An application to fetch the release sources from Visual SouceSafe based on an Excel migration plan

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Download source - 28.2 Kb Introduction Some companies use a migration plan as the basis for a project release. Migration Plan (typically in Excel) contains the release file details such as release file name, path and the version number in the source control. Each worksheet in the migration plan contains the entries for one type of release source information (i.e. the C++ worksheet contains .cpp information and the EXEDLL worksheet contains the executable files information for the release). Please find a sample migration plan below: Normally migration plans will be updated by the developers once the development phase is over. Based on this release migration plan, build engineers either fetch the sources from source control and build the sources to create the installation package, or fetch only the executables (if the source control contains the properly built executables) and create the installation package. To automate the project release process in such scenarios, I tried to develop a Windows application that fetches the sources automatically from Visual SourceSafe based on an Excel based migration plan. Here is the UI for this application: The user will enter VSS details (such as user name, password and INI file), the Excel migration-file path and the destination folder (where the files from VSS would be copied). In this application, the user has the choice to fetch all the sources or those specified in chosen work sheets (under Extract Files group box). Building the Application Start by creating a new Windows Application project: Design the user interface as shown below and name the controls appropriately: On clicking the “Get Files” button: The project will open the migration file (Excel file) and fetch the file details (file name, path and version number). Copy the files to the destination folder from Visual SourceSafe. We will create a class to handle the Excel operations such as opening the Excel file, closing the Excel file, and getting the file details (i.e. file path, name and version number in VSS) from the various worksheets. We will create another class to handle VSS operations such as opening the VSS database, closing the VSS database and extracting the files from VSS to the local system. We can prepare two separate components to handle the above cases. To make the application simple, I created both the classes in the application itself. To extract the file details from the Excel migration file, create a new interface (IMigrationFile) with three methods: one method to open the migration file, a second method to close the migration file, and a third method to get the file details based on the worksheet name). /// <summary> /// Interface for Migration File /// </summary> interface IMigrationFile { //Open the migration file string OpenMigrationFile(string strMigrationFile); //Close the migration file string CloseMigrationFile(); // Get the file details(File Name,Path // and Version No) for the input work sheet ArrayList GetFileDetails(string strWorkSheet); }; Add a new class (ExclMigrationFile.cs) to the project using Projects->Add New Item. This class will implement the IMigrationFile interface. To access the Excel automation methods, we need to add a reference to the Excel object using Project->Add Reference under COM tab. Each worksheet contains the file path, file name and version number. Create a structure to store these values while extracting the from the worksheet. /// <summary> /// Structure to hold file details (File Path,File Name and Version No) /// </summary> public struct FileDetails { public string FilePath; public string FileName; public int VersionNo; }; Now we need to provide the implementation for the IMigrationFile interface methods. Before implementing these interface methods, add the following private variables to the class. private ExclVSS._Application exclVSSApp=null; private ExclVSS.Sheets exclVSSWorkSheets=null; Now provide the implementation for the OpenMigrationFile method. /// <summary> /// Open the Excel Migration File . /// </summary> /// <summary> public string OpenMigrationFile(string strMigrationFile) { try { //Create the Excel Application Class this.ExclApp= new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass(); //Open the Excel file this.ExclApp.Workbooks.Open(strMigrationFile,vk_update_links, vk_read_only, vk_format, vk_password,vk_write_res_password, vk_ignore_read_only_recommend, vk_origin,vk_delimiter, vk_editable, vk_notify, vk_converter, vk_add_to_mru,vk_local, vk_corrupt_load); //Get the Excel work sheet