ClearTeam Explorer - CCRC - integrate with Beyond Compare

Question

I am using IBM Rational Clear Case. Due the current world wide health situation, I am forced to work from home.

The best way and may be the only one, when using Visual Studio, is working with a Web View (Please correct me if there is a better way) - I assume this is called CCRC (Clear Case Remote Client). It is similar to a Snapshot View but without constant connection to the Clear Case server at work (This statement is not entirely correct).

When working with a snapshot view or for that matter with a dynamic view, I can change the setting to use Beyond Compare as the tool used for merge and compare in Clear Case.

Now for my questions:

1) Is there a way to do this also for ClearTeam Expolrer, which is where I control and manage my web view?

2) Any other workaround to use Beyond Compare with a web view?

Answer 1

I found the answer on IBM support page: Changing the Diff/merge Type Manager in CCRC 7.1.1 and later . Where it is explained how to change this setting in the ClearTeam Explorer.

The description do not exactly match my version of Clear Case (9.0.1.07):

1. In CCRC 7.1, go to the menu

   Window > Preferences > ClearCase Remote Client > Integration > Compare Merge > Manage Providers

   

Should probably be:

1. In ClearTeam Explorer, go to the menu

   Window > Preferences > IBM Rational ClearTeam Explorer > Integration > Compare Merge > Manage

   

In addition the following is probably valid for kdiff3.exe :

3. Choose 'Supports Compare Operations'

   Fill in the arguments for compare:

   %contribs% -fname "%filename1%" -fname "%filename2%"

4. Choose 'Supports Merge Operations'

   Fill in the arguments for merge: %contribs% -o %merge_out%

On Scooter Software site I actually found the correct arguments.

These are the modification for Beyond Compare:

3. Choose 'Supports Compare Operations'

   Fill in the arguments for compare:

   %contribs% /vcs1="%filename1%" /vcs2="%filename2%"

4. Choose 'Supports Merge Operations'

   Fill in the arguments for merge:

   %contrib1% %contrib2% %base% /mergeoutput="%merge_out%"

My Settings example:

• Make sure to write BComp.exe and not BCompare.exe . Because of that, I had a problem opening the compare more than once.

And:

Doing the instruction recommended by IBM and Scooter Software did the trick and I could compare my code:

Answer 2

Using a web view is a good option, unless you can use directly snapshot views, as I explained here (CC8+)

In both cases (web view or snapshot view), the goal is to have the files copied on your local disk, to avoid network latency.

The problem is: ClearTeam Explorer does not come with a mgrs/map file to modify for you to declare your own diff tool (be it Beyond Compare or WinMerge)

So I used to get two web views:

• one set to a fixed label
• one for working

That way, I could diff between the two separate view folders.