Very easy version-control for non-technical customers

Question

We've developed a system which involves the customer using a tool to create their own content, saved as XML. Predictably they are storing versions in a myriad of folders and renaming files, etc. And predictably they've already lost work at least once.

We're not responsible for the content they create but it would be nice to help them out. Are there any really easy systems we could recommend them... we don't want them using our VCS even if they could figure it out, as we'd then be getting support requests.

update We don't even need a client-server setup. It's about stopping them saving over their master version by accident, rather than providing a backup... we hold backups of the official versions but they work on them locally during an iteration and give us the newest version to include in releases.

Answer 1

You can use TortoiseSVN with a subversion server. So long as they understand update and commit, they should be OK.

Answer 2

Replace the primary store with a database, using a table that has some method for indicating the version of the file then add an 'Export to XML' or 'Save to XML' function that then creates the output they need. Cleaner than trying to involve a full VCS which will undoubtedly cause more confusion than is necessary.

Answer 3

to my knowledge there are no version control systems which are "easy" to use for "unexperienced" users -> keep also in mind that you have to maintain a server - client environment to operate such a system... or go the hosted way, but there again, no "easy" systems available...

maybe looking at some alternative methods like dropbox.com could be an alternative. they also keep track of versions.

Answer 4

Subversion has a feature called autoversioning where a directory mounted via WebDAV (aka Microsoft Web Folders) will automatically create a new version upon a save to that directory. To the end user, there's simply a special folder to save things in.

Answer 5

I like the above answers but they could always use the document library feature in Sharepoint (wss - free version). it can use WebDAV as long as the site they are using is on port 80. This is one step up from storing xml, and it is sharepoint so it is pretty easy for business users to decipher. The versioning will pretty much save a new version on each save, for Office documents this works without much thought and for other documents they will need to upload it.