Changing read-only property of files

[jolamb42]

I only have beginner's knowledge of the Visual Build Professional software, as I have inherited our project from others that have since left the company.

Currently our project interfaces with Visual Source Safe & VB6. We have steps that will "get latest" from VSS and then check out the files it needs to compile in VB6 (such as the .dll's, .vbp's, .exe's).

Instead of checking out the files so they can be compiled, we want to instead make them writable on the machine that is doing the build so they can be compiled. (This is because usually someone else has them checked out for another reason and then our build machine can't check them out.)

Is there a way in Visual Build Professional to create a step that looks for all files of certain extensions in certain folders and makes them writable? (i.e. uncheck "Read-Only" in properties of that file)

I just need a push in the right direction if this option is available...

Thanks much!
Jolynn

[kinook]

You shouldn't need to make the source files writeable in order to build, but if you really want to, check the 'Make local non-checked out files writeable' option on the Flags tab of the SourceSafe action that you're using to get the source files.

To remove the read-only attribute of files already on disc, use a Run Program step like (replacing %TEMP% with the path for your source files):

%ATTRIB(%TEMP%\*, -r)% /s

[jolamb42]

I believe the compile will need to overwrite the existing dll's & exe's, so I will have to make them writable.

I don't really want to make ALL of my files writable when I do the VSS "get latest", which is why I'm not using the Flag option you mentioned, but thanks for the suggestion.

I will give the DOS command a try - that should work for what I need to do!

Thanks much!
Jolynn

[kinook]

See the VStudio.bld sample for one method of handing this -- getting (read-only) all files but checking out (and hence making writeable) only the files that might be modified by the build, then checking in any changes at the end of the build. This may be a better option if you want to ensure that the executables are up-to-date in source control.

[jolamb42]

I agree that it is a better option - that is the way we have been doing it. However, we run into problems every time we want to do a build because someone has the files checked out. We cannot check them in because their work is not complete yet and the compile would bomb - but having them do an "undo check out" and keep their local files becomes a nightmare down the road...

Which is why I must resort to the less desired "make writable" option!

Thanks,
Jolynn