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 <h1>An Introduction to Intland's CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h1>
 <span style="font-style: italic;">Contributed by Derek Walker, devnull
 software, inc.</span><br>
 <br>
 <h2>Summary</h2>
 In seeking a happy medium between managing software projects
 effectively and maintaining developer productivity, devnull software
 inc. found the right combination in an IDE and a collaborative
 development platform. A promising plug-in integrated the two,
 subsequently reduced the developer's workload and provided more
 detailed and accurate project information. This article gives the
 background of why this was necessary, how these tools were selected,
 and what benefits were realized from using them.<br>
 <h2>Introduction</h2>
 Software development organizations battle daily with the same triad of
 fundamental constraints: producing the right software (the right
 features with the necessary quality), producing it on time and within
 budget. These only get more complicated and difficult to achieve when
 other constraints, such as a distributed, virtual organizational
 structure, are added. The successful execution of a software
 development project may make or break a company; therefore, it should
 not only be the concern of the project manager but
 the entire team. Not to mention that it is far more enjoyable to be on
 a smooth running project than on one that is not.<br>
 <br>
 Team members need to know the "big picture" (that is, the vision of the
 product and the problem it solves for its users), the general project
 plan and milestones, and what their individual assigned tasks,
 deliverables and deadlines are. They also need visibility about how
 well they and the rest of the team are doing in meeting these
 commitments so corrective measures can be taken if necessary. They
 should also meet regularly to ensure that goals are being met and to
 address any issues encountered. Project or program managers see no
 issue with these tasksthey make up a major part of their jobs;
 however, most developers, even the ones who understand the need for
 these tasks, find
 them uninteresting and burdensome.<br>
 <br>
 Our company, devnull software inc., is no different from other
 organizations and must provide this visibility in order to be
 successful. Our distributed, virtual organizational structure increases
 this burden because our project managers lack direct visibility about
 what everyone is doing and our staff works in different time zones;
 therefore, more formal communication
 and reporting is required. We needed a way to manage projects
 effectively while keeping the burden low on our developers, thus
 avoiding a decrease in productivity and morale. In fact, the ideal
 solution would actually also boost productivity. This required that we
 consider how the critical tools needed to achieve these goals would
 function and would need to be selected.<br>
 <h3>Collaborative Development Platforms</h3>
 In the past, many tools have been used to manage the software
 development life-cycle: source code management (SCM) systems, bug and
 issue tracking software, build tools, project management systems,
 documentation applications and email. The main issue with these tools
 was that they were just thata group of tools. There was no integration
 between them, therefore it was difficult to get visibility into the
 whole project. This integration was difficult to achieve by a single
 organization because of the cost and expertise required to do it.<br>
 <br>
 With the emergence of the web and other collaboration tools (i.e.,
 chat)
 came a new way to documentthe wiki. It soon became the "virtual
 handbook" everyone was looking for. It was ideal for developers and
 anyone who had no time to document. It required almost no time to learn
 to use or enter information. The other powerful feature was the ability
 to create hyperlinks to other parts of the wiki. Later, plug-ins
 provided much more sophisticated functionality while keeping the same
 interface. Collaborative development tools emerged that integrated
 the past tools and the newer collaborative tools, like the wiki, into a
 platform that would help the management of software projects and
 provide greater project visibility.<br>
 <br>
 IDEs have been an integral part of the software development life-cycle
 for almost three decades. In the 80s, IDEs were rigid yet still
 provided the highest productivity for individuals. In the late 90s, IDE
 vendors extended their IDEs with frameworks allowing simple plug-ins
 that extended the IDE's functionality beyond its core purpose. But
 developers were disconnected
 from each other except for simple SCM access. Today's IDE frameworks
 allow you to integrate developers into teams through collaboration
 services and extend the IDE to become a comprehensive integrated
 application life-cycle environment.<br>
 <h3>Selecting an IDE</h3>
 Every software development organization is interested in developer
 productivity, reducing time-to-market, keeping teams small, and making
 developers happy by increasing their sense of accomplishment and making
 their day-to-day work life more convenient. <br>
 <br>
 One of the ways, and arguably the easiest way, to achieve this is
 through an IDE. It's hardly a secret that developers are happiest when
 they are producing code, especially when necessary but tedious tasks
 are automated or streamlined. Besides the convenience, an IDE frees up
 more time for creative and intellectual work.<br>
 <br>
 devnull software inc. looked at many IDEs, but in the end we came to
 the conclusion that NetBeans was the best tool for our needs:<br>
 <br>
 <ul>
   <li>One tool to address all of our development needs for a 3-tiered
 application</li>
   <li>J2EE support</li>
   <li>JSF support</li>
   <li>Web page editor and application builder (i.e., Visual Web Pack)</li>
   <li>Ant support</li>
   <li>SVN support</li>
   <li>Extensibility and customization of the tool via a Java based
 framework</li>
 </ul>
 <h3>
 Selecting a Collaborative Development Platform</h3>
 Our requirements for a collaborative development platform were
 extensive since we planned to use it as the "operational system" for
 the company. In short, it would run our business.<br>
 <br>
 The main objective was to find one tool to serve the role of many tools
 and support our entire software development life-cycle in a virtual
 environment. It needed to replace core systems like SCM and bug and
 issue tracking, as well as ancillary ones such as document management,
 reporting, news/announcements and a wiki. We were also looking for it
 to initially augment our project management system by making project
 plans
 and progress reports more visible to the entire team. Not only did
 this tool need to be comprehensive but it had to be tightly integrated
 as well. We also wanted only one system in order to eliminate
 "application thrashing"the constant switching between applications.<br>
 <br>
 Knowledge and documentation of our projects is critical to our success,
 so a very capable and extensible wiki was a necessary requirement. We
 expected the wiki to become our main project reporting interface and
 performance dashboard as well as provide a platform for traditional
 project documentation. Since the wiki was to be
 the central tool, we were also looking for all other tools to
 tie into it so we could integrate related entities. For example, a task
 to implement a feature could have a wiki link to the actual requirement
 specification and the usecase it is related to.<br>
 <br>
 Given that we have specific needs and that these will change as our
 processes mature, extensibility is extremely important to us. We never
 want to be
 in a situation where we are unable to perform a necessary task. To be
 able to extend the platform, especially the wiki, meant it needed to
 run on the right platformJ2EE, the platform of the applications we
 develop and our area of expertise. We do not want to
 develop or find capabilities in areas that are not core to our main
 business. This not only gives us independence but also the ability to
 quickly adapt the system as needed. We also expected the platform to be
 able to extend through well-documented plug-ins, APIs and web services,
 and have an extensive list of pre-built features since we would
 not have the time nor the resources to create everything we needed.<br>
 <br>
 As previously mentioned, there was an extensive list of requirements.
