Source Control Best Practices II

· Use unique strong name keys when appropriate. If the business solution being developed is composed of two or more distinct parts, then consider whether multiple key files should be used. Multiple keys in this scenario allow the parts to be treated as independent entities in the future, for example with differing upgrade paths.

· Keep test messages in their own folder under the project. Choose a folder name to hold messages ("Msgs" or "SampleMessages") and use it consistently across all BizTalk projects. You should keep generated and example messages distinct by naming convention or by placing them in a separate folder. Track version numbers in the file name and through your version control system.

· Check in code only when it has passed functional tests. The developer should be confident that the code will build successfully without breaking any related code. Schemas should be checked in only when they have been tested against a wide variety of messages, BizTalk projects containing business processes should be checked in only after testing with expected (and unexpected) messages with all ports configured, and Web service projects should be checked in only after testing using a test harness or by the initiating system.

· Use the version control system to track non-BizTalk projects related to your solution. Use the version control system to track custom tools, deployment utilities, scripts, documentation, and other artifacts relevant to your BizTalk project. For example, if your project uses a Visual Basic® .NET Windows® application to manage accounts in a related system, you should consider tracking the executable and configuration files.

· Choose a versioning number approach and stick with it. There are two approaches to setting version numbers for BizTalk solution assemblies: choose a fixed assembly version and increment only the file version, or increment both assembly and file version for a build. The approach you choose will impact how you maintain and deploy your project.

Source: Microsoft