My co-workers and I have documented several ways of getting information out of TestTrack including using the TestTrack Software Developer Kit (SDK). For this entry, I’d like to focus on a tried and true friend: SQL. The Structured Query Language has been used for over 25 years and it still is a good tool to have. SQL Server, Oracle, mySQL, and PostgreSQL all have a query tool to easily retrieve data. The TestTrack Native database has a, ODBC driver so you can use products like Microsoft Access to query.
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There are many tests required in order to release a piece of software. Among the lists of tests that must be run, many of the tests are repeated for each release of the software and possibly repeated even more frequently. Each of those tests has a cost associated with it. Either it costs you time to run the test, or it costs you quality to skip it.
Share on Technorati . del.icio.us . Digg . Reddit . Slashdot . Facebook . StumbleUponAutomation is a key part of any software configuration management tool. Without automation you must manually perform tasks, which only increases the chance of error. Surround SCM includes triggers that allow you to automate many actions, such as sending e-mails, changing a workflow state, and preventing actions under specific circumstances.
Most of the actions available in triggers are visually oriented. For example, to send an e-mail you can select the recipient(s) from a list, configure the e-mail template, etc. However, inevitably you will have needs beyond what is offered out of the box. In those situations you may want to consider running an executable through the trigger mechanism.
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One of the biggest changes in the 2009 release of Surround SCM was the move to an RDBMS system for its database. There are many benefits to using industry-standard RDBMS systems, but for this post we are going to focus on the ability to generate third party or custom reports.
Surround SCM ships with PostgreSQL, which can present a challenge when it comes to generating custom reports. The main hurdle has been finding a low cost or free reporting tool. You are getting PostgreSQL with Surround SCM, and who has budget to purchase another tool? If you are not in a “Windows shop”, you will probably stay on PostgreSQL and may not have a reporting tool that works with PostgreSQL.
So what to do?
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This feature I’m about to show you is so top-secret it doesn’t even appear in the release notes for TestTrack 2010. We added the ability to update text fields via field codes, as part of an automation trigger. This is a small change, with limited functionality for now, but something that the Services team was very excited to see included in the 2010 release.
Share on Technorati . del.icio.us . Digg . Reddit . Slashdot . Facebook . StumbleUponLast week, Seapine Software presented a webinar called “Transparent Traceability in Life Sciences: A practical approach to compliance in your development lifecycle”. The program was presented by Paula Rome, Sr. Product Manager, and myself and was moderated by Jay Luis, VP of Marketing. Preparing for these webinars is harder than I thought but we’re all very happy with the result.
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In this installment of the TestTrack SDK Helpful Hint posts, I am going to discuss ways to troubleshoot issues when programming with the SOAP SDK.
Basic Programming Tips
If you are using the TestTrack SDK, chances are that you have some familiarity with programming, so the following list is probably nothing new to you:
- Run in Debug mode: If you are in an Integrated Development Environment, chances are you have the ability to use breakpoints and run the application in Debug mode. With the TestTrack SDK, you could see how a CDefect object is being built, like the array of CEvents used in the workflow.
- Print out to console: If you are not in an Integrated Development Environment and do not have access to breakpoints, then you might only be able to print to console the values of variables to make sure everything is being built correctly.
- Keep it simple: Start simple and build up until you run into the issue. For example, let’s say you are writing an application that logs in to TestTrack, gets a list of defects based on field values, gets a number of them for modification, and then logs out. When you run the application you get exceptions. So where is the problem? Break it down. First, write a simple application that logs in and out of TestTrack. Did that cause a problem? Then add the code to get the defect list. Did that cause a problem? So you get the idea. You keep building it up until the issue appears again. This should allow you to isolate the issue.
TestTrack 2010, our biggest TestTrack update in recent memory, shipped yesterday. There is something for everyone in TestTrack 2010, including the introduction of our new requirements management tool called TestTrack RM.
Take a look at what’s new in TestTrack 2010 and learn more about TestTrack RM. From requirements management through development, testing, delivery, and customer feedback, TestTrack 2010 provides unparalleled management and traceability of development artifacts. Said another way, TestTrack 2010 is sure to become your best friend if you’re involved in the management of software product development.
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