ClearCase FAQ

1)I can’t see the latest version of file.xyz.
A classic. Typically, either the version containing the desired changes
is CHECKEDOUT to a different view, or the user is in a view whose
config spec doesn’t select the “latest” version the user is looking
for. Often the problem is that the term “latest version” is ambiguous.
Ask the user whether he means latest in production, QA, in his
development sub-team, etc.

2)What does “Eclipsed” mean?
Officially, an Eclipsed element is obscured by a “view-private” object.
A more user-friendly explanation, however, is that a dynamic view isn’t
able to delete the local copy of a file after the user checked it in. A
third-party tool locking the local file and preventing ClearCase from
deleting it during check-in usually causes this. Commonly, an Eclipse
happens when using the ClearCase and MS Word integration, or with
certain IDEs.
The solution for “un-eclipsing” an element is simple. Rename the local
copy. After the element is renamed you will observe that the “Eclipsed”
icon no longer appears in ClearCase Explorer.

3)What does “CHECKEDOUT but removed” mean?
(Hint: it’s the converse of “Eclipsed.”) This problem occurs if an
element has been checked out and the checked out object is then deleted
using Windows or UNIX/Linux commands (such as delete/rm or rmdir, or
their GUI equivalents). Assuming the user wants the element back, the
solution to this problem is to un-checkout the file or directory.

4)I just added a new file to the ProjectX directory. How come no one
can see the new file in any of their views?
Another classic. There are several possible resolutions:
Make sure that the user created the element using Add to Source Control
from the menu selection (or using the cleartool mkelem command).
Check in the element that was added, making sure the directory where
the elements have been added has been checked in.
Make sure other users have a view with a config spec that allows their
view(s) to see the new element.
Make sure other users have updated their snapshot views.

5)Why do I need to use branches? Why can’t I just do all my work in the
“main” branch?
Certainly, you can work in just the “main” branch. However, working in
just one main-line branch limits a project by allowing ONLY checkouts
from the baseline. This means that two people can’t work on the same
file at the same time without interfering with each other when it comes
time to deliver their work. Do you really want to take the chance every
time you try to deliver a bug fix to your team leader that you’ll have
to call up another developer and coordinate a bunch of unrelated (and
probably incomplete) changes? If you use multiple branches, you can
check out and check in to your heart’s content and not worry about
conflicting changes with another user until it makes sense to.

6)Why do I have to create a “label type” before I put the label on my
element?
(This answer covers all of the metadata types in ClearCase.)
Essentially, label types allow you to work easily with labels at either
an individual (per-file) or group level. If you didn’t have label
types, you couldn’t easily lock or delete a label; you’d have to lock
or delete all the individual labels with the same name on every file
they’re applied to.
(UNIX) I set my directory to /devvob but I don’t see any files or
directories in it!
The most common causes of this behavior are: The VOB has not been
mounted and/or the view has not been started or set.
The solution? Mount the VOB and/or set the view.
(Windows) I can’t find the devvob directory!
The user probably hasn’t mounted the VOB. The solution? Mount the VOB
from the command line or from the Windows or ClearCase explorer.
I tried to edit the file but the error states that it’s a “read-only”
file system.
This error occurs when an element has not been checked out. The
solution? Just check out the element.

7)I checked out a file but I accidentally deleted it. Is it gone? How
do I get it back?
Well, unfortunately, the changes you made to the file while it was
checked out are gone unless you have backup procedures in place that
run very frequently and back up view-private files. Otherwise, you
can’t get the changes you made to the file back. You must treat this as
a “Checked out but removed” problem.

8)Can I version Word documents?
Yes, ClearCase is integrated with MS Word versions 97, 2000, and XP.
Activate the integration by clicking the Start button and go to
Programs > Rational ClearCase Administration > Integrations > Microsoft
Word Integration Configuration. Click on “Yes” to the displayed panes.

9)How can I see just Final Release Version 1.0.3 that is identified
with the label “R1.0.3.FINAL”?
Create or modify a view and set the config spec to:
element * R1.0.3.FINAL. This label will show ONLY elements that have
been labeled R1.0.3.FINAL.

10)How can I work at home when I can’t get a ClearCase license?
There are two common ways to do so:
a.      create a snapshot view on your laptop and synchronize with the
latest work in the code repositories, or
b.      use ClearCase Web to allow access to the repositories. This method
of access provides the user with many of the capabilities that are
available as if the user was connected to the development environment.
The user can access ClearCase artifacts from any location that is
Internet accessible if the administrator allows this.

