TFS Team Foundation Server 2010 - Structure - projects in multiple solutions - what the Best practice?

we've recently started usi开发者_开发百科ng TFS2010 for source control.

It's working well with the first solution we have migrated.

$/TeamProject
    /Main
        /Source (contains solution)
            /Project1
                /Source
            /Project2
                /Source
            /ProjectN
                /Source
    /Releases

        /x.x.x  
            (similar structure)

The question I have is what is the best way for set up projects that are referenced by multiple solutions?

Thanks in advance

Sam

I don't see much wrong with this approach. There are some good breakdowns in the Patterns and Practices book on Code Plex. I'd also recommend TFS 2010 by Wrox as some essential reading on the subject.

I'll point out a caveat the book doesn't though. If you are branching one project inside another.

E.g.

$/TeamProject
  /Main
    /3rd Party DLLs (<-Branched from $/3rd Party/Bin)
    /Source
$/3rd Party
  /Main
    /bin
    /Sources

Then you cannot create a branch from Main in $/TeamProject.

One way I often recommend is to have the same structure you showed above, but have all solution files in the same folder (Main/Source) with all of the projects in subfolders below. This way you could pick any projects that the solution requires and the projects can belong to more than one solution. This will prevent any source code structure warnings that could display if your projects are not under the solution structure.

Some care has to be given when you build the solutions. The solutions should usually be built at the same time so dependant DLLs are the same version.

Mike

I have to -1 for the book reference. It is missing something that is extremely basic. The ability to add existing solutions into a branch (/Main) that they reference in that book. Everywhere else on the net (literally, everywhere, even Microsoft) recommend you not to do that ...

If that is a bad practice then who knows what else isn't good in that book.