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:
_1An exception occured while updating the sitecore item xxxxxx
_13Exception 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):
_13 at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
_13 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)
_13 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)
_13 at System.IO.File.InternalWriteAllBytes(String path, Byte[] bytes, Boolean checkHost)
_13 at System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes(String path, Byte[] bytes)
_13 at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.SitecoreItemNode.RefreshSitecoreInfo(String sitecoreItemPath)
_13 at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.SitecoreProjectNode.CreateSitecoreItemNode(String localItemPath, String sitecoreIcon, HierarchyNode parent)
_13 at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Dialogs.GetItemStatus.<>c__DisplayClass19_2.<GetItem>b__3()
_13 at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Utils.Support.<>c__DisplayClass62_0.<DispatchToUIThread>b__0()
_13Exception Object reference not set to an instance of an object. (NullReferenceException):
_13 at HedgehogDevelopment.SitecoreProject.VSIP.Dialogs.GetItemStatus.GetItem(CheckedSitecoreItem item, Dictionary`2 createdNodes)
_13 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:
_10Parent Item 1 ==> Alias of "1"
_10 - Child Item 1 ==> Alias of "1"
_10 - Child Item 2 ==> Alias of "2"
_10 - Child Item 3 ==> Alias of "3"
_10 - Child Item 4 ==> Alias of "4"
_10Parent Item 2 ==> Alias of "2"
_10 - Child Item 1 ==> Alias of "1"
_10 - Child Item 2 ==> Alias of "2"
_10 - Child Item 3 ==> Alias of "3"
_10 - 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
