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question asked: Sep 02 '14, 3:59 p.m.
question was seen: 7,521 times
last updated: Mar 21 '16, 10:45 a.m.

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RTC Calculated value script problem with update and read-only field

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Marko Tomljenovic (316●50●109) | asked Sep 02 '14, 3:59 p.m.
Hello,
I have used a calculated value script to fill in an integer custom attribute depending on the number of certain words in the tags of the work item. Now I have two problems:

1. I have added the script after a lot work items have been already created and tagged. How can I trigger the recalculation of the attribute? Using the one hint from the forum with bulk editing the tags via the Eclipse client does not work(https://jazz.net/forum/questions/111839/how-to-recalculate-script-based-calculated-values-for-all-wi-after-changing-the-script). The value only is updated when I change the tags in the WI editor (Eclipse and Web works) directly and save the work item. I cannot go manually over all single work items for the recalculation to happen. Is there a better way?

2. I want this calculated attribute to be read only. But when I enable the checkbox "readonly" in the custom attribute definition dialog. I cannot save anymore the work item in case the calculated value changes due to the script. How can I make this attribute read only so that only the script can do changes?

PS. We are using RTC 4.0.6 at the moment.

Thank you for your help

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Milan Krivic (980●13●176●143) | answered Sep 03 '14, 6:58 a.m.
 Hi Marko,

I have a solution for you. 

1. Create calculated script which will collect the tags, and give the number of them. In RTC development background, tags are fetched like this: |these|are|four|tags| even they are displayed in wi as: these, are, four, tags.
So, you need to get them from the attribute tags, then in JavaScript split them by ("|").
You will get the number of tags two more (because of "|" at the start and at the end of tags). Then, you need to substract value 2 from array given by the split function.

2. Create new custom attribute NumberOfTags to be integer, set calculated value from first step, and add Dependency to be attribute Tags.

3. Add custom attribute NumberOfTags on editor presentations level of specific wi type, and set it readonly on this level if you want.

4. List by work item query all your work items which were tagged before, synchronize them to get new attribute NumberOfTags, and at this moment, duirng synchronization, you 'll see that your new attribute NumberOfTags is being populated with number of tags.

I tried it a few moments ago, and it works.

Let me know if you need the script.
Marko Tomljenovic selected this answer as the correct answer
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Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 03 '14, 10:09 a.m.

Thank you for your solution proposal.

Milan Krivic commented Sep 03 '14, 10:34 a.m.

If you are satisfied with this question, please mark it as Accepted.


Thanks 

Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 03 '14, 10:55 a.m.

I will after Ralph gives feedback on my (presumably) last comment above :)

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N Z (362●1●21●27) | answered Sep 02 '14, 6:26 p.m.
The only thing I can think of for 1 is to export the WI's with the tags, make the calculation in excel, and then re-import the calculated value for those WI's that had tags. The whole scripting environment is a bit of a mystery, there may be a better way?

As for 2, make the attribute read only in the editor presentation only, not at the attribute level.
Comments
Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 03 '14, 3:28 a.m.

Am I lucky that I first started with the excel based solution and then switched to the scripts :)
So I did reuse the excel to set the initial values.

Could you ask somebody that knows about the scripting environment? Otherwise I wil file a bug on that!

Just a question out of curiosity: If I set an attribute to be read only on attribute level how can then a value be set at all for those attributes? What is the meaning of this switch.

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Ralph Schoon (63.6k●3●36●46) | answered Sep 03 '14, 3:41 a.m.
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR / FORUM MODERATOR / JAZZ DEVELOPER
For 2: you don't make the attribute read-only, but the presentation of the attribute. I will have to check, because I was under the impression the scripts could write into read only attributes. However I checked if the API can write read only attributes and it can't in 5.x. So I am a bit confused how you would be able to get anything into a read only attribute, if neither scripts nor the API can actually do anything with it.

For 1: I would suggest to try to change an attribute that is set as a dependency for the calculated attribute. If a dependent attribute is changed, this should trigger the script execution. This should work in the Eclipse as well as the Web UI. You could check  the logs if something actually happened. See https://jazz.net/library/article/1093 lab 5 or https://jazz.net/wiki/bin/view/Main/AttributeCustomization for where to find the logs.
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Ralph Schoon (63.6k●3●36●46) | answered Sep 03 '14, 4:44 a.m.
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR / FORUM MODERATOR / JAZZ DEVELOPER
An update...... I tried again.

I was able to make the attribute read only (not the presentation) and it was set with the correct value using a script. I tried that in 4.0.3 and 5.0, so it should work for you too.
In 5.0 I was not able to set the the read only attribute with a Plain Java Client Libraries tool using the API - I need to investigate if that was possible in 4.x.