11)How can I keep others from changing my work?
It depends on whom you mean by “others.” If you mean people outside
your primary or supplementary groups in Windows or UNIX/Linux, just
remove “other” permissions on the things in ClearCase you want to
protect. You use the cleartool protect chmod o-w command to do so.
If those you don’t want to make changes are within any of your groups,
however, you can’t prevent them from making new versions of elements
you own via ClearCase permissions. You must lock the elements you don’t
wish to be changed. To do so, use this command on the elements you wish
to protect:
cleartool lock -nusers your-user-id command on the elements you want to
protect. This will allow only you (and ClearCase administrators) to do
anything to change this element.

12)What is an Evil Twin?
Let’s call him ET. Example: the user removes a file, typically using
the command rmname, realizes his mistake and creates a new element with
the same name – we present you your Evil Twin. Versions of the older
element still exist in the older versions of the directory. This
creates much confusion when working with baselines before and after ET
was created.
How to undo ET: If the user realizes the mistake, he should contact the
ClearCase Admin to fix the problem. The ClearCase Admin should run a
subtractive merge on the file’s resident directory. If the user already
recreated the element:
1.      rename the element
2.      run the subtractive merge
3.      checkout the recovered file
4.      edit the recovered file according to the changes in the renamed file

5.      last step: delete the renamed file so it does not cause any more
problems.
How to prevent ET: There are solutions to the ET problem available from
many locations, including here on the Rational Developer Network. These
solutions are implemented as pre-operational triggers during a mkelem
or add files to source control operation. This is probably the single
most important trigger to have in a VOB. (Click here to read more about
triggers)

13)What does “trivial merge” mean? How about “copy merge?”
These two terms are synonymous. Say you work on an element on one
branch and merge your work back to another branch. If no one has
changed the element on the other branch in the meantime (i.e. since you
first began to work on the element on your branch), then there are no
conflicts to resolve, and ClearCase can just “copy” your new version of
the element back to the other branch. Hence the terms “copy merge” and
“trivial merge.”

14)How do I notify my team when a file has been checked in?
The solution is to apply a notification trigger to the VOB that will
fire based on rules you define. The rules are implemented in a script
fired by the trigger. For more on triggers, click here.
How do I Edit HTML files in ClearCase? If I double-click them it just
opens them up in my browser, and there’s no right-click option to Edit
HTML files like there is in Windows Explorer.
It’s very easy to create an “edit” option – or any other option, for
that matter – within a right-click menu in ClearCase Explorer. Just
use the ClearCase Context Menu Editor (available under Rational
ClearCase on the Start menu). The whole purpose of this tool is to
extend the capabilities in the ClearCase “right-click” menus on
elements. Just specify the new menu choice and what it should do (e.g.
bring up FrontPage), and deploy this menu to every workstation needing
it.

15)I just revised my directory structure using Windows Explorer,
changing the hierarchy and renaming some entries. Why is my ClearCase
administrator looking down and sighing?
(This is only possible with snapshot views) If you want to change the
structure of directories under ClearCase control, you have to do so
through ClearCase. Otherwise, your local structure won’t match that in
the VOB, and the next update you do of your snapshot view will wreak
havoc with your local environment. Perform your moves and renames using
the ClearCase GUI or use the cleartool mv command, and ClearCase will
assure that these changes are known and tracked.

I can’t see many files that were in my snapshot view yesterday. Later I
discovered that someone else had changed the directory structure for my
team’s component. Why didn’t anyone tell me that I should have
refreshed my view from the top, and that refreshing just part of the
view does not give correct results when someone changes the directory
structure? Why can’t ClearCase figure out that the directory structure
has changed and refresh accordingly?
Snapshot views are static windows into the repository. This means that
if you want the window to change, then you must Update the View, or
portions thereof. If ClearCase automatically updated the entire view
every time, users wouldn’t have the choice to narrow the load rules to
reduce load times. You can choose whether all or part of a snapshot
view is updated by altering the view’s load rules. It is up to the user
to take care and update the Snapshot view appropriately to keep up to
date with the changes that occur in a dynamically changing environment.

16)”Why do I have to use a command line program to add a lot of files
under ClearCase control at once? Shouldn’t this be part of the user
interface?”
Don’t want to use the command-line interface for large file migrations?
No problem. Here’s how to move those files in your existing Windows
environment.
1.      In ClearCase Explorer or Windows Explorer, move the files or folders
to the VOB directory that will serve as the parent directory.
2.      Select the items to add to source control. Then right-click.
3.      We recommend that you select items farthest from the root of the
directory tree: the Add to Source Control command for any given file or
directory also adds any parent directories (up to the VOB root
directory) that are not already elements.
4.      On the ClearCase shortcut menu, click Add to Source Control.
When an element has been changed in two or more views, and I know which
one I want to keep, why can’t I just choose the one I want? ClearCase
insists on doing a merge.
You can choose the version you want from within the merge tool, either
graphically or via the command line.