BC as an external diff tool in MS Team System using the instructions at the following link:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/support.php?c=kb_vcs.php

[dezdez]

Good to hear. I have just upgraded to TFS for source control & it was a shock to learn that I couldn't access source control directly from favourite diff tool anymore.

In the meantime I have found a bit of a workaround. There's a third party tool that allows access to TFS source control from the Windows Explorer context menu called Dubbelbock (http://blog.benday.com/archive/2007/05/18/23006.aspx). So since you can access the context menu directly from Beyond Compare, you can use it to perform check outs etc without switching to Visual Studio.

Unfortunately Dubbelbock isn't free. But it does come with a 30 day trial. Plus similar free add-in is supposed to be released by the end of this month on CodePlex. See here (http://blogs.msdn.com/codeplex/archive/2007/05/30/codeplex-to-support-tortoisesvn.aspx) for more details.

I'm reviewing bc for use in a visual sourcesafe environment, and found the article with it's integration settings helpful - but it left me with a question....
Does it support BC becoming the actual merge tool? or just the diff tool? I notice the directions included using the dropdown for "File Difference", but vss also has a separate dropdown for "File Merge". Can beyond compare be setup to use that one as well?

[Chris]

I just updated the article with instructions for merge.

http://www.scootersoftware.com/support.php?c=kb_vcs.php

The process is similar, just change the command line to:
"C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 2\bc2.exe" %1 %2 /savetarget=%4

BC2 is limited to two way comparison, so it can't display the ancestor file. The above command line will make a save in the left or right pane save to the merge output file.

[Aaron]

Quick Note: BC3 will include 3 panes, for a more traditional 3-way merge, and have in-line editing (as if it were a text editor), amongst other new features. Check out our BC3 forum posts for more information, or just ask away here.