Connect/Disconnect feature in the IBM ClearTeam Explorer integration with Visual Studio

Answer

In IBM Rational ClearCase version 8.0.0.1 and later, you can connect to and disconnect from the CCRC WAN Server from within the Visual Studio IDE.

Connect/Disconnect options are provided in the following places in the Visual Studio IDE:

• The ClearCase menu has a new menu item, “Connect”.
• A new tool bar named “ClearCase -Web” is available with two buttons, “Connect” and “Disconnect”, for connecting to and disconnecting from the CCRC WAN Server, respectively.
• In the context menu for the web views listed in FrontDesk → Views.

Beginning with version 8.0.0.3, additional entry points are available:

• In the context menu for the solutions listed under the Web Views in Front Desk Views Page.
• In the context menu for the items ( File, Project, Solution ) listed in Solution Explorer.

1. "Connect" ClearCase Main menu

Selecting this option invokes the login dialog; the server URL is editable and enables you to connect to any server, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 : Context-free connect dialog

2. "Connect" and "Disconnect" toolbar buttons

A new tool bar, “ClearCase – Web”, is available in the tool bar list. Check “ClearCase – Web” in the list to make it visible in the Visual Studio IDE. The tool bar has two buttons for the connect and disconnect operations. The "Connect" button in the toolbar behaves similarly to the "Connect" option in ClearCase menu. When you click the "Disconnect" toolbar button, a warning dialog is displayed if there are no connected servers (Figure 2). Figure 2 : Warning dialog when there are no servers to disconnect If there are any connected servers, a dialog lists their URLs (Figure 3). Figure 3 : Disconnect dialog listing connected servers Select one or more servers to be disconnected. If you select all of them, a warning is displayed (Figure 4). Figure 4 : Disconnect All warning dialog For all other single or multiple selections, a warning is displayed for each selected server. To suppress warnings, clear the “Always prompt before disconnecting” check box (Figure 5). Figure 5 : Disconnect warning dialog NOTE: The “Connect” options in the tool bar and in the ClearCase menu bar are context-free. This means that when connecting from a context-free area, the server pull-down option in the Login dialog is enabled and you can connect to any CCRC WAN server. The “Disconnect” option in the tool bar is context-free as well. When disconnecting from a context-free area, you have the option to disconnect from any or all servers.

3. "Connect" / "Disconnect" context menu

Available in · Web views listed in FrontDesk -> Views · Solution entries listed under Web views in Front Desk · Files, projects, solution listed in Solution Explorer Selecting the "Connect" context menu option displays the context-sensitive login dialog. In this case, the server pull-down option is disabled and populated with the server for the selected view (Figure 6). Figure 6 : Context-sensitive connect dialog The "Disconnect" context menu option displays a confirmation dialog and disconnects you from the server for the selected view.

Note: After a “Disconnect” operation, operations that requires a server connection such as checkout, checkin, and so on, are enabled but not functional. To make them active, you need to reconnect to the server through the available options explained above.

This behavior has been fixed in version 8.0.0.3.


Context Menu entries based on Connected/Disconnected Status:

Beginning with version 8.0.0.3, ClearCase operations that are enabled in toolbar buttons and context menu entries in Front Desk Views Page, Solution Explorer, Pending Solution Checkins and ClearCase Search are enabled or hidden based on connectivity status in a Web view context.

1. When you are connected to CCRC WAN Server

The context menu shows the applicable source control operations and “Disconnect” options. Figure 7 shows an example of the context menu that is displayed in the solution explorer when you right-click on a source controlled item when connected to a CCRC WAN server. Figure 7: Solution Explorer Context menu when connected to CCRC WAN server

2. When you are explicitly disconnected from CCRC WAN Server or you have chosen to Work Disconnected from login dialog

Only the Context menu entries corresponding to operations that can be performed disconnected are enabled. Figure 8 shows an example of the context menu shown in the solution explorer when are disconnected from the server. Figure 8: Solution Explorer Context menu when disconnected from CCRC WAN server

The Connect and Disconnect context menus are not available in Pending Solution Checkins and ClearCase Search. But their context menus and toolbar entries are populated based on the criteria explained above.