Re: Best practises for Configuration Management before build

[Bob Proulx]

Rupa Bholanath Lahiri wrote:
> Before doing a build there may be a practice to check all working
> copies if there are any files which are modified but not checked-in.

I would not want that.  I typically save and build incrementally.
There will be ten thousand tiny little saves and compiles before I am
ready to commit a changeset.

> So one person may go around checking status of files in each
> person's working copy and accordingly check-in files which are not
> checked-in.

What are trying to protect against?

> Is there any other way to ensure that developers have not
> inadvertently left out checking-in files which they should have
> checked-in?

You should look at implementing an a Continuous Integration build.
Also developers should be able to run a clean checkout build and test
whenever desired.

  http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_integration

This should include both an automated build and an automated test
environment.  Get everything working.  Then keep a policy (usually by
peer presure from other developers) that the build is always ready for
release.  When the build and test is broken then only allow commits
that fix the build.  During development do not allow the build and
test to remain broken and if it is then make getting it fixed a
priority.

Bob