Re: Import by Ref:Why/Why not

Subject: Re: Import by Ref:Why/Why not
From: "Banttari, Ananda" <ABanttari -at- SDSI -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 18:05:30 -0500

Katav says:

> If you have a dynamic manual AND an archival requirement, file
> management (read "configuration management") is required and must be
> STRICTLY ENFORCED; no one except the CM is allowed to check in new
> files. As files are updated, the CM needs to transfer all old files to
> a new location (while maintaining the same directory structure.) The
> old files should be compacted - even with current HD pricing, HDs do
> have a finite amount of space.
>
We have both, and still import all our graphics by reference. We can do
this because ALL of our documentation files -- Frame files, .bmp files,
Visio files, .wmf files, etc. -- are under source code control (via
ClearCase).
Whenever we need to get at earlier versions of a file, we can. Anyone
who has ClearCase installed (the entire Engineering department, which
includes Publications) can check a file in or out or create a new file
and
add it to source control. We can also create any number of "scratch"
(temporary) files without adding them to source control; they are
visible
to, and usable by, the originator only.

In all cases, the key is to carefully plan and maintain naming
conventions and directory structures. The former allows easy
file
management and creation of xrefs/hrefs to non-existent (albeit
planned) files; the latter allows files to be moved round
PROVIDING
all inter-directory (folder) references are "relative" (vs.
absolute).

The things we can not do easily are moving files between directories
and changing the name of a file once it's been added to source control.
This can make things difficult (e.g., when the names of GUI elements
change during development and your standard file name for a screen
shot is <Name_Of_GUI_Element>.bmp). I've started including the name
of the referenced file as conditional text set to hide it from the
end-user.

HTH,
Ananda Banttari
Tech. Doc. Specialist, SDS
ananda -at- sdsi -dot- com

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