Preparing to Use an External SCM Tool (Windows)

Before you can use the VisualAge for Java interface to an external source configuration management (SCM) tool, you must meet the following prerequisites:

  1. You must install the client code for your SCM tool on your workstation.
  2. In the Windows NT registry, your SCM tool must be registered under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SourceCodeControlProvider, for the variable ProviderRegKey. To verify this, issue regedit from a command prompt. For more information, consult your SCM tool's documentation on enabling Source Code Control (SCC) functionality.
  3. Using the native SCM software, someone has to create an organizational structure that your SCM tool will use to manage your .java files. Depending on the SCM software that you use, one or more of the following organizational units may be required:

    You will require this organizational information when you define your SCM connection.

  4. You must test your native SCM client with the structure mentioned above. A good exercise is to export a few classes from VisualAge for Java to the file system, and to check them in using your native SCM client program. This action should have the following results:
  5. Some SCM tools, for example PVCS Version Manager, may need to be reconfigured to handle four-character (.java) file extensions.

Once you have met these prerequisites, you are ready to set the default parameters for VisualAge for Java to use when connecting to your external SCM tool. See below for a link to information on performing this task.

The Work Directory
When you define the connection to your external SCM tool, you will need to specify a work directory. Here is an example of how the work directory is used.

If you were not using the automated interface from VisualAge for Java to your external SCM tool, you would have to export your classes manually and then use your SCM client software to check them in and out. For example, you might export the class HanoiApplet to a directory called workdir. Since HanoiApplet is part of the package COM.ibm.ivj.examples.hanoi, VisualAge for Java would export to a file called workdir\COM\ibm\ivj\examples\HanoiApplet.java. This is the file that you would check in and out of your SCM tool's repository.

With the SCM interface provided with VisualAge for Java, you can select HanoiApplet in the IDE, and then select Tools > External SCM > Checkin from its pop-up menu. This will export the class to a .java file and check it in for you. If you specify workdir as the default work directory when you set your SCM connection parameters, the class is automatically exported to workdir\COM\ibm\ivj\examples\HanoiApplet.java.

As mentioned above in the list of prerequisites, the work directory must be recognized by your SCM tool.

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External SCM Tools (Windows)

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Exporting Source Code to the File System
Setting Your SCM Connection Parameters (Windows)
Launching Your SCM Program (Windows)
Adding Classes to the SCM Repository (Windows)
Checking Classes Out from an External SCM Tool (Windows)
Checking Classes In with an External SCM Tool (Windows)