RoboSource Control and htt, hhc, and root.fpj files

[Guest]

Two writers are working on one project using Source Control. I have encountered three issues, which are no problem if the other writer is not working on the project.

1. I can't create a new topic due to root.fpj being checked out.
2. I could not add/edit a footer due to the htt file being checked out.
3. I could not modify the TOC.

Are the options available to work around this?

We are new to RoboSource Control and no doubt this is the cause of our road block, but I have not had a lot of luck with finding detailed into on the best work flow practices in Source Control. Any info would be greatly appreciated, and my appreciation of this forum becomes greater every time I use it.

Regards,

Joe

[Gravenstein · Accepted solution]

Hi Joe -

Some suggestions:

1. To get past the root.fpj lockup...Organize your project with folders, and maybe subfolders, and move all your topics into the folders. Don't leave any topics loose at the root level of the project. Then the root.fpj file will only need to be checked out when you add/delete/change a folder at the top level of the project. Don't go too deep with the folders, though, because you don't want your pathnames to get too long.

2. Template checkouts...Make your templates read-only. Then nobody will check them out! I smile, but I'm serious about this. Set the user rights so that only the administrator (or other special account) can make changes to the templates. It is WAY too easy to make inadvertent changes to the templates, and that is actually a worse problem than lack of access to the templates.

3. Can't access the TOC...There's not much you can do about this. Only one person can work on the TOC at a time. Other than making a practice of checking files in as soon as you're done with them, all you can do is coordinate with your colleague. "Say, could you check in the .hhc file? I need access for a few minutes." Or something like that.

G

[Guest]

G,
Thanks so much. That's exactly the information I was looking for. I just didn't want to try and mess something up. Treading lightly.

Regards,

Joe

[Guest]

Hi I just wanted to add that you can probably solve the TOC problem by using multiple TOCs that are merged into a master TOC. Every user can work on "his" TOC. A prerequisite for this would be that there is a clean cut through the topics concerning which user edits which parts of the project.

[Gravenstein]

Good point, robert-sfl. That's an option open to RH7 users.

G