[cvsnt] Repo/Module setup suggestions and how to use CVS for web development question?

[Samuel Neff]

Hello,

Just setting up CVSNT for the first time.  We've done testing with it and
are almost ready for real deployment.  We had a few questions on best
practices and were hoping to receive some suggestions.

We develop several different types of applications, primarily Macromedia
Flash and ColdFusion.  I've used VSS and Star Team before for VB work but
never for web work and am a little confused about how to set it up.



Web Development

The issue is that all developers share one development server.  Our initial
thoughts are to use CVS as our repository for ColdFusion files and set up
CVS to automatically copy files from the repo to the webroot on each
check-in.  VSS called this shadowing, and I think I saw some utility for
CVSNT to do this.

The problem one developer pointed out is that while developing CF apps we
will need to commit the files just to test them, not when we're done.  This
will result in probably as many as a few dozen commits per day per developer
for each file they're working on.  The history will grow large and it'll
make finding older versions difficult.

There were two suggestions from our own group but nobody is really happy
with either.

1.  Use CVS only for managing the "authoritative" copy of the CFM files and
during the day while developing copy the files to the server using FTP or
RDS.  We don't like this idea since we're now using two technologies to
transfer the same files to the same server and CVS becomes an additional
step with extra work, as opposed to an efficiency boost.

2.  Install development copy of the server software on everyone's local PC.
This is an option but has some logistical issues and we'd rather avoid it.

Are there any other options we haven't thought of?  All suggestions would be
welcome.  As I understand it CVS was really created for open-source projects
where each developer does have the ability to run the files locally, so
maybe #2 is our only option.

BTW, we're in a distributed environment where developers are in different
offices and everyone is in a different location from the servers--so no LAN
access.



Cross Module Shadowing

When looking at the option to have CVS copy files to the webroot upon commit
(sorry if anyone is offended by my use of the VSS term shadowing--I don't
know if there is an official CVS term), the issue arises that the Macromedia
Flash files are really a hybrid of resource/webroot files (i.e., some files
go in the module outside of webroot and a few--mostly just the swfs--go to
the webroot).  Again, we'd like to avoid forcing people to make file copies
or movements outside of CVS.

Can we set up CVS to copy certain files from one module to a shodowing
directory set up for another module?  What about if the developer locally
copies the file from one module to another and then does a commit on the
target, will that cause problems for CVS?  These are binary files if it
makes a difference.



All suggestions, comments, corrections, whatever will be most welcome!

Best regards,

Sam