Visual Studio Git Tools Updated
Microsoft released a new version of Visual Studio Tools for Git yesterday, that adds some welcome functionality.
The update is version 0.8.0.0 (so it's still in the preview stage). The two key additions are a "Resolve Conflicts" page and a new scheduled builds page that allows nightly builds.
Resolving conflicts is a multi-step process that must be completed before pulling or merging project files. First you click on the conflicted file to get information, then compare versions, then sort it all out. When that's done (and all the files are moved to the Resolved category), the pull or merge can proceed.
An "Abort Merge" change is coming, according to the blog entry, but not available yet.
Running the nightly build involves creating a build process (as with resolving conflicts, step-by-step instructions are included). The builds can be triggered in multiple ways: manually, automatically with each code check-in, or on a rolling basis.
Visual Studio Tools for Git is available only with Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 CTP. The CTP, as I wrote earlier this week, is currently on its fourth iteration. That's expected to be the last one before the official release of Update 2. If you're not on Visual Studio 2012, you'll first need to have that; then apply Update 2; then add the Git tools.
Visual Studio Tools for Git is an extension for Team Explorer, and enables the use of Team Foundation Service (TFS)-hosted Git projects. The last Git tooling update was a little less than a month ago. Most Git projects, including Git itself, are hosted on GitHub.
Update: The new release fixes several important bugs, according to this new blog entry by the Visual Studio team. Both bugs have to do with the "open-source libgit2 library for the "core.ignorecase" setting", Microsoft's Andy Lewis writes. The bugs could result in your Git repository being corrupted; in other words, if you're not on the 0.8.0.0 version of Git tools, run, don't walk, to your computer and update them.
Posted by Keith Ward on 03/07/2013