ClearCase snapshot

[glucas]

I can't get compare or merge to work properly with a ClearCase snapshot view. I updated the lib/mgrs/map file Things seem to be working properly with dynamic views, but when I try to e.g. compare with previous from a snapshot view I get the 'home' page (where I could choose to open or create a session).

Any ideas? I've looked around on these forums and it seems other folks have this working, so there must be something about my environment. I did verify that the MVFS extended naming suffix is set correctly in the registry.

I used Process Explorer to look at the args being passed:

xcompare -fname c:\home\glucas\views\esb7.7/vobs_esb_addons\sdg_common\jlst_dir\build.jmap@@\m ain\sdg_common1.2\3 -fname c:/home/glucas/views/esb7.7/vobs_esb_addons/sdg_common/jlst_dir/build.jmap@@\main\sdg_common1.2\4 //sonicna/vbstore/vobs_esb_addons.vbs\c\cdft\2d\1b\f5a4acbba92740668 e979f148b6b8de1 //sonicna/vbstore/vobs_esb_addons.vbs\c\cdft\25\28\3a3cb5c15d7e11dd8 b40000153f77825 /BCompWnd=$001F0572

[Lutz]

Hi glucas!

I compared my args when performing this task with yours. In your args there are some forward slashes '/' (2nd fname and VOB-storage path) which my args don't have. Perhaps they cause trouble when calling BC (both slashes '/' and '\' should work => @scooter?).

Does your args also contain '/' if you call a compare in a dynamic view?

Greetings Lutz

[Zoë]

I think there are two issues:

1) BC usually handles both forward and backslashes, but it looks like it doesn't for UNC paths (//sonica/vbstore/...)

2) Looks like they changed the command line arguments. Anyone have any idea what the (apparently hex) strings are: e979f148b6b8de1 & b40000153f77825? They aren't long enough to be MD5 hashs, and I can't think of anything else. BC will currently treat them as filenames.

[Lutz]

2) ... Anyone have any idea what the (apparently hex) strings are: ...

Yes, the strings are filenames. These files are built dynamically from the history of an element by ClearCase if a comparision is launched (the timestamp is not the creating time of the version but the time of the comparision).

2) Looks like they changed the command line arguments. ...

I don't think so. The arguments are the same in glucas and my case except the slashes.

I would like to see, what slashes glucas gets in a (working) dynamic view. If there are also forward slashes, the issue must be something different (i. e. mixed UNIX/Linux/Windows on server/client which may cause trouble using snapshot-views).
If there are no forward slashes it might be an issue of the ClearCase-version or -configuration.

Another question is: Does a snapshot comparision work with the default type manager (original map-file)?

My ClearCase-Version (MultiSite) is:

D:\cleartool -version
ClearCase version 7.0.1 (Thu May 17 09:19:01 2007)
ClearCase version 7.0.1_iFix01 (Wed Sep 19 11:15:35 2007)
ClearCase version 7.0.1.1 (Wed Nov 28 17:43:24 2007)
ClearCase version 7.0.1.1_iFix01 (Tue Feb 12 10:48:57 2008)
ClearCase version 7.0.1.1_iFix02 (Wed May 14 23:53:33 2008)
@(#) MVFS version 7.0.1.1-IFIX02 (Wed Feb 27 06:00:09 2008)
cleartool 7.0.1.1-IFIX02 (Fri May 2 03:58:50 2008)
db_server 7.0.1.1-IFIX02 (Fri May 2 03:43:37 2008)
VOB database schema version: 54

[glucas]

We're running ClearCase 7.0, possibly older than what you are using?

I'd like to experiment with the arguments and see if I can get things working, but when I try to run this from the command line (bcomp.exe xcompare ...) it seems to treat xcompare as a filename. Is there a way I can do this from the command line to try out replacing slashes or something?

~Greg

[Zoë]

Yes, the strings are filenames.

I think you're mistaken. Here's the arguments (some paths collapsed):

1. xcompare
2. -fname
3. c:\home\...\build.jmap@@\main\sdg_common1.2\3
4. -fname
5. c:/home/.../build.jmap@@\main\sdg_common1.2\4
6. //sonicna/vbstore/...\1b\f5a4acbba92740668
7. e979f148b6b8de1
8. //sonicna/vbstore/...\28\3a3cb5c15d7e11dd8
9. b40000153f77825
10. /BCompWnd=$001F0572

Argument 1 is just the program name.
Arguments 2&3 and 4&5 are the original filenames in ClearCase. BC maps these to the /vcs switches, so it displays them in the path edits and uses them for rules matching.
Arguments 6&7 are the fully qualified paths to the temp files that we're actually supposed to compare.
Argument 10 is from bcomp.exe.

What do arguments 7 & 9 represent? They can't be filenames because that would make them relative to the working directory, and it would mean there are four filenames on the command line.

As for the forward slashes, I've confirmed that they don't work in the current release for UNC paths. Anything in the form //server/share instead of \\server\share will fail to load. Also, if those paths are passed on the command line BC thinks that they're switches and will silently ignore them. That will be fixed in the next release.

[Zoë]

Is there a way I can do this from the command line to try out replacing slashes or something?

Rename "bcomp.exe" to "compare.exe"

[Lutz]

7&9 results from line breaks of the posting and belong to 6&8!

1) ... but it looks like it doesn't for UNC paths (//sonica/vbstore/...) ...

Yes, server and share have to be enclosed in backslashes, all other path seperators may be both, forward or backward (even mixed). This appears in the folder compare also.

[glucas]

Here's the command line performing the same diff-with-previous on a dynamic view of the same file:

xcompare J:\glucas_7.7/vobs_esb_addons\sdg_common\jlst_dir\build.jmap@@\m ain\sdg_common1.2\7 J:\glucas_7.7\vobs_esb_addons\sdg_common\jlst_dir\ build.jmap /BCompWnd=$00100422

My version:

C:\>cleartool -version
ClearCase version 7.0.1 (Thu May 17 09:19:01 2007)
ClearCase version 7.0.1_iFix01 (Wed Sep 19 11:15:35 2007)
@(#) MVFS version 7.0.1.0-IFIX01 (Wed Sep 5 22:15:13 2007)
cleartool 7.0.1.0-IFIX01 (Thu Aug 9 21:50:25 2007)
db_server 7.0.1.0-IFIX01 (Mon Aug 6 23:25:40 2007)
VOB database schema version: 54

[Zoë]

Ahh, ok. Thanks Lutz! In that case the only issue is the forward slashes and they will be supported in the next release.

[glucas]

What do arguments 7 & 9 represent? They can't be filenames because that would make them relative to the working directory, and it would mean there are four filenames on the command line.

Sorry, that's my fault. In my chain of copying and posting the command line those breaks were added somehow. Tokens 7 and 9 in your list are really part of 6 and 8.

[glucas]

Ahh, ok. Thanks Lutz! In that case the only issue is the forward slashes and they will be supported in the next release.

I've just installed the latest release, and everything works great. Thanks!