Скачать или смотреть Understanding TFS Rollback: Does It Revert the Check-In Date?

Explore the limitations of TFS Rollback, specifically whether it can revert a check-in date and delete changesets from history.
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Understanding TFS Rollback: Does It Revert the Check-In Date?

With the ever-evolving nature of software development and version control, teams often face challenges regarding the tracking and management of changes. One common question that frequently arises among users of Team Foundation Server (TFS) is: Will TFS Rollback also revert the check-in date?

In this guide, we will delve into this topic, specifically addressing the problem of wanting to revert to a previous changeset while also wishing to eliminate any trace of newer changes in the history. Let's break down the solution and clarify how TFS handles changesets and rollbacks.

The Scenario

Imagine you've developed a complex project and made changes to a dtsx package using TFS. For instance, you've checked in changes that resulted in changeset 4021 on 2/8/23. However, after reviewing the changes, you realize that the earlier changeset 3816 made by another user on 9/2/22 was preferable. Here’s a simplified version of your changeset history:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Your objective is clear: revert to changeset 3816 and delete changeset 4021 from history.

The Solution Explained

Can You Delete a Changeset?

Firstly, it’s important to understand that you cannot delete a changeset from the TFS history through standard commands. When you perform a rollback, TFS creates a new changeset to revert the changes you made. This means:

History is Preserved: The rollback will not alter the history of changesets. Instead, TFS adds a new entry, preserving the records of previous changes. In essence, if you rollback changeset 4021, you will see a new entry that indicates the reversion to 3816, but 4021 will still be part of the history.

Limitations of Rollback

Here are some key points that summarize the limitations of the rollback process in TFS:

New Changeset Created: Every rollback action results in a new changeset, meaning you will still see the effects of the initial changeset (in your case, 4021) in the history.

History Integrity Maintained: TFS maintains a complete history of actions to ensure traceability, which is crucial in team environments and audits.

Manual Database Changes: While some might suggest that deleting changesets from the TFS database is possible by altering database entries directly, this is strongly discouraged due to the risks involved. Manipulating the TFS database can lead to data corruption and could adversely affect project integrity and stability.

Conclusion

In summary, if you're contemplating using TFS Rollback, remember that it is designed to preserve the integrity of your project's history. Although you cannot remove a changeset from the history, thoughtful management of changesets through rollbacks will help maintain the accuracy of your developments. Always advocate for maintaining a complete history as it can significantly aid in understanding the evolution of a project.

Now that you have a better understanding of how TFS Rollback operates, you can make informed decisions when managing your version control!