Microsoft KB Archive/130886

{| = Parallel Development for Visual Basic Files w/ Microsoft Delta =
 * width="100%"|

ID: Q130886

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Delta for Windows, version 1.0

SUMMARY
Merge conflicts can be a common occurrence when several developers are working on the same project. This article presents some steps that can help prevent merge conflicts during parallel development with Visual Basic.

MORE INFORMATION
1. Add the files to the project as 'Allow Only Exclusive Out' or change

the file type to 'Exclusive Out.' The best way to prevent merge conflicts is to prevent developers from working on the same files. This does not prevent a developer from working on the same project. 2. Do not allow two developers to work on the same .FRM file to prevent a  merge conflict. The position of a form is recorded within the file. If  the form is saved after moving the form window, the new position is   written to the file. While making changes, a second developer is most likely going to move the form window, and save the file. This creates a  merge conflict. The same lines of code, containing the form location, are changed by both developers. 3. Save the .FRM and .BAS files by choosing Save File in Visual Basic instead of using Save Project. Using Save Project saves the changes to  the project in addition to the changes made to the form. Visual Basic cannot save the Project unless all project files are checked out. By  using Save File to save the forms, developers can work on different forms of the same project. 4. You can allow more than one developer to work on the same module (.BAS). When an attempt is made to check out a file that is already checked out exclusively to one developer, Delta reports to whom the file is checked out. The developer wanting to work on the file must contact the person who has the file checked out. If the file is checked in, and the file type is changed to remove 'exclusive out,' then both developers may check out and successfully work on the same file. A merge conflict occurs only if the developers make changes to the same line of code. When the second developer checks in the file, Delta will merge his file with the master and ask the developer to verify that the merge was successful.