We are maintaining the code a large ecommerce site with thousands of images and large PDF files.
We are very good about creating SNV branches as we work through bug reports naming the branches with the Bug Tracking Number.
We are hitting some major problems because the branches are taking 20 min to create and upload due to the large amount of images and PDF files.
Since we are only working on CODE and Design related images however, we have NO NEED for product images or PDF brochures, within our solution.
What is the best approaching in setting a development environment using Visual Studio using solutions > projects (DAL, BLL , WEB, etc..) but not having all the extra ‘media’ files?
We would still like to have \images\ with the design elements so we can see the site design.
What about having the extra ‘media’ files located on a mini CND within the same server with a Web.Config setting pointing to it ?
Any thoughts/ solutions for this?
UPDATE – WORKING
Please see my answer below for details.
I would just not include those types of assets in the code repo. There’s really no need to have PSDs and such as part of your Visual Studio solution. If you continue to do that each branch will take a long time to create.
Instead, I’d create a separate repository altogether for image asset files. That repo can sit next to your code repo but would be handled separately at the server. This way you don’t make new version of them each time you branch your code. As well, designers can work inside that repo without having to worry about the code repo.
Good luck!