Web development with Visual Studio and Plastic SCM

Web applications development is one among the foremost usual activities administered by most software companies using Visual Studio. The IDE version 2005 introduced numerous improvements allowing working with this type of application. These improvements make working with Web applications more almost like conventional Windows applications. When it's about web development it's also essential to introduce parallel development and to try to do this the primary step is to possess a versioning system to manage changes. this text will explain different solutions, also because the right way of configuring Visual Studio to use it alongside a versioning system on web projects.

Deployment configurations of the web development and version control system

Although developing web applications with Visual Studio is sort of almost like conventional applications development, there are some special features that impose certain constraints that ought to be taken under consideration . Visual Studio supports the subsequent three working modes for version control on web projects:

Isolated Development

This mode is that the one that better adjusts to working with a version control and therefore the one recommended by Microsoft. Every developer has his own web server (IIS) installed locally to enable executing and debugging the applications. Code modifications are done on an area copy which works against the centralized version

Semi-isolated Development

Microsoft doesn't recommend using this method if you pretend to figure with a versioning system. there's just one centralized server that can execute and debug the online application. This server also will host every source control copy. Workspaces are going to be placed on a foreign machine and can be shared through net units or UNC paths. This working model is not any longer supported by Visual Studio 2005 and newer versions albeit it had been available on the 2003 version.

Non-isolated Development

Microsoft doesn't recommend using this mode but it's still employed by many companies. there's just one web server configured to execute and debug web applications. Developers usually work from the server's FrontPage extensions. Programmers cannot work isolated with this sort of development. Practically no version control supports this working model.

Working with Plastic SCM and Visual Studio

To figure with Visual Studio and Plastic SCM the isolated development working mode is mandatory. this manner of parallel development is feasible, which is great news for users. the sole disadvantage of isolated development is that the debugging and testing environment employed by the developer is sort of different from a true production system. Developers' computers are usually less powerful than the server where the important system is going to be executed, and that they even have a special software configuration.

Nevertheless, the advantage of having the ability to form parallel changes and not being constrained to debug only a user at a time (as the opposite modes do, since there's just one webserver) far out weights the possible disadvantages. Anyway, it's possible to map out this limitation by introducing a testing or preproduction server on which the appliance is often installed and tested.

Creating an internet Project associated with Plastic SCM with Visual Studio

The steps to make a replacement Project and associate it to Plastic SCM are described below. it's important to use the subsequent instructions on the indicated order:

Create a workspace in c:\Inetpub\wwwroot (the folder where the IIS server is located).

Create a blank solution during this folder or in any subfolder.

Add Web projects to the answer.

File / New / Web Application / ASP.NET

Select as path http://localhost/Project

Add the answer to Plastic SCM.

The recommended directory structure to realize the simplest performance under version control is shown below:

Opening the Project for the primary time with Visual Studio

We'll specialize in the 2005 version and newer versions. Also, we'll assume that Plastic SCM and therefore the Visual Studio Package are installed on the pc.

Open Visual Studio 2005.

Select File / Open from Plastic SCM

Select a workspace or create a replacement one.

Select the solution's folder you would like to open and click on OK.

Isolated development model without IIS installed

It is not necessary to possess IIS installed from the 2005 version of Visual Studio. When debugging and executing, Visual Studio will use a little local web server. to figure with Plastic SCM and therefore the ASCII text file folders located on the local folder system, you've got to:

Open Visual Studio 2005.

Create a blank solution on the user's workspace.

Add the new web project to the answer.

Add the answer to the source control.

IMPORTANT: If a blank solution isn't created on the primary place and it's directly created on the online site, Visual Studio will automatically create an answer and place it in "My Documents \ Visual Studio 200x \ Projects \ Project Name \", within the user's local folder. this suggests that the answer folder won't be included in the source control.

Moving an internet project to a different computer

Before adding the code to Plastic SCM's control, sometimes it is necessary to maneuver the online Project ASCII text file from one computer to a different one. Once the project is under Plastic SCM control it isn't necessary to try to do this operation again, because you'll use the "Open from Plastic SCM" operation as explained above.

To move the ASCII text file from one machine to another:

First copy the ASCII text file from the first location to the new one.

Create a replacement IIS virtual directory on the destination computer pointing to the folder where the Project is found (this is ok if the first project is functioning against 'localhost'; for remote projects, the answer file should be manually modified

Adjust the new web application permissions.

Open a Project with Visual Studio and adjust the starting options if its necessary.

Operation notes

To work properly with an IIS installed on the local machine, the user should follow below mentioned :