ClearDDTS 4.5 offers several new features including updated web interface, enhanced distribution, enhanced email notification, and enhanced access control. Please review the "New Product Features" section for more details. Also, many enhancements have been made and various bugs fixed. See the file "BUGFIXES" in the ddts home directory for a detailed list of resolved bugs.
There have been some changes made to the user configuration files in order to support the new enhancements. Most things will function the same without any changes; however, the following will require changes to your configuration file to work properly:
For a full explanation of these changes with examples please consult the CHANGES document in the home directory.
This file contains the following sections:
Except as noted above, this release is fully backwards compatible with 4.x. In addition, it supports all the 3.1 commands and is interoperable with 3.x sites. This means your 4.5 server can be connected via adminbug conn to any 3.x server.
Customers running versions earlier than 3.1.0 should NOT use this release to upgrade directly. Instead, please contact Rational Technical Support at (408) 863-4000 for special instructions. You can determine which version of ClearDDTS you have by executing the command "whichddts".
Platforms SupportedClearDDTS release 4.5 officially supports the following platforms:
Hardware/OS:The interface has been updated and enhanced to be easier to use and nicer to look at. This includes updated icon images, more options for configuration, new query/report interface, and the ability to alter your class without the need to visit the defaults page.
The query interface for the 4.5 release is now more capable and more flexible than previous releases. Queries can be heavily tailored to individual needs through a two-stage form similar to the ClearQuest web interface. This form is less cumbersome than the previous Query By Form, page while retaining access to field types and picklist values. Queries can be saved individually or site wide and can be created or modified using the same form. This replaces all query forms in the 4.1 release.
Note that complicated saved queries generated with Query By String will not be converted to editable queries in the new interface. You can still execute them, but you won't be able to change them. These queries will be noted by an '*' on the Saved Queries page.
The reports page has been integrated into the query page. Now you can set up any query you desire and use that as input into any report you choose. Additionally, the gif images are made more efficiently without the need for ghostscript and netpbm tools. Note that as mentioned above, these changes require changes to your own customized reports. Please see the CHANGES file for more details.
Notification Mail has been greatly enhanced to allow for improved flexibility. You can now control the content of the Change Log section, use different templates for different actions, and include the enclosure differences in the notification, as well as lots of smaller enhancements. Note that as mentioned above, the Change Log will no longer be automatically put into email notification. You will need to update your master.tmpl file to include this. Please see the CHANGES file for more details.
Additionally, you can reply to notification messages or send additional information back to the ddts user and have that information added to the defect record. Any mail with a valid defect id in the subject line will be added to that defect record, and these changes will cause an additional notification to go out.
You can now use the editfile command the master.tmpl file to make enclosures required. When an enclosure is required, if a person tries to add an empty enclosure or does not change the initial text of an enclosure, an error will result.
Additionally all logic in the master.tmpl file for Related-file derivations will be honored to the limitations imposed by the parser (i.e. no dynamic dollar variables). Note: Honoring the template code conflicts with the limitations of the template parser, so you may need to change your template file. Please see the CHANGES file for more details.
You can specify whether to line wrap the text in enclosures. This option can be set on a per class basis by editing the web_conf file. The wrapping width is also customizeable per class. This change to the web complements the existing wrap function in the X interface.
The distribution mechanism has been enhanced to better detect potential collision problems. It is fully compatible with existing sites so you can upgrade your DDTS network as convenient. When a conflicting change is made simultaneously at two or more sites, the system will flag that, save the file, and notify the appropriate person of the conflict.
Additionally, the system now detects when defects exist at subscribed sites that have been lost or deleted at the owning site. These records will be automatically replaced on the owning site and broadcast to all connected sites. When you first upgrade your site, you may encounter messages with the subject: "Missing Bugs on Local Site". If you wanted these defects to be deleted, you will need to rerun rmbug to remove them. That program will now give you details on other sites that may have copies that also need removed.
Finally, the remote-mod-ok feature has been enhanced to allow local read/write access control. You are allowed to create a local proj.control file for a remote project (through adminbug asub/msub).
Field level help is now available on the web. The help files specified for the other interfaces are now available to web users also.
Dependent picklists in MS Internet Explorer 4.0 and above are now supported.
You may now use variables in defining read/write access control for a project. For example, you could allow O-state transitions only by the assigned engineer by answering "$Engineer" to the project question "Who is allowed to OPEN defects for this project". All fields in the defect record and the project control file whose contents are a user id may be used.
