Team Foundation Server- How to effectively set up source code layout with dependencies.

Question

I am currently trying to set up a new visual studio 2008 solution while using TFS.
Current structure is as follows

ProjectName  
- src
    * SomeSolution.sln
    * ProjectFolder1
    * ProjectFolder2
- Third Party Tools

In subversion I would just go to the root directory and do svn update. Or with Git, git pull origin from the root directory as well.

When in Visual Studio and I right click the solution and press "get latest version" I only get the latest src located in the solution. Is there a way withing Visual Studio where I could cleanly get the latest libraries as well? Or am I going to have to install the powertools on every developers machines so that they can update from windows explorer?

Answer 1

Using the Source Control window, right click on the ProjectName and select Get Latest Version

Or, add the Third Party files under a solution folder. That way you can continue using the file/directory structure you have set up, as well as be able to get latest just from getting latest on the solution file itself

Answer 2

You must install the TeamExplorer on all machines that access the TFS server. Just know this way. The "GetLastVersion" already overwrites files of the machine.

Answer 3

As qntmfred said, Run Get Latest from the Source Control window. This is the only way to ensure that you get everything in the source tree you want.

We typically have an Assemblies folder in our main solution that all third party binaries used in that application are branched into. When the third part library is updated, we sync the branches with the relevant solutions that need them. All projects reference the assemblies from their locally branched copies. For example:

$TFS/
/ProjectName
     SomeSolution.sln
     /Assemblies
          /Third Party (contains DLLs only)
     /Websites
          /ProjectFolder1
          /ProjectFolder2
/Third Party Tools
     /(tool name)
          /bin
          /src