The Rational ClearCase Remote
Client (CCRC) was introduced in IBM Rational ClearCase version 2003.06.14
to support geographically distributed development teams. In Rational ClearCase
version 7.0.0 and 7.0.1, CCRC was extended to support additional developer
and project lead use cases, various platforms, and a limited integration with
Rational ClearQuest and Rational ClearQuest Web. In the Rational ClearCase
version 7.1, the following capabilities have been introduced.
- Enhanced ClearCase Navigator view
- The ClearCase Navigator view combines the functionality of the old ClearCase
Navigator view with the ClearCase Metadata Explorer Navigator view. See ClearCase Navigator view.
- The ClearCase Navigator view supports enhanced filtering. Users can create
working sets that display only selected nodes. While the working set is enabled,
these nodes can be expanded to see all of the node’s children. User-created
working sets can be edited. Working sets persist across sessions, and users
can switch between working sets or turn off working sets. For more information
on working sets, see About working sets in the ClearCase Navigator view.
- In the ClearCase Navigator view, when a change is made to a resource under
ClearCase source control, the aggregated change decoration
is propagated to each
level above that resource, up to the root of the hierarchy. From any node
that displays a change decoration, a user can choose to perform aggregate
operations on all elements with changes at or below that level. This includes
aggregate check in, undo check out, and undo hijack operations.
- You can see servers that you have connected to in the ClearCase Navigator,
and you can remove a server from the ClearCase Navigator if you no
longer want it to appear.
- Enhanced ClearCase Details view
- The ClearCase Details view now includes the functionality of the Metadata
Explorer Details view. Additional columns have been added including a Lock
column for activities. See ClearCase Details.
- The ClearCase Details view now supports persistent customizable sorting
and column size for each object type in a workspace. This functionality is
not available for Rational ClearQuest results sets. Users can customize these
settings by assigning sort order in the Preferences window or by selecting
an object in the ClearCase Navigator and adjusting the settings for that object
type in the Details view. Users can click column headers to sort up to three
columns at once. The Details view displays the customized settings every time
an element with the object type is selected in the ClearCase Navigator.
- The ClearCase Details view contains a new address bar that displays the
path of namespace objects and the display name of any other object. A user
can enter an explicit path of a view namespace object in the address bar to
navigate directly to an object. The address bar saves each entered path persistently
across Eclipse sessions, and the user can access these saved paths by selecting
them from the drop-down menu on the address bar.
- More responsive browsing and more efficient operation completion
- Loaded resources are displayed without waiting for non-loaded resources
to be accessed. This allows the user to more quickly browse loaded resources.
- Users no longer have to wait for an operation to complete before attempting
to start another operation. Depending on server resources and the restrictions
associated with certain operations, some operations are now performed in parallel
while others are queued to start as soon at the preceding operation completes.
- Optional view upgrading
- Users can selectively upgrade ClearCase views that are compatible with
the ClearCase Remote Client version 7.0.1 so that they are compatible with
the ClearCase Remote Client version 7.1.
If there are existing 7.0.1 ClearCase
views on the user's system, these views are displayed in the ClearCase
Navigator in version 7.1. If the user chooses not to upgrade the
existing 7.0.1 views, they cannot be used with version 7.1, but they can continue
to be used with version 7.0.1. Once a view is upgraded, it can no longer
be used with version 7.0.1.
To upgrade a 7.0.1 view, start the ClearCase
Remote Client version 7.1 and select the view in the ClearCase Navigator.
Right-click the selected view and select Upgrade copy area.
- New Edit Configuration window
- A new Edit Configuration window allows users to edit the view configuration.
This window opens from the View Configuration view or when the user finishes
creating a view or joining a project. If users are working in a UCM view,
they can use this window to view and modify the UCM load rules and UCM custom
rules, and to specify preferences for the update view operation. If users
are working in a base ClearCase view, they can use this window to view and
modify the load rules and version-selection rules and to specify preferences
for the update view operation. See Edit Configuration.
- In the Edit Configuration window, users can select multiple resources
to load at once and can copy load rules from an existing view.