this.ExclWorkSheets=this.ExclApp.Worksheets; } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } Next we provide the implementation for the CloseMigrationFile method: /// <summary> /// Close the Excel Migration File . /// </summary> public string CloseMigrationFile() { try { //Close the Work Books this.ExclApp.Workbooks.Close(); } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } The third interface method GetFileDetails needs to be implemented now. This method extracts the file details from the user choice worksheet. This method uses a helper function (GetFileDetails) to extract the file details. /// <summary> /// Get the file details for the given work sheet . /// </summary> public ArrayList GetFileDetails(string strWorkSheet) { //Create an ArrayList to hold the File Details //(File Path,Name and Version NO) ArrayList alFileList=new ArrayList(); //Iterate the Worksheets to get the C++ files Worksheet foreach(Excl.Worksheet exclWorkSheet in exclWorkSheets) { //Check if Worksheet name and the user choice are same if(strWorkSheet == exclWorkSheet.Name) { //Get File Details GetFileDetails(exclWorkSheet, ref alFileList); break; } } //Return the array list to the client return alFileList; } /// <summary> /// This is a helper function to extract the file names /// and their paths based on the input work sheet /// </summary> private void GetFileDetails(Excl.Worksheet exclWorkSheet, ref ArrayList alFileDetails) { //Activate the work sheet exclWorkSheet.Activate(); //Get the number of rows int nRowCount=exclWorkSheet.UsedRange.EntireRow.Count; for(int i=2;i<=nRowCount;i++) { //Get the file names and their paths from the sheet // Column : A contains File Path //Column : B contains File Name Excl.Range rangeCPP=exclWorkSheet.get_Range("A"+i.ToString(), "C" + i.ToString()); //Get the file path and names for the row System.Array array = (System.Array)rangeCPP.Cells.Value2; //Create File Details object FileDetails fileDetails=new FileDetails(); //Get the File Path fileDetails.FilePath=(string)array.GetValue(1,1).ToString(); //Get the File Name fileDetails.FileName=(string)array.GetValue(1,2).ToString(); //Get the Version No fileDetails.VersionNo= Convert.ToInt32(array.GetValue(1,3).ToString()); //Add to the ArrayList alFileDetails.Add(fileDetails); } } To get the files from VSS, create a new interface (ISourceControl) with three methods to open the VSS database, to close the VSS database, and to get the specified file from VSS. /// <summary> /// Interface for Source Control /// </summary> interface ISourceControl { //Open the SourceSafe string OpenSourceControl(string UserName, string Password, string INIPath); //Close the SourceSafe string CloseSourceControl(); //Get the specified version file string GetFileFromSourceControl(string FilePath, string DestinationPath, int VersionNo,int Flags); }; Add a new class (VSS.cs) to the project using Projects->Add New Item. This class will implement the ISourceControl interface. To access the Visual SourceSafe automation methods, we need to add a reference to the VSS object using Project->Add Reference under COM tab. Now provide the implementation for the ISourceControl interface methods: //Open the SourceSafe public string OpenSourceControl(string UserName, string Password, string INIPath) { //Create VSS Database object vssDatabase = new SourceSafeTypeLib.VSSDatabase(); try { //Open the VSS Database based on User Name, //Passwor and INI file name vssDatabase.Open (INIPath, UserName, Password); } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } //Close the SourceSafe public string CloseSourceControl() { try { //Set VSSDatabase object to null vssDatabase = null; } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } //Get the specified version file public string GetFileFromSourceControl(string FilePath, string DestinationPath,int VersionNo,int Flags) { SourceSafeTypeLib.VSSItem vssItem; SourceSafeTypeLib.VSSItem vssVersionItem; try { /// Get the VSS Item vssItem = vssDatabase.get_VSSItem(FilePath, false); //Get the specified verison vssVersionItem=vssItem.get_Version(VersionNo); //Extract the file to the destination folder vssVersionItem.Get(ref DestinationPath, Flags); } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } We have done with the IMigrationFile and ISourceControl implementation. Now provide the implementation for the UI control handlers. Implementation for OnClick of the Get Files button: /// <summary> /// Get file details from migration file /// and extract the corresponding files from VSS. /// </summary> private void btnGetFiles_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { //Initialize Excel and VSS Objects and //Open the Excel and VSS Database Initialize_OpenExcelVSS(); //Extract Files