Has anyone used MS visual studio 2013 and Team foundation server (TFS) as a repository for their GIS projects?

Question

My company is about to start using TFS to implement agile SDLC but we have zero experience with GIS projects. My questions is what are the pros and cons of using TFS with GIS projects. For example, does TFS allow all ArcGIS file formats?, does version control in TFS works with FGDB?, Can MXDs and SDs be stored in TFS?, Can GIS codes/scipts stored in TFS be executed within TFS?

SimonFonji · Answer

Hello Brent, we are using both FGDB and SDE. You mentioned you had issues with storing SDE database scripts. Are you suggesting storing files with .sde might pose a problem e.g. ArcSDEConnectionFile or better still what specific sde database scripts you had issues with?

Thanks

Simon.

SimonFonji · Answer

Thanks Brent,

We are in the process of coming up with what we need to put in TFS. Your comment was very helpful.

BrentHoskisson · Answer

TFS is merely a database (albeit an intelligent one).  It doesn't care what your file formats are.  I think it just loads your file as an object into the database.  We have used TFS for years with no issues.  I have stored scripts and mxd's in TFS.  I've never used it with FGDB because we use SDE.  And we have tried to store entire SDE database scripts, but found it much more trouble than it was worth.  Incremental database backups work just as well.

If you are a Microsoft shop, TFS is Microsoft and it plays nicely with everything Microsoft.

Good Luck

Brent Hoskisson