Folder and file structure of a version-controlled project (working copy)

A version-controlled project in Control FPWIN Pro7 is mirrored to its related folder and file structure "ProjectName.vcf" (called project working copy) in the same place where your project is stored:

Control FPWIN Pro7 project	Working copy in the file explorer

• Root folder "ProjectName.vcf" (vcf=version-controlled folder)

  • "Project.asc"

    Complete PLC configuration and dependent parts of the project, including communication and network parameters, and compile options

  • "Tasks.asc"

    List of tasks with their data and assigned POUs

  • "WorkingCopyVersionInfo.txt"

    The file contains the version number 1 or 2 (of the working copy) and is used for recognizing the working copy correctly.

    Version=1: working copy of projects created with Control FPWIN Pro7 lower than version 7.7.4.0

    Version=2: working copy of projects created with Control FPWIN Pro7 version 7.7.4.0 onwards with GUIDs of variables and GVLs

• Subfolders

  • "POUs"

    POU pool of the project with complete data of POUs (header and body content)

  • "DUTs"

    DUT pool of the project with complete data of DUTs (member declarations each consisting of data such as identifier, data type and initial value)

  • "GVLs"

    GVL pool that contains the lists of the global variables of the project with their identifiers, classes, addresses, data types, initial values.

  • "Libraries"

    User libraries in the project, independent of whether they are under version control or not:

    • Those user libraries that are not under version control are represented by their *.sul files.

    • Those user libraries that are under version control are represented by their complete own user library working copy (e.g. a folder named "Library name.vcf")

• Files

  In the subfolders in the working copy there is a set of files representing Control FPWIN Pro7 objects:

  • POUs, GVLs and DUTs

    Each of these files represents a separable POU, GVL or DUT with file extension ".asc"

  • User libraries with file extension ".sul" or own user library working copies.

  However, the set can be empty (and so can the folder). The folder may be missing altogether.

  In the "Libraries" folder, user libraries can appear as being in use only (not under version control, without an embedded library working copy here) or as being developed (under version control, with embedded library working copy here).

Format and content of the version-controlled files

Version-controlled files are in textual ASCII file format which is also used to export and import nearly every part of a project or the whole project at once. However, some objects contain data exported in a binary, non-readable format (like "Project.asc") or text parts that are encrypted for security reasons. The following objects are encrypted and are exported in a binary format:

• "Project.asc"

• The passwords of the security levels for a project stored in the file "Project.asc"

• Objects with a security level higher than 0

• The security level settings of objects

• Unversioned user libraries as "UserLibraryName.sul" in the "Libraries" folder

• POUs in read-protected user libraries under version control