CM Basics - December 2006
http://www.cmcrossroads.c
om
CM Basics offers readers the answers to their configuration
management
"how-to" questions with tips from the experts,
real-life case studies,
product reviews and industry news coverage.
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This Issue Sponsored by:
- Build and Test Automation -- new from Electric Cloud
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9&id=929
- Application Lifecycle Automation
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- Featured Whitepaper: Avoid Gaps In Application Management
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- Get a grip on your build and release processes!
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- The Ultimate Tool for Test Case Planning and Execution
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In this Issue
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1. Lightweight Code Review Episode 5: Team Building for the
Cold, Dark, and Alone
2. Ask Mr. Make: Makefile Optimization: $(eval) and macro
caching
3. WEBCAST: How production management software keeps
agile development pumping
4. The CM Crossroads Blogzone
5. From the Archives: How can I get "True" Keyword
Substitution/Expansion" with ClearCase
6. DevZone: Change and Release Management
7. Recent Discussion in the Forums: Separation of Roles and
Sox IT Compliance
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ElectricCommander - new from Electric Cloud
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Lightweight Code Review Episode 5:
Team Building for the Cold, Dark, and Alone
by Jason Cohen
===========================================
In Episode 4 we presented data from the largest case study
of lightweight peer code review ever done. Now let's explore
how peer code review builds teams.
Teams are for sissies!
"Team building" is a load of bull. It's happy-talk
that changes nothing. It's laughable trust exercises. It
stifles the best developers to serve mediocrity.
Read More >>
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Application Lifecycle Automation
What happens after the build? Can the build artifacts be
automatically
tested? Can they be automatically deployed to the QA
environment for
manual testing? Is your build system integrated with your
issue tracking?
Is it integrated with your deployment system? Can you
guarantee traceability
of your deployed artifacts all the way back to the source?
Download your free evaluation and experience true lifecycle
automation.
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3&id=894
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ASk Mr. Make:
Makefile Optimization: $(eval) and macro caching
by John Graham-Cumming
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Now that GNU Make 3.81 is out and $(eval) works reliably
it's time to look at how $(eval) can be used to create
useful side effects inside GNU Make macros. One of these
side effects is a one-line caching function that speeds up
long GNU Make macros without having to resort to := and a
potentially complex revision to a Makefile.
About $(eval)
The $(eval) function was introduced in GNU Make 3.80 but was
a little buggy, 3.81 has fixed those bugs in $(eval) is
ready for prime time. $(eval)'s argument is expanded and
then parsed as if it were part of a Makefile. That means
that within an $(eval) (which could be inside a variable
definition) you can programmatically define variables,
create rules (explicit or pattern), include other Makefiles,
etc. It's a really powerful function.
Read more >>
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tp://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/view/7382/174/
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Featured Whitepaper: Avoid Gaps In Application Management
Find out how best practices for release management can
streamline and ensure the reliable deployment of your
critical applications into production. The new Quest white
paper, "A New Approach to Application Release
Management," discusses:
* The criticality and complexity of distributed
applications
* The void between software change management and
systems management
* The challenges for release management
* Best practices to automate and streamline deployment
* How deployment tools provide a framework to manage
your deployment process
http://www.cmcrossroads.net/go/gid=8&
;cid=630&mid=1056&id=186
=======================================
WEBCAST: How production management software keeps
agile development pumping
=======================================
In this webcast John Graham-Cumming, looks at how production
management software streamlines software build, package,
test and deploy processes, and enables agile development
from the developer workstation through quality assurance and
out the door. This webcast will illustrate how production
management software facilitates continuous integration, and
keeps the agile team productive.
Register for this Webcast >>
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mcrossroads.com/webcast/1830
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IBM Rational Build Forge
Build Forge makes it easy for CM’s to eliminate manual
hand-offs, use
scripts more consistently by creating standard tasks for
checking out source
or running unit tests. Then, you can reuse them from product
to
product. It’s all about fast set-up, smooth hand-offs and
product quality - with your
tools. Learn more. Get the white paper: Process Automation
Solutions
for Software Development
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CM Blogzone:
Read the latest from the CM Crossroads bloggers
http://www.cmblogs.com
=======================================
- Some Assembly Required by Mark Bools
Software Configuration Confusion
ht
tp://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/view/7371/230/
- Configure This! by Carson Lucky
Chapter 6.4: The Tower
ht
tp://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/view/7370/230/
- Brad Appletons ACME Blog
Giving Thanks
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The Buildmeister's Guide
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Simplicity in Better Software
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Surviving CMMI, Lean Sigma, ISO-9000 and Surgery
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Mind Hacks and Surgery
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From the Archives:
How can I get "True" Keyword
Substitution/Expansion" with ClearCase
by Charles Clarke
===========================================
I am often asked why ClearCase does not automatically
perform "Keyword substitution or expansion". That
I can't answer, but I can say that I was never a big
proponent of inserting meta-data into source files, that
already have the meta-data associated through ClearCase that
is easily readable with cleartool commands like find, ls,
desc and others; I have seen to many files in my time where
the inserted meta-data gets significantly larger over time
than the "meat" of the file (i.e. when meta-data
like comments are prepended to source files). An exception
to my dislike is when the keyword meta-data is used to
identify "post release" items. RCS-type keyword
substitution can be useful in determining the identity of an
executable or the file used to build it after the product
has left CM control and reached the field or user base.
Read More >>
ht
tp://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/view/6791/238/
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New Seapine TestTrack TCM
Knowing what’s been tested, what hasn’t, and how much effort
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measurement, and reporting. Download your free 30-day trial
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=======================================
DevZone: Change and Release Management
=======================================
Successful software development organizations have the
agility to manage change by harnessing the capabilities of
process-centric SCM solutions, to satisfy internal and
external compliance requirements. The Change and Release
Management Zone offers a community resource that promotes
learning, collaboration and the exchange of best practices
to help teams formulate forward thinking strategies and
achieve measurable results in their organization.
Visit the Change and Release Management DevZone >>
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/content/blogsection/15/250/
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Recent Discussion in the Forums:
Separation of Roles and Sox IT Compliance
===========================================
I wonder if in a large-scale, geographically disbursed IT
organization, is it good CM practice for a Product Support
Team dealing with production, product integration and help
desk issues do "builds" as well? The reasons are
not quite clear, but since part of the devt team is
co-located and the SCM is in a different location, they
probably want a faster fix turnaround. Is this practice SOX
compliant? What is your company's experience like?
http://w
ww.cmcrossroads.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,180/
topic,70542.0
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