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(Another new first line, to foil the list server.)
We have a very similar system in place for our Development office. It's sort
of no-frills, but SourceSafe has proved reliable and (as the name kind of
implies) has saved our butts more than once. I can only answer your first
question: No, you if each chapter is a file, there is no way via SourceSafe
to have two people modifying it simultaneously. In fact, I suspect this is
the case regardless of what (if any) document control mechanisms you use.
It's prudent and fairly standard to have one person
at a time working a file.
As for the graphics, we got around that one by not storing them in
SourceSafe, but on the server (which is also backed up). We did so to save
time on the checking in, checking out process. That way, regardless of who
has a file checked out, the graphics retain their links because their
location never changes.
I can't really suggest any other alternatives, though it sounds like you
might want to chunk out your book into more, smaller files. Therefore, it
would be less likely that the same people would need the same file at the
same time. Thanks. DB.
-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Tarwater [mailto:ltarwater -at- yahoo -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 1999 11:55 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Multiple checkouts with FrameMaker?
I just started working in a development environment with FM books,
using Microsoft's Visual Source Safe as a document control mechanism
(inherited from the programmers). With this setup, it seems that only
one person can have a book checked out at one time. This has been
causing some workflow problems, as you might imagine.
Is there a way with this current setup that will allow different people
to check out different chapters of the same book at the same time? Our
graphics imported by reference especially don't seem to like this.
Is there an alternative setup that would serve better?
