[?] Subscribe To
This Site

Source Code

Source Code is the intellectual property of any organization. Understanding and properly protecting this valuable asset is one of SCM's highest priority.

The difference between wisely and foolishly administering code can greatly impact the success of any development organization.

Planning a Source Code Tool Migration? How to Plan a Successful Source Code Tool Migration

There have been software development organizations who have had catastrophic loss of their code through a hardware failure or data corruption, only to suffer little to no down-time because of proper backups and precautions were followed.

There have been known cases where companies encountered weeks of down time due to source administration ignorance and not following code administration best practices.

Following standard Code Administrative Best Practices is the only way to ensure a healthy and productive development environment.

Best Practices

Use a reliable and dedicated server to house your code.

Backup your code daily.

Test your backup and restore processes.

Choose a source control tool that fits your organization's requirements.

Perform all tool specific administrative tasks.

Keep your code repositories as clean as possible.

Secure access to your code.

For a more in depth discussion on Source Control Best Practices

The $64,000 SCM Question

"What source control tool should we use?"

This has to be the most widely asked question of SCM professionals. The frustration for the people asking this questions is the answer.

"It depends."

Many factors go into the selection of a tool for any organization. Properly gathering requirements will reduce the anxiety of making this choice.

Company politics, personal agendas and vendor relationships all weigh heavily on this process. Try to separate them from the actual requirements.

SCM Tool Evaluation Criteria

Cost

Software Development Processes

Tool Functionality

Performance

Usability

Performance

For further criteria details Source CodeTool Evaluation Criteria

The Next Most Asked SCM Question

Should we branch?

And the unfulfilling reply.

It depends

Just like choosing a tool, there are many factors and forces that can go into the decision about branching and a strategy for it in the future.

Reasons to Branch

Physical

Functional

Environment

Organizational

Procedural

Branching Best Practices

Use Meaningful Branch Names

Prefer Branching over Code Freezing

KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid)

Isolate Change

Isolate Work, not People

For more in depth discussion on Branching