Using VSS2005 Internet Plug-in for VS.NET 2003

If you have an environment where your dev server is located in one side of the world and you are developing software apps sitting in the other side of the world, you must be having tough time in getting your code checked in and checked out using VSS.
VSS2005 gives you the power accessing you source files over internet using with HTTP or HTTPS.
VS.NET 2005 is the ideal tool for VSS2005, but you still can use VSS2005 for VS.NET 2003 or VS6.0 only thing you need to do is a very small configuration changes
Here is how I could use VSS2005 internet plug in for VS.NET 2003:
Setup Steps (Assuming the you have already installed VS.NET 2005 or VS6.0):
1. Install VSS2005
2. Install VSS Client Certificate (if you are using HTTPS connections to access your VSS database)
3. Install VSS Switcher program available freely.
4. Setup/Configure you VSS client on VS.NET2003 or VS6.0

Step#1 is pretty simple, assuming you can do it.
Step#2:
In Internet Explorer go to URL
https:///SourceSafe/VssService.asmx

Select View Certificate

Select Install Certificate and follow wizard to install


Select Finish

Select Yes.
Select OK
Select Yes
If all was successful you will get a "Server Error in /SourceSafe application" page. This is expected; for security reasons, VSS Web Service is configured to disallow browsing the service functions. It is recommended to leave these settings unchanged.



Step#3: Download the VSS switcher program from web
The free version of VSS switcher program is available at http://www.codeproject.com/tools/sccswitcher.asp download the binary and run it. Once you run it, you will be able to switch between the SSC providers – Microsoft Visual Source Safe or Microsoft Visual Source Safe(Internet)
The icon will be added at the right corner of the task bar.
Either, Right click to see the below context menu, and you can select which provider you want to use.
Or, click to select from the context menu with 2 options.

Once Start Microsoft Visual SourceSave (Internet) is started, you can open your codes from remote VSS server.
Steps:
Open Visual Studio . Net 2003
From File Menu -> Source Control, select Open From Source Control

it will show Open Source Safe Database dialog box.

Click Add button to show up "Open SourceSafe Database Wizard"

Click next to show up

And you give the path of the ASMX url of the VSS server webservice
(eg. https:////xyz.asmx)
and the virtual folder of the database (eg. \\xyz\abc)
On clicking next, will ask you the database name. and next will take to to project folders.
And you are all set to go. J


Now, if you are not using SSL for remote VSS connection, you don’t need to select SSL.
Go to Tools menu in Visual Studio 2003, got Options in the Tools menu, it will show Options dialog box.
Select Source Control in left tree view, select SSC Provider.
Then you click Advanced button on the dialog box to show up "Visual SourceSafe internet Plug-in Advance Options" dialog box where you can unselect the check box "Always use SSL to connect to the server"
Thats it.
Now, if you want to go back to your conventional VSS connection. Select "Start Microsoft Visual SourceSafe" from clicking Switcher icon on the task bar.

Now, if you try to open a project from source control using
File Menu -> Source Control -> Open from Source Control, you will see they wizard and if you go next you will see the other screens as below.
THANKS for reading this ill-prepared doc. :-(