title: .NET Web Service Best Practice for multiple developers
body: <p>We have a large ASP.NET project consisting of several hundred reports.   We are in the process of moving all the SQL Queries (running against an Oracle Database) into three web services. The web services are categorized by command, selections and report queries.  We have to deploy a sub-set of our project using a SQL*Server backend to several locations that are disconnected from the Internet.  Therefore, having all connections to the database and queries in the web services makes the application manageable and we can pull the sub-set of reports and not have to modify the code. The project is under source control using Serena ChangeMan software.   </p>
  
  <p>The issue is we have several programmers and they all need check out the web services files to work on their items.   We have just implemented branching, but it is slowly becoming a nightmare.   We have monthly production deliveries and sometimes items that are supposed to go into the monthly build get held up until next month.  The merging has become a manual process.</p>
  
  <p>I have conduct Internet Searches and I’m surprised that I have not been able to find any good “Best Practice” web services architecture white pages.  There are many big companies that must have faced these issues. </p>
  
  <p>Do most large development groups use branching?  I did read that Visual Studio Team System Database Edition could provide standard code that will allow the application to connect to different databases.  Would purchasing Team System be the best method?  Or does anyone know where I can find documentation that will help us address these issues? </p>
  
  <p>Thank you,
  Lorie</p>