I also tried (with 4.0.3) to synchronize attributes. In the work Item customization editor click "check attributes usages in repository". If the Eclipse client prompts to synchronize attributes, select that. The new attribute is added to all the work items that don't have it and the calculation is executed.
Comments
Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 03 '14, 10:09 a.m.

The problem with synchronize is that I can only synchronize if new attributes are added but not if I only change the setting for calculated values provider or I even only change the javascript implementation.
Then I can't even synchronize since the work items already have the new attribute and have already been synchronized before.

There is sth necessary like a forced synchronize that always runs.

Ralph Schoon commented Sep 03 '14, 11:42 a.m. | edited Sep 03 '14, 11:45 a.m.
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR / FORUM MODERATOR / JAZZ DEVELOPER

The only idea I would have is some hidden attribute, that you use as trigger dependency.  The script based calculated values are not designed to detect that the script changed as far as I can tell.

Such a trigger attribute the value provider depends on too, where you simply enter a different value, would be able to trigger the script. You could use https://rsjazz.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/using-an-expression-to-synchronize-attributes-for-work-items-of-a-specific-type/ in conjunction with https://rsjazz.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/working-with-work-item-attributes/ to set the attribute (e.g. the script change date) in a batch mode.

You basically would otherwise have to induce a change that triggers the calculated attribute, so you either change all tags - add a fake one, save all, remove it, save all. Or you can use a mechanism as discussed above.

Keep in mind that queries have a result limit.you would only be able to affect as many as are within your limit in the UI. The API can circumvent that. You could also try to force a save using the API. I am not sure if a save would happen without an attribute change, however.

Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 03 '14, 11:50 a.m.

Ok fine.
Then I will file two defects:
1. Read-Only switch does not work for Integer based attributes together with Calculated value script
2. Bulk-Editing tags via Eclipse client query does not trigger calculated value script depending on tags.

Ralph Schoon commented Sep 03 '14, 11:57 a.m.
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR / FORUM MODERATOR / JAZZ DEVELOPER

Bulk editing the tags should trigger that script - if it has a dependency set to the tag attribute. If it doesn't and you have set the dependency, that would be a defect. So did you and does it? You have to add a fake tag to all however. If the value is not changing, it might not save - per design.

The query limit is as designed you can either set the limit higher (and risk that users load the system with huge queries) or you can use the APi as suggested.


Milan Krivic commented Sep 04 '14, 3:52 a.m.

I had a situation a few months ago when I 've already synchronized work items with new custom attribute, then I needed to calculate something in new custom attribute. 

I 've created another custom attribute integer and made it hidden, and on query results, I 've been changing it to different values, just to produce any work item changes.
Like Ralph said, make sure to query all necessary work items.

Marko Tomljenovic commented Sep 04 '14, 4:16 a.m.

It is a bug since it does not work.
I have filed a defect: https://jazz.net/jazz/web/projects/Rational%20Team%20Concert#action=com.ibm.team.workitem.viewWorkItem&id=329988

showing 5 of 6 show 1 more comments
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Milan Krivic (980●13●176●143) | answered Sep 03 '14, 5:03 a.m.
 Hi Marko,

you can calculate number of tags in integer field, but if you want integer field readonly, you must set it up on editor presentations level, not directly on attribute.

I've already done this, but I must find example and I can send it to you if you want.

The best way to get calculations when you deploy your script file is to synchronize attributes and you will get the values on all sychronized work items.



Comments
Ralph Schoon commented Sep 03 '14, 5:15 a.m.
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR / FORUM MODERATOR / JAZZ DEVELOPER

Milan, I made an attribute (string) read only and the attribute customization was able to write it. I doubt it is different for different attribute types - if it is that should be  a defect.

Milan Krivic commented Sep 03 '14, 5:54 a.m.

Ralph, 

I tried with attribute integer, and made it readonly at attribute level, and calculation didn't work. When I changed it not readonly at attribute level and made it readonly on editor presentations level, it worked.
So, I also assume that it is a defect.

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Aaron Garcia (8●3●7) | answered May 29 '15, 1:52 p.m.

I am trying to do a similar thing so that I can auto increment my Change Request #s and my Defect #s Unfortunately I do not know how to script this.

Do you have any suggestions my conventions are as follows.

Defects - "YYYY-nnn" - where YYY is the current year

Change Requests - "PROJ-CR-nnn" where PROJ is the project name

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Richard Good (87●28●61) | answered Mar 21 '16, 10:45 a.m.
subscribing then unsubscribing on mass seems to work for us, may be a better answer than the others provided here ;-)

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