NetResults ProblemTracker
Source Code Control

Overview

ProblemTracker allows you to associate any source code file from your Source Code Control system to a record.

The source code files are presented as a list when the record is viewed. The entries displayed on the source code list within each can be edited to add or remove source code file associations.

In addition, a history of older versions of each source code file can be viewed. The older versions can be compared to display the differences within the source code file.

Source Code Control Login Settings

Each user must supply their SourceSafe Login Settings in order to edit the source code list.

To enter the login information, each user should:

  1. Login to the workgroup
  2. Click on the Preferences link
  3. In the SourceSafe Login Settings section, enter the User ID and Password he or she uses to access the Microsoft Visual SourceSafe database
  4. Click OK to save these settings

Adding a Source Code File to a Record

To add a source code file to a record:

  1. Edit the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the Edit icon.
  2. Click on the Edit Source Code List button. A form appears that displays the current source code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the button labeled Add New Source Code File.
  4. A new form will appear. The left column will show a directory listing the projects in your Source Code Control database. "$" denotes the root of the database. Double click on a project folder to expand it one level. Navigate to find the file you wish to associate to the problem record. The list of files will appear on the right column. Select a file in the right column by clicking on it.
  5. If desired, enter a version number in the field The problem was found in version.
  6. If desired, enter a version number in the field The problem was fixed in version.
  7. Click OK to associate the file to the problem record. A confirmation message will be displayed, click OK to proceed.

Editing the List of Source Code Files

For each source code file that has been associated with a record, you can edit the version information in the fields The problem was found in version and The problem was fixed in version. You can also replace the file with a new version from your Source Code Control database or select a new file to add in its place.

To edit an entry on the Source Code List:

  1. Edit the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the Edit icon.
  2. Click on the Edit Source Code List button. A form appears that displays the current source code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the Edit button to the right of the entry you wish to modify.
  4. To replace a file, navigate to the appropriate project folder in the left column, then double click on the file name in the column on the right.
  5. If desired, modify the fields The problem was found in version and The problem was fixed in version.
  6. When modifications are complete, click OK, then OK again to confirm.

Removing a Source Code File Association from a Record

To remove a file from the Source Code List:

  1. Edit the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the Edit icon.
  2. Click on the Edit Source Code List button. A form appears that displays the current source code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the Delete button to the right of the entry you wish to delete, then click OK to confirm.

Viewing the History of a Source Code File

The history of each source code file can be accessed via the source code list within a record. The history has an entry for each version of the file that has been checked into the source code control database. The history information collected for each version includes file type, date of action (check-in, check-out, etc.), user who performed action, and any comments entered about the action. From this list of history entries, you can generate a comparison between two versions of the source code file.

To view the history for a source code file:

  1. View the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the View icon.
  2. Scroll down to the list of Source Code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the History button to the left of the source code file you wish to see.
  4. If desired, enter a version number in the fields Problem Version and Fixed Version. Leaving these fields blank will generate history information for all versions.
  5. To see the details of a version listed in the history, click on the version you wish to see. The history details of the version will be displayed.
  6. Additionally, a difference between versions can be generated from the history listing of a source code file. The two columns in the File History, called Base and Against, contain radio buttons where you can select 2 versions to compare for a list of differences. In the Base column, click on the radio button for the oldest version you wish to compare. In the Against column, click on the radio button for the latest version you wish to compare. Click on the Diff button at the top to generate the differences between the versions selected.

Comparing Versions of a Source Code File

The history contains an archive of each version of a source code file. Any two versions can be compared to display the differences. This is especially useful to be able to see the specific changes that were made in a source code file to fix a particular problem or introduce an enhancement.

There are 2 ways to generate a list of differences between 2 versions:

Method 1

  1. View the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the View icon.
  2. Scroll down to the list of Source Code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the Differences button to the left of the source code file you wish to see.
  4. If desired, enter a version number in the fields Problem Version and Fixed Version. Leaving these fields blank will compare the oldest and latest versions. Then, click OK to generate the list of differences.

Method 2

  1. View the desired record, either by navigating to it via a query result, or via the View icon.
  2. Scroll down to the list of Source Code files associated with the record.
  3. Click on the History button to the left of the source code file you wish to see.
  4. If desired, enter a version number in the fields Problem Version and Fixed Version. Leaving these fields blank will generate history information for all versions.
  5. The two columns in the File History, called Base and Against, contain radio buttons where you can select the versions to compare. In the Base column, click on the radio button for the oldest version you wish to compare. In the Against column, click on the radio button for the latest version you wish to compare. Click on the Diff button at the top to generate the differences between the versions selected.

Querying Records for Source Code Information

Users that are members of user groups with the "View Source Code Files" privilege enabled are able to include Source Code related field in the criteria of a standard or advanced query. The fields "Source Code File", "Problem Version" , and "Fixed Version" are displayed in the standard and advanced query pages. You can enter text into these fields to be used as search criteria in the query. For details on running queries, please refer to the Querying Records or Advanced Queries Help sections.