You can also set up local groups in ddts similar to /etc/group. This allows groups to be created without root access and without Unix user accounts, to make the web interface easier to use for PC users.
Several options were added to make the web easier to use. These include user defined field defaults (similar to .ddtsrc), enclosure expansion, two-stage submit (like xddts), toolbar animation, date output formats, and more.
The webddts interface allows the user to enter, edit, and query using 8-bit national characters.
Finally, we have added an about page that lists information about the product and your particular installation. This should help administrators and users keep track of their site's information, especially in a multi-ddts environment.
Product CaveatsAlthough DDTS is still compatible with older DDTS sites in a distributed environment, the binary interface to connect SQL clients to the default internal database server has changed in an incompatible way. This means that you will not be able to use the older SQL clients (ddtssql, xddts, bugs) with the new SQL database server. This is not an issue when using the Oracle database. The change was necessary to support larger record sizes.
Dates in ClearDDTS are stored in yymmdd format. In the master.tmpl, date input fields should be specified as %6.6s (string) not as %6.6d (numeric), especially for dates past the year 2000.
For example, the date January 1, 2000 is stored as 000101, but if it is input as a number instead of a string, the leading zeroes are dropped.
If you run more than one report from the web interface or save more than one from the X interface, the software will put all the postscript graphs into a single file separated by %%Trailer comments. Some viewers have difficulty separating the pages when stored in this manner, making it hard to view more than the first page.
In PAGEVIEW, you can choose the Edit ->> Properties dialog box and check the "Ignore PostScript Structuring Comment" checkbox and "Apply" the change. You will now see all of the pages in the multi-page files.
In GhostView, you can choose the Options -> Ignore DCS checklist item. Then choose Options -> Save Settings Now option. Then, choose View -> Redisplay and you will see all of the pages. Because of the "Save" step, the next time you bring up GhostView, you will not need to do this step again.
The SQL keyword BETWEEN does not work correctly when the 'between' dates span the century change. The workaround is to use '>' and '<'.
The web interface to ClearDDTS does not currently work with the Netscape Enterprise Server's Secure Socket Layer. You must use the standard mode when running under this server.
On some older architectures, notably SunOS 4.x and HP-UX 10.10 and below, there is a limitation of 32 characters on the first #! line in a shell script. Commands longer than this fail to execute properly. This is an issue with the web interface as it uses the wt_perl program shipped with the product. To work around this problem, our setup scripts create symbolic links to wt_perl, first as ~ddts/w, and then /var/tmp/ddts/wt_perl. Please do not remove these links or the web interface will not work properly.
ClearDDTS does not support the Oracle database on the DEC platform. You must use the pure database shipped with ClearDDTS.
It has been reported by some customers that the FastCGI bridge mode does not operate correctly on certain versions of Irix 6.4. The workaround is to use standard CGI mode by running webconfigure and choosing option 1.
The web interface now allows users to display dates in various formats. However, for this to work, the date field will need to be defined as datetime in the SQL database. An example of this is the Need-fix-by date.
If you access webddts using the new id=
Certain standard frames and JavaScript code is not always handled correctly with Internet Explorer. Specifically, changing your user defaults or toolbar animation setting may sometimes bring up a second toolbar temporarily. The next action you perform will correct the page layout.
When using ClearDDTS Management Reports, you have the option of viewing the reports in the current browser window or in a second browser window. Viewing reports in a second window allows you to return to the original window to continue using ClearDDTS while the reports finish processing. With Internet Explorer, the New Window option does not work, so you must view reports in the original window.
Version 4.72.2106.8 on Windows 95 has a problem that prevents access to links that launch a new browser window. If you are unable to access the online help or links on the webddts About page, you may have this version. Upgrading to the latest version of Internet Explorer fixes the problem.
Version 4.72.2106.8 on Windows 95 also has a problem with dependent picklists. The dependent picklists are displayed blank and entries cannot be made into them. Upgrading to the latest version of IE fixes the problem.
Netscape Caveats
Most error message pages in webddts have a "Continue" button to take you back to the page you were on before the error occurred. It is basically a back button. In Netscape version 3.01, the Continue button does not work until you press a key or move the mouse. Other versions of Netscape work correctly.
In version 4.05 of Netscape, problems have been found where text entry fields are missing (this is especially true with enclosures). The work around is to try resizing the screen or exiting and restarting your Netscape session. Other versions of Netscape work correctly.
Support Centers
Contact your local Technical Support center.