Creating Connections

Creating a connection is the first thing you will need to do when working with SQLSourceSafe. A connection represents the association of a single database in SQL Server to a project in Visual SourceSafe. It contains:

Connection name;
SourceSafe repository connection properties (Visual SourceSafe server configuration file location, source control project path, authorization data);
SQL Server database connection properties (SQL Server name, database name, authorization data).

Figure 1. Connection wizard first screen: connection name and SourceSafe information

Figure 2. Connection wizard second screen: SQL Server information

Once created, the connection is saved as an xml file in the SQLSourceSafe working directory. It can be opened and modified, or re-configured, at any time.

To create a new connection, select File\New Connection from the menu. The Connection Wizard will appear in a popup window. The first screen asks for connection name and Visual SourceSafe properties, the second screen asks for SQL Server properties. Complete all steps by providing the required information. The connection will be created.

If the SourceSafe project does not exist but the SQL database exists, the application will prompt you to add all SQL Server database items to SourceSafe repository. If the SourceSafe project exists but the SQL Server database does not exist, the application will prompt you to create the database using the database items from the SourceSafe project.

The application will open the SourceSafe and SQL Server database and pop up all items in the SourceSafe Pane and SQL Server pane, respectively.