Enormous bug with .NET IDE and Clearcase!

[Andrew Baker]

I have just found a very serious bug in the way Visual Studio
interfaces with Clearcase...

I found that once you have opened a code file in the IDE, the IDE
caches this file and does not re-read it's contents EVEN IF YOU
CHECKOUT THE FILE FROM CLEARCASE. This means that all of the work that
was carried out on the file in any subsequent checkins will be lost.

The only way round this seems to be to remember to close all the code
panes for any files you are going to checkout before you checkout the
file out. But you obviously don't get this luxury with project files
(I have to actually close the IDE before checking out project files!).

This problem seems to be unique to clearcase because if you open the
code file using notepad and save a change, the IDE prompts you to
reload the file.

I have played around with the Source Code settings but had not luck,
so if anyone has an ideas I would greatly appreciate it...

cheers
andrew

If it helps I am working with a local dynamic view

 

[David Levine]

I never had that problem and I use CC too. Are you sure that the file
changed? The IDE will only reload the file if it detects that it is
different.

 

[Guest]

I don't know what 'ClearCase' is but if you've installed some quaky version control system, or worse, some dodgy code-formatting program at your office, then I think you're being highly arrogant to blame it on VS.NET when they don't work together.

 

[Frans Bouma [C# MVP]]

I don't know what 'ClearCase' is but if you've installed some quaky version
control system, or worse, some dodgy code-formatting program at your
office, then I think you're being highly arrogant to blame it on VS.NET
when they don't work together.

Clearcase is a very expensive, robust, very powerful, high profile
sourcecontrol system meant for large teams and enterprises.

It can however be the way sourcecontrol itnegration is done in VS.NET, as
the adapter for this in vs.net 2003 is not that powerful.

It might be that it's a clearcase issue, I'm not sure if the TS has already
contacted clearcase on this?

FB

 

[John Wood]

Not that you're necessarily advocating ClearCase... but it's not really that
powerful. I used ClearCase for a few years before switching to Perforce...
and have to say that Perforce is far more powerful. ClearCase didn't even
have the concept of a change batch (although that was a couple of years
ago), where-as perforce has changelists and jobs all of which are handled
atomically.

Sorry just felt I had to step in...

 

[Eric Johannsen]

1) The poster wasn't blaming the bug on VS.NET
2) This tone is SURE to get you LOTS of help next time you post a problem.
NOT.

I don't know what 'ClearCase' is but if you've installed some quaky

version control system, or worse, some dodgy code-formatting program at your
office, then I think you're being highly arrogant to blame it on VS.NET when
they don't work together.

 

[Andrew Baker]

Thanks for your reply David,

If it helps this is how to replicate the problem:

1. Open the same project on two different PCs (using a Local Dynamic
View).
2. Open one of the class files (eg class1.cs) in the code window on
both machines.
3. On machine one check out this file, then make a change and check
the file back in.
4. On machine two check out the same file and you will notice that you
can't see any of the changes made by machine one. If you now alter
this file and check the file back in all the changes made by machine
one will now be lost!!! If however, you just close the code window and
reopen it you will magically see the changes made by machine one.

Sure you could try to remember to close and reopen any code windows
after doing a check out, however this is not great. What makes it
worse is that you actually need to close the IDE if you want to check
out a csproj file otherwise you will lose any changes made to this
(since you can't refresh this by opening and closing a window). The
really bizarre thing is that if you make a change to the files using
notepad the IDE definately detects this and prompts you to refresh the
file, so the problem lies somewhere between the way the IDE detects
changes and the way clearcase checks out files.

I did try working with a Remote Dynamic view, however I had just as
many issues with this (many to do with file locking).


would get grateful for any suggestions,

regards
andrew

 

[Andrew Baker]

If you don't know then don't feel that we absolutely must hear from you!!!!

andrew

PS. Read the post again am not "blaming" anyone

 

[David Levine]

I don't use dynamic views...we all use snapshots on our local drives. When
we update the snapshot and files change the IDE detects the change. The
files for a dynamic view are located on a share on a network drive; perhaps
the IDE is unable to detect the change because the network drive does not
support automatic notifications when the file(s) has changed.

 

[Andrew Baker]

Have just had confirmation from Rational (the Clearcase bods) that
this is a bug with Dynamic views and there is currently no fix for
it!!!



Thanks again for your help

andrew

 

[Andrew Baker]

Have just had confirmation from Rational (the Clearcase bods) that
this is a bug with Dynamic views and there is currently no fix for
it!!!



Thanks again for your help

andrew

 

[Andrew Baker]

Have just had confirmation from Rational (the Clearcase bods) that
this is a bug with Dynamic views and there is currently no fix for
it!!!



Thanks again for your help

andrew