Article: Top 5 bad excuses for not using source code control

[Jim Kring]

[Note: cross-posted]

Here's another article with some of my thoughts on source code control:

• Top 5 bad excuses for not using source code control
  

Thanks for taking the time to read it. As always, your feedback is appreciated and encouraged.

-Jim

[crelf]

QUOTE(Jim Kring @ Jun 18 2007, 06:26 AM)

• http://thinkinging.com/2007/06/17/top-5-bad-excuses-for-not-using-source-code-control/' target="_blank">Top 5 bad excuses for not using source code control
  

Love it! Maybe it should be renamed "Bottom five reasons for not using source code control"

[PaulG.]

Few here would argue the importance of source control. WHICH source control software, however, would be a real discussion.

[crelf]

QUOTE(PaulG. @ Jun 18 2007, 10:23 PM)

Few here would argue the importance of source control. WHICH source control software, however, would be a real discussion.

http://forums.lavag.org/index.php?showtopi...amp;#entry14624

http://forums.lavag.org/Source-Code-Contro...p;mode=threaded

http://forums.lavag.org/index.php?showtopi...ed&pid=6688

[Val Brown]

I'm going to disagree with the fundamental premise of this article -- I personally have NOT found any "added value" in using an off the shelf Source Code Control product. I am (essentially) a single developer (ie not part of an extended team) and, while I make use of consultants at times, the majority of those kinds of interactions occur episodically or in re: to small units of code. I use three different development systems and frequently change those out (any ways every 2 months); and am now simultaneously developing in Vista and XP, with one of my system being XP running within Parallels. I have several different physical backup that I use, including china copies and I rotate these on a scheduled basis. My major project consists of over 1400 subvis and I am currently engaged in a major refactoring/restructuring process in anticipation of the next major release. Partly this is because of the nature of the project itself, partly it's because of demands imposed by both Vista and the necessity of maintaining legacy support of XP-based deployment.

Now I'm not trying to imply that any of that mandates not using SCC per se (ie not using a particular SCC software package) but I am trying to give a bit of context for my comments.

I personally have found that the use of Subversion actually slowed me down and led to my losing some work. It did not help me and, while using it, I actually felt far less secure in my control of the actual source code and frequently quite frustrated with the overall process. Now I'm sure that others can argue that this was due to my unfamiliarity with Subversion itself -- I'm definitely NOT saying that it's bad in any way -- but no matter how true that might be, my lack of familiarity with Subversion misses the essential point that, in my case, it simply didn't add value to my work flow. And taking time to have it POTENTIALLY add value to my process wasn't a very effective use of my time at that piont. It just complexified my work enormously without giving me any direct benefit. As a contrast I have found the LV Project to be quite useful in a number of ways -- not so much as SCC per se but it is a "new" tool, with which I was originally unfamiliar, but have gradually grown to find directly beneficial and which was intuitively obvious enough to me AS I was learning about it, to be able to make use of it in some ways immediately.

FWIW -- and just to be clear -- I think that Subversion is a very good tool and I know an enormous number of people who use it both in and out of the LV world. I have and would recommed it to others who want to make use of SCC and don't want to have to pay a lot for that functionality. But it just didn't work for me. I may look at it again in the future -- when I am at a different point in the current work flow and can take time and space to really get to know it -- but until that time, I am reverting to my prior style.

[Jim Kring]

QUOTE(PaulG. @ Jun 18 2007, 05:23 AM)

Few here would argue the importance of source control. WHICH source control software, however, would be a real discussion.

Well, I figured that I would not ignite a holy war, just yet Plus, blog articles are supposed to be kept relatively short

But, feel free to post your opinions on which tools you (dis)like and why.

Cheers,

-Jim