Reviews -> SourceGear Vault

Vault, by SourceGear, is source code control software based on the new Microsoft .NET Framework. For anyone who uses Microsoft's competing product, SourceSafe, the interface will seem quite familiar. Vault also supports general features in the same way SourceSafe does -- projects and folders are organized into a hierarchy, there are right-click menus for file operations like Get Latest Version, Check-In, and Check-Out, and features such as notes and history on Check-In and Check-Out. However, Vault does have an advantage over SourceSafe in that only the single client and client configuration is needed, whether your developers are on site or working remotely. The Vault client has the option to use SSL for communication, so both remote and local connections to the server are secure. Also, because Vault uses SQL Server as its back end, the data storage for Vault is quite robust.

Vault also supports some nice additional features. Sharing allows files to appear in multiple locations within projects, but if any changes are made to any of the copies, all copies are updated. Branching allows two files to be created from a single file, essentially branching off into two separate versions that are updated independently after the branch. The version and status of files on both the repository and the working folder are displayed on the client interface, allowing for easy comparison when looking through projects. Also, instead of simply overwriting older versions of files, Vault gives developers the option to merge the changes to a file into the older version.

Vault does have a few issues that could use improvement. The main concern with Vault is the speed. Occasionally with extremely large projects, developers can experience a substantial delay when first opening the application or when viewing folders containing a large number of files. While it is mostly easy to use, some minor parts of the interface could use improvement as well. In particular, when selecting working folders, the user must select the folder through a folder browser dialog, when sometimes it would be faster to simply type the folder name into a textbox.

SourceGear's Vault is a very good source code control application overall. There are a few minor issues, but the additional features Vault supports give it a distinct advantage over SourceSafe and other source control products that we evaluated. The Source Safe to Vault Import Tool made migration of the entire DevGuru site to Vault effortless. An upgrade to version 1.0.3 was released soon after the initial launch of Vault which greatly improved some of the speed issues. DevGuru strongly recommends Vault for your source code control needs.

For more information, visit the Official Vault Website at SourceGear.