Blue Lock and no Check Out option

[nightshade]

First off, I'd like to say that I'm new to PlasticSCM.

I've added a solution to source control, but I'm unable to build the solution or check it out due to the missing "Check Out" option and the read-only status of the directories. I've followed the VS integration guide to the letter.

I can check out individual files, but not the solution or any project inside. The blue lock is giving me a headache, and there's no option to simply check out a solution or a project on the menu. For those types of files, all I get is a refresh on the PlasticSCM context menu.

A similar problem exists within the Plastic SCM client. The check out option is grayed for all directories, even though it is available for files.

I understand why files are marked as read-only, but why are directories being set as such? How can I resolve this issue? While I'm waiting on a response, I'm going to try out a previous version.

[carpediemevive]

I opted to use the Modify-Commit methodology as opposed to the Checkout-Modify-Checkin methodology and that removes the read-only option for you. If you don't "need" the checkout first methodology that might be the fastest way for you to get this resolved:

http://plasticscm.com/releases/3.0.1/manuals-html/en/userguide.htm#_Toc280187958

Otherwise, as far as I know the blue lock remains and just indicates that the file is under source control.

[CodingGorilla]

I'm not an expert, but have you tried checking out the .sln or .csproj (.vbproj) files? I mean, realistically, you can't check out a folder itself, only it's contents. Also, you can change the preferences (under "Other options") so that it doesn't set files as read-only.

[nightshade]

Thanks for the replies.

@CodingGorilla:

I can check out the solution or project files using the Plastic SCM client, but not using the VS plugin. If, however, I modify project or solution settings, the project/solution file is checked out and updated.

The big problem here is that I can't build because all the directories are read only and should not be. The files inside the directories should be, but not the directories themselves. Nobody checks out a directory, but they do check out an entire set of files within a directory recursively in other SCM systems by selecting the directory containing the files and clicking "Check Out" instead of selecting and checking out files one at a time.

@carpediemevive:

Is that compatible with branch per task under VS 2010? Plastic and branch per task are a bit new to me still. I'll read more through that link and see what I can figure out. Your suggestion sounds like it will work.

[carpediemevive]

It should be compatible. All the modify-commit methodology does is basically tell you that you don't have to explicitly check anything out and you are free to modify at will and Plastic will just show you the changes you've made for files you touched when it's time to commit. The Checkout first methodology allows you control a little more what exactly you are editing.

Both of these allow you to create task branches and follow the task-per-branch workflow.

[CodingGorilla]

Maybe I'm missing something; you can't set the read-only flag on a folder itself (in Windows, we are talking Windows right?), you can only set that flag on the files inside of a folder. Setting the flag (using Explorer) on a folder simply flags all the files (and optionally sub-folders/files) as read-only.

Now, if you had checked in your bin/ and obj/ folders I could see the problem as VS would try to delete all the files and folders in those two during a build, which would in turn all be marked read-only and cause an error. But who checks in the bin/ and obj/ folders?

[nightshade]

Maybe I'm missing something; you can't set the read-only flag on a folder itself (in Windows, we are talking Windows right?), you can only set that flag on the files inside of a folder. Setting the flag (using Explorer) on a folder simply flags all the files (and optionally sub-folders/files) as read-only.

Now, if you had checked in your bin/ and obj/ folders I could see the problem as VS would try to delete all the files and folders in those two during a build, which would in turn all be marked read-only and cause an error. But who checks in the bin/ and obj/ folders?

Windows? Yes and no. The workspace isn't on a normal windows file system. This probably has more to do with my virtual machine settings than Plastic SCM. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction. I already exclude temporary files and folders using the ignore filters, BTW, C++ intellisense settings included.