ExtractFiles(); //Close Excel and VSS Database Close_ExcelVSS(); } Here are the operations that this method will perform: Step 1: Open the Excel file and the VSS database using IMigrationFile and ISourceControl interface methods. /// <summary> /// Initialize and Open Excel and VSS Database. /// </summary> private void Initialize_OpenExcelVSS() { //Get the user options strUserName=txtUserName.Text; strPwd=txtPwd.Text; strINIPath=txtIniName.Text; strExcelPath=txtExcel.Text; strDestPath=txtDest.Text; //Create objects this.iExcel=new AutoMigration.ExcelMigrationFile(); this.iVSS=new AutoMigration.VSS(); //Open Excel file this.iExcel.OpenMigrationFile(strExcelPath); //Open VSS Database this.iVSS.OpenSourceControl(strUserName,strPwd,strINIPath); } Step 2: Get the file details (file path, file name and version number) from the Excel worksheet. /// <summary> /// Extract File details from Excel Migration Plan. /// </summary> private void ExtractFiles() { //C++ if(true==chkCPP.Checked) { ArrayList al=null; //Get the file details from Excel work sheet al=this.iExcel.GetFileDetails(strCPP); //Extract the file from VSS to the destination folder GetVSSFiles(al); } //VB if(true==chkVB.Checked) { ArrayList al=null; //Get the file details from Excel work sheet al=this.iExcel.GetFileDetails(strVB); //Extract the file from VSS to the destination folder GetVSSFiles(al); } //XML if(true==chkXML.Checked) { ArrayList al=null; //Get the file details from Excel work sheet al=this.iExcel.GetFileDetails(strXML); //Extract the file from VSS to the destination folder GetVSSFiles(al); } //EXE if(true==chkEXE.Checked) { ArrayList al=null; //Get the file details from Excel work sheet al=this.iExcel.GetFileDetails(strEXE); //Extract the file from VSS to the destination folder GetVSSFiles(al); } //ASP if(true==chkASP.Checked) { ArrayList al=null; //Get the file details from Excel work sheet al=this.iExcel.GetFileDetails(strASP); //Extract the file from VSS to the destination folder GetVSSFiles(al); } } Step 3: Extract the files from VSS based on the file path, name and version number (which we got in the above step). /// <summary> /// Get specified verion file from VSS . /// </summary> private string GetVSSFiles(ArrayList alFiles) { string strFilePath; try { //Get the Enumerator for ArrayList System.Collections.IEnumerator myEnumerator = alFiles.GetEnumerator(); while ( myEnumerator.MoveNext() ) { //Extract the FileDetails FileDetails fileDetails=(FileDetails) myEnumerator.Current; //Get the File Path strFilePath=fileDetails.FilePath+fileDetails.FileName; //Get files from VSS this.iVSS.GetFileFromSourceControl(strFilePath,strDestPath, fileDetails.VersionNo,Flags); } } catch(Exception e) { return e.ToString(); } return ""; } Step 4: Close the Excel file and the VSS database. /// <summary> /// Close Excel and VSS Database. /// </summary> private void Close_ExcelVSS() { //Close Excel this.iExcel.CloseMigrationFile(); //Close VSS Database this.iVSS.CloseSourceControl(); this.iExcel=null; this.iVSS=null; } Implementation for browse buttons: /// <summary> /// Browse INI Files. /// </summary> private void btnINI_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { //Use Open File Dialog OpenFileDialog openINIFile = new OpenFileDialog(); //Set the default text as ini, so that //file open dialog displays only ini files openINIFile.DefaultExt = "ini"; // The Filter property requires a search string after the pipe ( | ) openINIFile.Filter = "INI Files (*.ini)|*.ini"; openINIFile.ShowDialog(); //Get the INI file txtExcel.Text=openINIFile.FileName; } /// <summary> /// Browse XLS Files. /// </summary> private void btnExcel_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { //Use Open File Dialog OpenFileDialog openExcelFile = new OpenFileDialog(); //Set the default text as xls, so that //file open dialog displays only Excel files openExcelFile.DefaultExt = "xls"; // The Filter property requires a search string after the pipe ( | ) openExcelFile.Filter = "Excel sheets (*.xls)|*.xls"; openExcelFile.ShowDialog(); //Get the Excel File txtExcel.Text=openExcelFile.FileName; } This is the first step of automating the migration plan release process. Next step would be automatically building the fetched sources (I’ll cover this topic in the next article). Before testing the application, make sure that the user has the proper rights to connect to Visual SourceSafe and to fetch the sources. Reference and Further Reading Documents in MSDN: Tim Winter. Visual SourceSafe 6.0 Automation. September 1998. About Venkata Kancharla He is graduated from IIT Madras and has got software development experience in C#,ASP.NET,C++,COM,COM+,MFC and SQL Server2000 . Click here to view Venkata Kancharla's online profile.