- New Change Set view
- The new Change Set view enables users to view change sets for multiple
activities and to move versions between activities.
- New Compare and Merge providers supported
- All compare and merge operations can now be displayed within CCRC IDE
environment. Users can use the following providers for compare and merge
operations:
- CCRC Integrated (UTF-8) (was not previously supported)
- ClearCase External
- Eclipse (was not previously supported)
- Rational Software Architect (if installed)
The Compare/Merge preferences page allows users to specify which tool
runs by default when a compare or merge operation is started. In addition,
special handling for compare or merge operations can be based on a resource's
name or type using the override table on the preferences page. Here, a regular
expression can be used to match a resource’s name, or, if string matching
is not appropriate, as is the case for directories, a resource specifier may
be used. To use a resource specifier, precede the resource with "%". For
example, to match a directory resource, enter the string "%directory". Some
examples are provided in a drop-down menu for the Resource Type field in the
Override Table: {%directory, %text-file-delta, utf8-file-delta}.
- Simplified login
- The user can select Store and reuse credentials in
the login dialog box to store server URL and user name credentials for the
specified server across sessions and store passwords for the current session
only. If user names and passwords are identical for Rational ClearCase and
Rational ClearQuest databases, only one login is necessary per session in
order to access both Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest. If passwords
are identical but user names are different, the password is stored after the
first login, but users are prompted to enter a Rational ClearQuest user name
the first time that they access a Rational ClearQuest database. Stored credentials
can be cleared be selecting Clear Stored Credentials from
the context menu of a server node.
- Unified Change Management (UCM)
- A new UCM toolbar contains an activity list as well as buttons for the
following operations: create a new activity, run a default or advanced delivery,
run a default or advanced rebase, and join a project. In the activity list,
users can set an activity, set the workspace to no activity, or refresh the
list of available activities. For a description of items on the UCM toolbar,
see ClearCase toolbars.
- There are two types of delivery and rebase operations: default and advanced.
Users can set preferences to automate a default operation that silently checks
in elements and completes the operation if there are no conflicts or manual
merges required. An advanced delivery or rebase operation opens a dialog box
that is similar to the delivery and rebase dialog boxes from the previous
release. In the new Advanced dialog boxes, users can specify operation details
such as target stream, merge preferences, baseline, and activities, and they
can perform operations on any associated elements that are checked out. For
more information on delivering, see Deliver to a UCM using Default Deliver and Deliver to a UCM stream using Advanced Deliver. For more
information on rebasing, see Rebase a UCM stream using Default Rebase and Rebase a UCM stream using Advanced Rebase.
- New Deliver and Rebase configuration parameters have been included in
the preferences.
- New ClearCase Pending Changes view
- The Pending Changes view supports base ClearCase and UCM environments.
Users can preview changes for updates, rebases, and deliveries and accept
or integrate those changes. Users can see conflicts and run merge tools to
resolve those conflicts automatically or manually. For more information about
using the ClearCase Pending Changes view, see About using the ClearCase Pending Changes view and Pending Changes view. For information about enabling the
ClearCase Pending Changes view, see Enabling the ClearCase Pending Changes view.
- New Pending Changes configuration parameters have been included in the preferences.
- Enhanced Rational ClearCase common operations windows
The Rational ClearCase common operations dialog boxes now have two
display options: simple and detailed. The simple display appears by default;
users can customize what details and options appear in this display. To access
the detailed version, the user clicks Show Details in
the default dialog box. The detailed version displays all options available
with an operation: for example, a resource table, an activity list, and a
comment field. See, for example, Check in, Add Resources to Source Control, and Hijack.
In addition, new dialog boxes have been
added for the following operations: Move, Remove, and Rename.
- Enhanced Rebase and Deliver Preview dialog boxes
The rebase and deliver preview dialogs have new functionality and a
Checkouts/Hijacks tab has been added which enables users to perform checkins,
undo checkouts, or undo hijacks without restarting the rebase or deliver operation.
