Technical overview

Why working environments need to be updated
During a day's work, you and your team members check out files and go through the edit/compile/debug cycle in your PWEs. Some of the modifications that you make to checked-out files and other files are checked in during the day. Consequently, the latest versions of your source files will be spread over several working environments, and your team won't be working with a consistent set of up-to-date files the next day unless something is done about it. This is where SNiFF+'s updating mechanism for working environments comes into the picture.
SNiFF+ provides a mechanism for updating both shared working environments (SSWEs and SOWEs) and PWEs. The following diagram summarizes how working environments slowly "lose sync" with each other and how updating them corrects this situation:

As the diagram suggests, updates and builds of shared working environments should be done at times when no developers are working. This usually means either overnight or over the weekend. Your team members can update their PWEs at any time. However, the best time to do so is immediately after the shared working environments you access have been updated.
Unattended updates of working environments
Many development organizations use scripts for unattended software updates and builds each night. Such nightly updates and builds verify that your team's object code is still buildable and consistent the next time team members open projects in their PWEs.
SNiFF+ comes with an administrative script that help you manage and integrate the work that your team members perform in their respective PWEs. This scripts, as well as both manual and unattended updates, are discussed later on in this chapter.