Logging In/Choosing a Database

Utilizing the SourceSafe tools developers can have access to multiple SourceSafe databases, in most small to midsize organizations it is likely a single SourceSafe database will be utilized. The following demonstrates how to setup SourceSafe to access a database and then log into it, your username and password is specific to the database you are accessing.

1. After launching SourceSafe a dialog will be displayed asking you for your Username, Password and the Database to connect to, the first time you attempt to connect you will be required to define the database. Your SourceSafe administrator should give you the information where the database is located on the network. For the purposes of this tutorial the assume network path will be \\littlekeptin\sourcesafedatabasedirectory\demosourcesafe - the choice of a long UNC (Universal Naming Convention) is intentional. In this case littlekeptin is the server name, sourcesafedatabasedirectory is the share name and demosourcesafe is the directory which the database is located in. Note the Database field in the dialog box below - it would be tempting to type the entire UNC in this area except it only allows for 31 characters. To utilize UNCs with longer than 31 characters (this process can be utilized and is recommended for all UNCs since it allows you to give the database a logical name) simply press the Browse button.
   
   
   
   
2. The next dialog will allow you, the user, to select a database or to define a new one. In this case there are two databases defined, Demo and Microsoft Visual Studio (which points to a version of SourceSafe on the local drive). To add another SourceSafe database select Browse.
   
   
   
3. In the file browser type in the UNC provided by your network administrator, in this tutorial it would be \\littlekeptin\sourcesafedatabasedirectory\demosourcesafe. If the UNC is correct you will see a srcsafe.ini file, click on it (this is the file which SourceSafe must be able to access in order to utilize the database). After selecting srcsafe.ini click Open.
   
   
   
4. The following dialog allows you to define a logical name for the database (Database name), this is just a name which will be displayed to you on your machine. Its recommended you enter a name here that would make sense (perhaps your Dept/Project name) and would allow you differentiate it from other SourceSafe databases. Since this is a Demo the database is going to be called "My Demo SourceSafe". After defining the name click OK.
   
   
   
   
5. After clicking OK the dialog box displayed in step 2 will once again appear except this time the newly added database will be in the list. The newly added Database will be selected, it is recommended you enter your username in the Username field (this would be provided to you by your SourceSafe Administrator) and if this is the database you will be utilizing for all or most of your projects be sure "Open this database the next time I run Visual SourceSafe" is checked. Click Open.
   
   
   
6. The Username/Password/Database dialog will now be displayed with the recently added database in the Database field. Enter your Username and Password and click OK.
   
   
   
   If the following error appears contact your Server Administrator, it indicates that you do not have the network permissions to access the SourceSafe database. In order to access information on SourceSafe you must have both a username and password in the database and have network privileges to access the server (or rather the server's share).
   
   
   
7. If the login is successful the SourceSafe main screen will be displayed: