Rational Team Concert 4.0.5 New & Noteworthy

Rational Team Concert is an integral part of the Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM). For new and noteworthy information about other parts of the Rational solution for CLM, see these pages:

• Jazz Foundation (Jazz Team Server) 4.0.5
• Quality Management 4.0.5
• Requirements Management 4.0.5

New in previous versions of Rational Team Concert

For details about new features and functionality in previous releases, see these pages:

• Rational Team Concert New & Noteworthy 4.0.4
• Rational Team Concert New & Noteworthy 4.0.3
• Rational Team Concert New & Noteworthy 4.0.2
• Rational Team Concert New & Noteworthy 4.0.1
• Rational Team Concert New & Noteworthy 4.0

New in Rational Team Concert 4.0.5

• Build
  • Rational Team Concert Build and IBM UrbanCode Deploy
  • Copy and paste support for build properties
  • Schedule property overrides
  • Ubuntu Linux package for the Jazz Build Engine
• ClearCase Importer
  • New ClearCase Version Importer has improved migration capabilities
• ClearQuest Synchronizer
  • Retry Synchronization option for multiple synchronization errors
• Dependency build
  • Exclusion of components from builds
  • Genlink utility for IBM i ILE binding discovery
  • New option to export the query results of source code data
  • Improved Enterprise Extensions dependency build and promotion performance
• Context-aware search
  • Context-aware search engine support for certificate and smart card authentication
• ISPF client
  • Accept All option
  • Better sandbox data sets and directories cleanup
• Jazz source control
  • Line delimiter handling preference setting of NONE
  • Connecting to JazzHub from the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client
  • New command structure for the command-line interface
  • New help usage for the command-line interface
  • Argument separator in the command-line interface
  • Improved usability for merging changes that contain gaps
  • Ubuntu Linux package for the source control command-line interface
• Licensing
• Packaging and deployment
  • Work item packaging of affected output
  • Package preview
  • Export packaging query results
  • Ant Tasks for packaging and deployment
  • Remote project support
• Process
  • Preconditions and follow-up actions
• Reporting
  • Trend line drill-through
• Tracking and planning
  • Plan editor usability enhancements
  • Plan filter enhancements
  • Exporting plans to Microsoft Project 2010
  • Kanban warnings and errors
  • Migrate rank action
  • Removal of the restriction to promote views
  • New user experience concept for work item tags
• Work items
  • New filtered combo widget
  • Query result view column enhancements
  • Approvals support
  • Links support
  • Comments support

Build

Rational Team Concert Build and IBM UrbanCode Deploy

You can now continuously build and deploy your applications with Rational Team Concert Build and IBM UrbanCode Deploy. You can use IBM UrbanCode Deploy to define the application components and the processes that are required to manage an application in test and production environments. The IBM UrbanCode Deploy process design tool makes it easy to define the steps required to deploy a new version of an application.

A Rational Team Concert build creates the files that run your application, such as .jar, .war, and .ear files. The post-build deploy option makes it easy to create a new component version in IBM UrbanCode Deploy and to upload those files to that version.

Then, you can configure the post-build deploy option to have IBM UrbanCode Deploy run an application process. IBM UrbanCode Deploy runs the steps in the process to deploy them in a live environment with minimal or no down time.

When the build is complete, the application process runs, and customers can continuously use the latest features.

Copy and paste support for build properties

You can now copy and paste build properties.

• You can now copy and paste build properties between build property editors. In the Eclipse preferences, you can enable or disable messages and warnings about pasting.

  

• You can modify the build properties on the clipboard before pasting them on to a control. In this approach, you use the following process: copy the build properties, paste them into an editor, modify the text, copy it, and then paste it.

Schedule property overrides

A new option has been added to the user interface that overrides build properties for scheduled builds. In previous releases, there was no easy way to override properties for scheduled builds. Any build definition that enables scheduling options now has a "Schedule property overrides" table, where you can add properties that fine-tune the properties that are used during build schedules.

The "Schedule property overrides" table is accessible from the Schedule tab on any build definition that includes scheduling options.

Ubuntu Linux package for the Jazz Build Engine

The new Ubuntu Linux package makes it easy to install and run the Jazz Build Engine on your system. See the article for more details.

				$ sudo dpkg -i ./Downloads/jbe_4.0.5-1_i386.deb
				Selecting previously unselected package jbe:i386.
				Unpacking jbe:i386 (from .../Downloads/jbe_4.0.5-1_i386.deb) ...
				Setting up jbe:i386 (4.0.5-1) ...
				Adding user jbe
				Creating jbe log file
				
				Password stored in file: "/home/jbe/passwordFile"

 				* Starting Jazz Build Engine jbe                                        [ OK ]
			

ClearCase Importer

New ClearCase Version Importer has improved migration capabilities

Previously, the ClearCase history importer could import versions with labels in a single sequence. The importer did not import versions without labels or UCM baselines, and it also required several manual steps to import multiple branches or UCM streams from Rational ClearCase. Now, the new ClearCase Version Importer can migrate all the versions in any branches in Rational ClearCase in a single operation, and the version branching is also replicated in Rational Team Concert source control. The importer also preserves the checked-in user information.

Two new sub-commands were added to the ClearCase Synchronizer installation package. When you migrate data from a Rational ClearCase VOB to Rational Team Concert source control, you first export the versions and their metadata to intermediate files with this command:

	>ccc export ccase -d <intermediate data directory> 
	                  -i <ClearCase view-extended path>
	                  -F <format string(fmt_ccase) for RTC change-set comment>
	

Then, you can import the intermediate data to Rational Team Concert source control with this command:

	>ccc import ccase -d <intermediate data directory> 
	                  -s <RTC stream>
	                  -c <RTC component>
	                  -r <RTC repository URL>
	                  -u <user name>
	                  -P <password>
	

Before you run the import command, you can optionally configure the credential mapping from Rational ClearCase to Rational Team Concert. By specifying the credential mapping, you can see the Rational Team Concert change sets created during the import are owned by the specified mapped account in the file's history.

When the import command completes, all the files under the specified Rational ClearCase view-extended path are imported into Rational Team Concert, and when you open a file's history, you can find all the versions that were in the Rational ClearCase VOB:

Note: This new importer can be used for both Base ClearCase and UCM ClearCase, but it does not import UCM metadata. And it does not import label types as a Rational Team Concert baseline in this release.

ClearQuest Synchronizer

Retry Synchronization option for multiple synchronization errors

Previously, to clear synchronization errors between Rational ClearQuest and Rational Team Concert work items, you had to open each synchronization status record individually and manually resynchronize. This effort was time consuming, especially with a large number of unsynchronized errors.

In Rational Team Concert 4.0.5, you can select multiple errors in the Synchronization Status view, and click the Retry Synchronization menu. You can monitor the progress in the Progress view.

Dependency build

Exclusion of components from builds

An option was added to exclude components from being considered in a dependency build.

Genlink utility for IBM i ILE binding discovery

Genlink is a stand-alone QShell command interface that retrieves the bindings of existing ILE programs and service programs. Genlink generates output into source members that instructs the dependency build how to bind source code into programs after it is compiled. This utility can help accelerate configuring dependency builds for IBM i by examining the existing programs that are currently in production.

New option to export the query results of source code data

An option was added to the source code data query results view that enables you to export the results to a file. By default, the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client supports exporting results to a CSV file separated by commas or tabs. An extension point is provided so that you can extend the tool to export results to formats other than CSV.

Improved Enterprise Extensions dependency build and promotion performance

In performance testing for a typical dependency build, the performance improved nearly 10 percent when compared to Rational Team Concert 4.0.4 test environments. For typical promotions, performance improvements reached 22 percent. In some test scenarios, preprocessing speeds were significantly improved as well, with improvements ranging from 35 to 60 percent. Each environment and build configuration is different, so your results might vary.

Context-aware search

Context-aware search engine support for certificate and smart card authentication

The context-aware search engine now supports SSL certificate authentication. Certificate authentication is more secure than the basic user name and password authentication.

The -certificate and -smartcard parameters are now available for the command line that starts the context-aware search engine. See the usage message:

 
Example usage: search_engine -repository http://repository/jazz -userId searchUser -engineId engineId

Required arguments:
-repository 
		   (address of a Jazz repository)
-userId    (user id of a user defined in the Jazz repository)
 | -certificate 
		 (path to a certificate of a user defined in the Jazz repository)
 | -smartcard (uses the connected smart card for authentication)
		
-engineId    (engine id of a search engine defined in the Jazz repository)

Optional arguments:
-pass    (default is empty password)
		
-passwordFile    (path to a file created with -createPasswordFile)
-createPasswordFile    (for creating a password file)
-baseOutputDir    
		 (for search engine configurations)
-verbose   (for detailed logging of search engine activity)

ISPF client

Accept All option

The ISPF client includes a new Accept All action that is available in the Incoming Change Sets panel. To accept all change sets that are displayed in the incoming change sets list, enter a forward slash (/) in the Accept all field and press Enter.

Better sandbox data sets and directories cleanup

When unloading or deleting a repository workspace, the ISPF client now deletes any SCM_WORK directories and data sets to keep the SCM work directory clean. If a data set that is to be deleted after the unload or delete operations contains members, new ISPF panels are displayed to allow users to process members, such as creating back up files, and perform data set cleanup actions.

Jazz source control

Line delimiter handling preference setting of NONE

In Jazz source control, the line delimiter of files is based on the name or extension of the file during check in or share operations. In some cases, there is no rule to correctly determine the line delimiter of the file, and the line delimiter is based on the platform of the client. Assigning the line delimiter in this way might incorrectly handle files that are being checked in or shared. To avoid this issue, a preference was added that enables the default line delimiter handling to be overridden by setting the line delimiter handling to NONE. This setting ensures that line delimiters in a file are not changed during check-in or share operations.

You can set this preference for a project area. All components that this project area owns are affected by this setting. The project area setting of DEFAULT results in the same behavior as earlier releases, and the setting of NONE prevents line delimiter handling during check-in or share operations for new files. Any other setting for the project area reverts to the default handling for line delimiters. The project area setting takes precedence over the server setting, except when the server is set to FORCE_NONE.

You can also set a server-wide preference in the advanced properties for the server. This server setting affects all files that are checked in or shared on the server. The server setting of DEFAULT results in the same behavior as earlier releases, the setting of NONE prevents line delimiter handling for checked in or shared files, and the setting of FORCE_NONE also prevents line delimiter handling for checked-in or shared files. The FORCE_NONE preference does not allow the project area setting to override the server setting, which ensures that all files do not have the line delimiters converted during check-in or share operations on the server. Similar to the project area property, if any other value is used, the setting reverts to the default handling for line delimiters.

Connecting to JazzHub from the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client

You can now connect to JazzHub from the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client.

If you are not yet connected to a Rational Team Concert repository, a new link named Manage JazzHub Projects [Beta] is displayed in the Team Artifacts view. Additionally, a Manage JazzHub Projects [Beta] button is displayed on the toolbar for the Team Artifacts view.

Clicking the link or the toolbar button starts the wizard to connect to JazzHub projects.

If you are new to JazzHub, the wizard has links for you to register at JazzHub or learn more about JazzHub. If you are already a registered user, you can enter your JazzHub credentials to open your JazzHub projects.

After your credentials are validated, the Manage JazzHub Projects wizard displays a list of JazzHub projects that you own or are a member of. You can select one or more project areas to connect to. Click Explore projects at JazzHub to explore JazzHub projects on the JazzHub website.

After you select one or more project areas, they are displayed as connected project areas in the Team Artifacts view.

New command structure for the command-line interface

The commands in 4.0.5 are now organized into a verb-noun structure. The top-level commands are verbs, and the child commands are nouns. The existing commands continue to work, and backward compatibility is maintained with earlier versions. By default, the help shows only the new commands. To display the help for the older commands, set the environment variable as SCM_SHOW_DEPRECATED_HELP=1.

The following commands have changed:

Previous command	New command
workspace add-components	add component
workspace add-flowtargets	add flowtarget
workspace change-target	set flowtarget
workspace component	set flowtarget
workspace delete	delete workspace, delete stream
workspace flowtarget	set flowtarget
workspace propertyget	get attributes
workspace propertylist	show attributes
workspace propertyset	set attributes
workspace remove-components	remove component
workspace remove-flowtargets	remove flowtarget
workspace replace-components	set component
workspace unload	unload
workspace unset	unset flowtarget
snapshot propertyget	get attributes
snapshot propertylist	show attributes
snapshot propertyset	set attributes
snapshot promote	set attributes
snapshot delete	delete snapshot
component propertyget	get attributes
component propertylist	show attributes
component propertyset	set attributes
baseline propertyget	get attributes
baseline propertylist	show attributes
baseline propertyset	set attributes
changeset resume	resume changeset
changeset suspend	suspend
changeset discard	remove changeset
changeset locate	locate
changeset associate	add workitem
changeset disassociate	remove workitem
changeset comment	set changeset
changeset complete	set changeset
changeset current	set changeset
changeset extract	get change
changeset relocate	move change
lock	set lock
unlock	unset lock
changeaccess	set access
extract file	get file
users set	set user
preference get	get preference
preference set	set preferenece
property get	get properties
property set	set properties
property remove	remove properties
status	show status
history	show history
lastmod	show lastmod
conflicts	show conflicts
resolve	resolve conflict
move	move path
undo	undo change
list properties	show properties

New help for the command-line interface

The help for commands now show more information such as mandatory, optional, and mutually exclusive options. The following example shows the user name, certificate, and smart card as mutually exclusive options.

		
		$ scm help login
		
		Help for: scm login
		
		Purpose: Stores the credentials to use when logging onto a repository.
		
		Usage: scm login -r/--repository-uri <arg> (-u/--username <arg> -P/--password
		                 <arg> | --certificate <arg> -P/--password <arg> | --smartCard
		                 -u/--username <arg>) [-n/--nickname <arg>] [-c/--cache]
		
		
		Options:
		  -r, --repository-uri <arg>  - The URI that specifies the location of the repository.
		  -u, --username <arg>        - The username for the repository.
		  -P, --password <arg>        - The password for the repository. 
		      --certificate <arg>     - The file that contains the user's login certificate.
		      --smartCard             - Uses the connected smart card for authentication.
		  -n, --nickname <arg>        - The nickname of the repository.
		  -c, --cache                 - Caches the password on prompt.
		
		

Argument separator in the command-line interface

Support now exists for separate named options that take multiple arguments and positional parameters by using two hyphens (--). The separator removes the restriction of having to provide positional parameters before the named option that takes multiple arguments, as in the following example:

		
		Usage: scm create snapshot [-r/--repository-uri <arg>] [-u/--username <arg>
		                           -P/--password <arg> | --certificate <arg>
		                           -P/--password <arg> | --smartCard -u/--username
		                           <arg>] [-n/--name <arg>] [-d/--description <arg>]
		                           [-C/--components <arg ...>] [-j/--json]
		                           [-f/--forceBaselineCreation] [--] <workspace>
		
		

You can now run this command as follows:
scm create snapshot -r myRepo -C comp1 comp2 -- workspace1
scm create snapshot -r myRepo workspace1 -C comp1 comp2

Improved usability for merging changes that contain gaps

One of the advantages of using Jazz SCM is the traceability of change sets across multiple streams and workspaces. When developers complete a new feature or fix bug, they deliver one or more change sets to their team stream. These change sets can then be accepted into the workspaces of other users and propagated to other streams. Because SCM can uniquely identify each change set, the user is able to query whether a particular change set is present in a particular set of streams and workspaces using the Locate Change Sets feature.

However, in previous Rational Team Concert releases, this traceability was lost when the accepted change sets had a gap in the history of one or more files. To address this shortcoming, a new gap workflow is implemented that accepts one change set at a time and, for change sets that contain gaps, creates a new change set that contains the equivalent changes. The following screen capture shows the editor that was implemented to merge the changes from the original source change set into the new resulting change set.

In addition, a link is maintained between the source change set and the resulting change set. This screen capture shows how the Locate Change Set editor traverses a link to indicate that a copy of the change set you are looking for is included in the target stream.

See the following videos for more information:

• Accepting a Change Set with a Gap using the RTC Eclipse Client
• Accepting Multiple Change Sets with Gaps using the RTC Eclipse Client
• Accepting a Change Set with a Gap using the RTC VS Client
• Accepting Multiple Change Sets with Gaps using the RTC VS Client

You can also view the draft user documentation page for more details about what the feature provides and for a link to a beta build that you can try.

Ubuntu Linux package for the source control command-line interface

The new Ubuntu Linux package makes it easy to install and run the source control command-line interface. See the article for more details.

				$ sudo dpkg -i ./Downloads/scmtools_4.0.5-1_i386.deb 
				Selecting previously unselected package scmtools:i386.
				(Reading database ... 1093081 files and directories currently installed.)
				Unpacking scmtools:i386 (from .../scmtools_4.0.5-1_i386.deb) ...
				Setting up scmtools:i386 (4.0.5-1) ...
			

Licensing

In the 4.0.5 release, the default time-out values for licenses changed:

• Floating licenses: The default time-out value changed from 7200 seconds (120 minutes) to 3600 seconds (60 minutes).
• Token licenses: The default time-out value changed from 7200000 ms (120 minutes) to 1800000 ms (30 minutes).

In 4.0.5, the minimum time-out values for licenses are as follows:

• Floating licenses: The minimum time-out value changed from 7200 seconds (120 minutes) to 1800 seconds (30 minutes).
• Token licenses: The minimum time-out value remains at 1800000 ms (30 minutes). This value has been the same since the 4.0.3 release.

For information about how to change the time-out values for licenses, see the documentation:

• Floating licenses: See step 4 in Installing and managing floating client access license keys.
• Token licenses: See the note in step 4 in Setting up the Rational Common Licensing token service keys.

In the 4.0.5 release, the reset frequency for the time-out of token licenses changed. Before this release, the time-out value was reset only after the license expired. Now, most actions reset the time-out value of the license to the value of the time-out. This change makes the resetting of the time-out for token licenses the same as for floating licenses. This change causes the lmgrd.log file on the Rational License Key Server to increase in size faster than it used to, because each reset of the license causes entries to be written to the lmgrd.log file. That file is in the common directory. For example, on Windows systems, the file is typically in C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\RationalRLKS\common\lmgrd.log.

Packaging and deployment

Work item packaging of affected output

The Create Package wizard now has an option to run a work-item package that includes "Impacted outputs." This option determines the output that is affected by the output that is directly built by the changes to the work item, and includes them in the packaging. The affected output is listed on the Work Item Summary page of the wizard.

Package preview

The Create Package wizard now has an option to run a preview package. The wizard guides you through the steps to create the package without actually creating it. Instead, a package manifest file is attached to the result and shows what would be packaged in a normal run.

Export packaging query results

The Queried Results view now has an option to export the results to a file, which can be useful when you export packages that are created from a package definition or that are deployed by a deployment definition. By default, the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client supports exporting results to a CSV file, separated by commas or tabs. An extension point is available for exporting export results to formats other than CSV.

Ant tasks for packaging and deployment

New Ant tasks were added for packaging and deployment actions: RequestPackagingBuildTask and RequestDeploymentBuildTask. These tasks provide a flexible, scriptable alternative to submitting packaging and deployment requests from the GUI. Having packaging and deployment actions coded in an Ant script also allows deployers to schedule the invocation of these scripts. Also, these scripts can be started from other automation tools. These Ant scripts can be started from any platform on which you can run a Rational Team Concert build toolkit.

These specialized tasks improve on the general RequestTeamBuildTask action, because you can specify package or deployment attributes directly instead of using hard-to-resolve properties in an overrideProperties file. These tasks also retrieve more packaging and deployment information from the Jazz Team Server to minimize the number of required attributes (for example, a deploy definition and package build label are the minimum deployment attributes to deploy).

The new RetrieveWorkItemsTask action enables you to retrieve the list of UUIDs for the work items that were included in a specific build result.

Remote project support

Support for remote projects includes a feature that makes it easier for Rational Developer for System z and the TPF Toolkit (TPF Toolkit) to integrate with Rational Team Concert. Most of the changes are not visible, but Eclipse client users will notice two changes to their load wizards:

First, the sandbox selection workflow is improved by limiting users to choose between registered sandboxes, rather than paths they had previously selected. Accidental re-creation of deleted sandboxes should no longer occur, and it should be harder to pick the wrong sandbox for the load.

Second, a new check box shows files in the load wizard and enables you to load individual files. There are not plans to enable this feature in the standard Rational Team Concert client.

Internally, the file system APIs are cleaned up, so that Rational Developer for System z and the TPF Toolkit can reuse the source control operations on remote file systems.

Process

Preconditions and follow-up actions

The project administration page in the web client now supports the configuration of preconditions and follow-up actions.

Although you can add preconditions and follow-up actions for an operation, you cannot customize all preconditions and follow-up actions that require more details by using the web client.

Version 4.0.5 supports the customization of the following preconditions for the Save Work Item operation:

• Required/Read-Only Attributes For Type and State

  Starting in version 4.0.5, you can configure required and read-only attributes for a work item type, including the states and resolutions associated with that type, only in the Eclipse client and the web client. The attributes, which are already configured against a category, are passed to all types that are associated with that category.

  

• Required/Read-Only Attributes For Condition

  

• Required Approvals

  

• Required Estimates

  Starting in version 4.0.5, you can configure required estimates for a work item type in the Eclipse client and the web client. The attributes, which are already configured against a category, are passed to all types that are associated with that category.

  

• Prevent Editing

  

• Implied Attributes

  Starting in version 4.0.5, you can configure implied attributes for a work item type in the Eclipse client and the web client. The attributes, which are already configured against a category, are passed to all types that are associated with that category.

  

• E-Signature

  

The following screen capture shows the message that is displayed when the preconditions and follow-up actions require more details. It cannot yet be configured using the web client. Use the Rational Team Concert client for Eclipse IDE to edit this precondition. You can download the Eclipse client from jazz.net.

Reporting

Trend line drill-through

Clicking any point in the trend line of the following reports now opens a detailed report, which lists the work items that contributed to the selected value:

• Open versus Closed Work Items
• Open Work Items by Type
• Open Work Items
• Defect Backlog
• Burndown
• Burnup
• Work Items by Priority

The Work Item History Details report resource must be deployed to the project area for the feature to work.

Note: Widgets do not support drill-through. You can click the widget name to open the full report and use the drill-through feature.

Tracking and planning

Plan editor usability enhancements

Rational Team Concert 4.0.5 includes the following usability enhancements:

• The plan creation "owner" window now displays process areas in the same order that they are displayed in the project area editor.
• When "group by owner" is used to display a plan, unassigned work items now appear at the top of the plan.
• Creating work items in a plan by using keyboard shortcuts automatically picks up the type of the work item from the item currently selected.

Plan filter enhancements

New Owned by Me and Owned by Others filters are now available.

Multiple tags are supported on a single filter expression.

Exporting plans to Microsoft Project 2010

Plans that are exported from Rational Team Concert 4.0.5 now correctly display task start and end dates when they are imported into Microsoft Project 2010.

Kanban warnings and errors

In the Kanban plan view, the Work-in-Progress limits now include a warning or error that is displayed when the limit is exceeded. This feature is configured in the display options and the warning is displayed in the header of the Kanban limit indicator.

You can also now collapse the columns of the Kanban and Taskboard views.

Migrate rank action

If you have existing plans from releases before Rational Team Concert 4.0.5, you can migrate from attribute-based ranking to explicit ranking.

The following image shows an example of an existing plan that uses the attribute-based ranking:

If you click the Migrate Rank icon (), the plan details section has the following changes:

The inconsecutive attribute-based ranking (1, 2, Not Ranked, 3, 4, 6, 7), now has consecutive explicit ranking (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Not Ranked).

The unranked items continue to be marked as Not Ranked and are sorted to the bottom of the list.

Notes:

• The migrate rank action is disabled when the plan is not saved.
• The migrate rank action is not supported for grouped and hierarchical views. You must use a flat view to enable the migrate rank action.
• From this release forward, all new plans use explicit ranking as the default.

Removal of the restriction to promote views

In previous releases, there was a restriction on plan view promotion: "Plan views that contain the tree or Kanban display option cannot be promoted for use by project areas and other plan types." In this release, the restriction was removed.

The example shows a Kanban view, but the same steps work for a plan view with a tree display.

Create a Kanban view:

Promote the custom Kanban view:

Add the custom Kanban view to the sprint backlog:

This custom Kanban view can now be shared by other plans:

Note: A plan view cannot be promoted if it contains a filter.

New user experience concept for work item tags

In line with future plans to promote work item tags from comma-separated strings to first-class objects with actions and semantics, the look and feel of the tags widget is redesigned. Each tag now displays as a separate visual entity. The user, however, can still edit tags and navigate freely between them using the keyboard.

The following interactions are supported in the new tags widget:

• Create a new tag: Type in the new tag and press the space bar.
• Navigate in a tag: Press the right and left arrow keys, passing from or to other tags.
• Delete a tag: Clear a tag of its contents, or click "X" on a tag.
• Switch to text mode: Press Ctrl + A. Use Ctrl + X, Ctrl + C, and Ctrl + V to cut, copy, and paste. Any other interactions revert the widget back to tags mode.
• Open the auto-complete widget: Type in the input box.
• Close the auto-complete widget: Press the Esc key.
• Add an entry to the auto-complete list: Click the item in the auto-complete list.
• Merge tags to the left: Press the Delete key when the cursor is at the end of a tag, or press the Backspace key when the cursor is at the beginning of a tag.

Work items

New filtered combo widget

For the filtered combo widget, all attributes that are marked to use a combo presentation show a filtered combo. The options available for this combo differ according to the attribute and its presentation options:

• If the attribute has a queryable value set (for example, Contributors), the widget shows an inline search field where you can type and query the server. This functionality is the equivalent of the More button that used to open a search window. Instead, you can search directly in the widget without having to navigate elsewhere.



• If the attribute does not have a queryable value (for example, set Enumerations), the widget is shown like a regular widget without the search field.



• If the attribute is an enumeration configured with "Allow to add new literals," the search field is displayed. If the specified value is not available in the value set, the option is offered to add the specified value to the value set. This functionality is the equivalent of the Add button in the old widget.



Other features:

• The new widget is displayed and filters as a tree view for hierarchical value sets (for example, Categories and Iterations).



• Icons are shown next to the options.



• You can type when the focus is on the element, which inserts text. Press the Escape key to move the focus back to the widget.

Query result view column enhancements

The query result views now support approvals, links, and comments.



Approvals support

Approvals are available as columns in query results for all clients.



Approvals display in the web client query results as a separated vertical list of entries (similar to related links). The approvals are formatted to match the approvals in the web client work item Quick Info display.



Approvals are bulk-editable in Eclipse. You can use a bulk edit to edit the approval name, type, due date, and approvers across a selection of work items.



Links support

Links are available as columns in query results.



The available columns became harder to navigate with the additon of new links. The query editor now provides a filter for links, and the Work Items view provides a window.



Links are bulk-editable in the Eclipse client.



Comments support

Comments are available as columns in query results for all clients.