TDS Serialization and Long Item / File Paths
In a recent project, I needed to serialize all of the items included in the Data Exchange Framework (DEF) and D365 connector modules.
The challenge is that the items have long names and deeply nested paths. Windows has a default 256 character file path limit.
I saw errors like this when getting the Sitecore items into the TDS project:
An exception occured while updating the sitecore item xxxxxxException Could not find a part of the path 'C:\projects\ClientName\src\Foundation\DataExchange\serialization\ClientName.Foundation.DataExchange.TDS.Master\sitecore\templates\Data Exchange\Framework\Folders\Folders for Data Access\Base Mappings Applied Action Rules for Provider Root\__Standard Values.item'. (DirectoryNotFoundException): at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath) at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.File.InternalWriteAllBytes(String path, Byte[] bytes, Boolean checkHost) at System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes(String path, Byte[] bytes) at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.SitecoreItemNode.RefreshSitecoreInfo(String sitecoreItemPath) at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.SitecoreProjectNode.CreateSitecoreItemNode(String localItemPath, String sitecoreIcon, HierarchyNode parent) at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Dialogs.GetItemStatus.<>c__DisplayClass19_2.<GetItem>b__3() at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Utils.Support.<>c__DisplayClass62_0.<DispatchToUIThread>b__0()Exception Object reference not set to an instance of an object. (NullReferenceException): at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Dialogs.GetItemStatus.GetItem(CheckedSitecoreItem item, Dictionary`2 createdNodes) at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Dialogs.GetItemStatus.GetItemsWorker()TDS has a great guide on how to overcome this issue, and I can confirm that it works well. Thanks to the Hedgehog team!
https://www.teamdevelopmentforsitecore.com/Blog/file-length-error-tds
Here's how I applied the aliases:
Parent Item 1 ==> Alias of "1" - Child Item 1 ==> Alias of "1" - Child Item 2 ==> Alias of "2" - Child Item 3 ==> Alias of "3" - Child Item 4 ==> Alias of "4"Parent Item 2 ==> Alias of "2" - Child Item 1 ==> Alias of "1" - Child Item 2 ==> Alias of "2" - Child Item 3 ==> Alias of "3" - Child Item 4 ==> Alias of "4"
Something to keep in mind is that just because the file system aliases work on your machine, that does not guarantee that it will work on other machines. Other developers and upstream environments may be pulling the files into different, more deeply nested areas of the file system. For this reason, err on the side of using file system aliases wherever paths start getting close to the path limit.
Keep BUIDLing,
Marcel
