Managing Checkouts

After a file has been added to source control, you must check out the file before you can modify it. When you check a file out of source control, the source control provider creates a copy of the latest version on your local disk and removes the read-only attribute of the file. In some circumstances you might need to edit a file without checking out the file. For more information about editing a file without checking the file out, see How to: Edit Checked-In Files.

You can use Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio to check out files manually or automatically. You check out files manually by opening the solution that contains the files in the Management Studio environment, and then clicking the Check Out command. You can check out files automatically if you configure the Management Studio environment to do so.

Depending on the options that your administrator sets on your source control provider, you can also check out files in exclusive or shared mode. When you check out a file exclusively, only you can modify it, and no other user can check out the file until you check it in. When you check out a file in shared mode, any number of users can check out the same file. As each user checks in the file, the source control provider attempts to merge the file with the latest server version of the file. If conflicts arise between the version that is being checked in and the latest version, the source control provider prompts the user to resolve the conflicts.

The following table describes the topics in this section.

Topic

Description

How to: Check Out Files

Provides instructions on how to check out a file so you can modify it.

How to: Undo Checkouts

Explains how to cancel an existing checkout.

How to: Automatically Check Out Files Upon Edit

Explains how to configure source control to check out a file when you start to edit it.