- Enhanced Properties view
Displays various Rational ClearCase properties directly in the interface
rather than in individual dialog boxes. The Properties view displays properties
for the following ClearCase objects:
- element
- version
- VOB
- view
- activity
- baseline
- stream
- UCM project
- branch type
- label type
- New and enhanced Preferences
The preferences interface has been redesigned and new preferences have
been added. The new preferences include the following:
- Navigation History preferences: Users can specify the
number of days to retain a history of recent selections for the Address Bar
and views.
- Common Dialog preferences: Users can specify default behavior
of common dialogs and also customize the display of the simplified version
of each common operation dialog box.
- Compare/Merge preferences: Users can specify the behavior
and appearance of display elements in the new Compare/Merge view. They can
also specify default tools that run for the compare and merge operations on
a resource type.
- Pending Changes preferences and Pending Changes Schedule preferences: Users can specify
behavior for the Pending Change view and can schedule times to refresh the
Pending Changes view. When users start the Rational ClearCase Remote Client,
any scheduled refreshes that might have been missed become scheduled once
for each view.
- Rebase and Deliver preferences: Users can specify automatic
operations, such as check in and complete, that run before or after each delivery
or rebase. They can also specify options to run for default deliveries and
rebases for each view.
- View Updates Notification Schedule preferences: Users
can schedule regular update checks. Each scheduled update check can check
for view updates and new baselines. After a scheduled check runs, indicators
notify users when an update is necessary for a base ClearCase or UCM view,
or when a new baseline (recommended or latest) is available for a UCM view.
- Sorting preferences: Users can specify the sort order
and priority of up to three columns for each ClearCase object type.
- Rational ClearQuest capabilities
- Rational ClearQuest WAN access is integrated into the Rational ClearCase
perspective for both the Eclipse plug-in and CCRC.
- Rational ClearQuest objects appear in the ClearCase Navigator and ClearCase
Details views. A ClearQuest node displays as a child of the host server in
the ClearCase Navigator. If are you authenticated to the database, you can
expand the node to access the ClearQuest database and run queries that are
stored in it. Query results appear in the ClearCase Details view.
- A new ClearQuest Details view allows you to view a record form while the
record details display in the ClearCase Details view.
For information about the Rational ClearQuest, see About Rational ClearQuest.
- Enhanced support for the Rational ClearCase UCM integration with Rational
ClearQuest
In Rational ClearCase 7.1, support for the Rational ClearCase UCM integration
with Rational ClearQuest uses a built-in ClearQuest form, replacing the functionality
which was available in prior releases through an integration with Rational
ClearQuest Web.
Enhancements for the ClearCase UCM integration with
ClearQuest include:
- The ability to use a ClearQuest Submit form to create a new UCM-enabled
ClearQuest record to work on.
- Interaction with a ClearQuest form to supply missing record values during
the integration's auto-transition process.
- The ability to show a UCM activity's linked ClearQuest record in a ClearQuest
form
In a ClearQuest result set, users can now:
- Work on a UCM-enabled ClearQuest record in a selected ClearCase web view
- View the change set of a UCM-enabled ClearQuest record
For information about the Rational ClearCase UCM integration with Rational
ClearQuest, see About the Rational ClearCase UCM integration with Rational ClearQuest.
- New Create Stream wizard
Enables users to create development streams without requiring them
to use the Join Project wizard or to create views while doing so. Users can
navigate to a stream and create child streams using the new wizard.
- Enhanced Apply Label wizard
The Apply Label wizard can now be started from within the context of
a view. For more information, see Apply Label wizard and Applying a label to multiple resources.
- Enhanced Join Project wizard
- Usability enhancements have been made to the Join Project wizard so that the creation and association
of views and streams are more explicitly represented. Additionally, the user
can now perform the following actions:
- Create a development stream without creating a corresponding development
view.
- Create an integration view without creating a development stream or a
development view.
- Enhanced Create View wizard
Users can now use the Create View wizard to create a base ClearCase
view or create a view on an existing UCM stream.
- Enhanced Remove ClearCase View operation
The Remove ClearCase View operation now allows
the selection of multiple views.
- New label decorations for resources
- For information about the Rational ClearCase Remote Client label decorations,
see ClearCase label decorations and resource states.