 Besides the main requirements, here are some of the other important
 ones we were looking for:<br>
 <br>
 <ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
   <li>Ability to host in-house behind our firewalls</li>
   <li>Easy installation and administration that could be done by our
 team</li>
   <li>Wiki requirements: extensive mark-up language and plug-in
 library, built-in charting for reports, ability to embed html directly
 into wiki pages, the ability to create dynamic data for wiki pages and
 to link pages to bugs and tasks<br>
   </li>
   <li>Extensive email notification capability</li>
   <li>Ability to create and archive email forums and threads</li>
   <li>Easy enough to use and extend by entire team including
 documentation and QA</li>
   <li>Automatic continuous builds and build result notification</li>
   <li>Dependable and responsive support</li>
 </ul>
 After reviewing a number of commercial and open-source collaborative
 development platforms, CodeBeamer from Intland was the only platform
 that met our requirements.<br>
 <h2>CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h2>
 We have always been intrigued by the idea of integrating our
 collaboration development platform with our IDE, so we jumped at the
 chance to try the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans, a plug-in for
 CodeBeamer. It is a NetBeans module that interfaces a CodeBeamer
 instance and allows the remote viewing, creation, modification and
 deletion of CodeBeamer "trackers" (requirements, bugs, tasks, change
 requests or any custom-defined tracker) and, soon, the same
 functionality for documents[1] in CodeBeamer's document management
 system. The
 interface is a set of panels added to the NetBeans IDE. It enables the
 developer to interact with CodeBeamer and its critical information
 without leaving the IDE and effectively makes one application out of
 two. In addition, the module is open-source so you can look at the
 code, customize it or help out in its development. There is a
 developer's community with a forum. It was too compelling not to try,
 despite being
 just a prototype at this time with general availability anticipated
 around <a href="http://java.sun.com/javaone/sf/index.jsp">JavaOne 2007</a>.<br>
 <br>
 <div style="text-align: center;"><a
  href="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig1.jpg"><img
  alt="Screenshot of the NetBean's IDE with the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans"
  src="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig1.jpg"
  style="border: 0px solid ; width: 559px; height: 404px;"></a><br>
 <span style="font-style: italic;">Figure 1: Screenshot of the NetBean's
 IDE with the
 CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</span><br>
 <span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on image for larger view)</span><br>
 </div>
 <h3>Installation</h3>
 Installing the module is similiar to installing a typical NetBeans
 module. After downloading the module, you install it using the Update
 Center. If you do not have a CodeBeamer instance running, Intland
 offers a free 15-user version of CodeBeamer that is available on their
 web site: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
  href="http://www.intland.com/">www.intland.com</a>.<br>
 <h3>Features and Benefits of Using the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h3>
 Once we began using the module, the benefits were immediately apparent.
 We created CodeBeamer trackers for requirements, project tasks, bugs
 and
 information requests. Developers checked their trackers daily to
 confirm what they had planned for the day and to make sure no new
 critical
 bugs had been assigned to them. Later, they could update trackers with
 details
 about what was accomplished. We found that these same activities could
 easily be done through the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans module while
 in the NetBeans IDE. This was very convenient and saved time. It also
 helped people maintain focus and flow since it eliminated "application
 thrashing".<br>
 <br>
 Bugs are time critical, especially those that bring down customer
 production systems or break the build. Dealing with them
 quickly is mandatory. The ability to look at the details of a bug while
 in the IDE and simultaneously looking at the code significantly helps
 in this area. Once reviewed, the developer can update the tracker with
 estimated effort and delivery date thereby giving those who are
 managing the issue timely information. If the bug is incorrectly
 assigned, it can
 be re-assigned from the GUI. If during the course of fixing the bug (or
 at
 anytime developing code), a bug is found, a new bug tracker can be
 created without leaving your work and the IDE. When available[1],
 accessing the documents from the NetBeans IDE that are related to a
 feature, i.e., requirements or standards, will be another productivity
 boost and will eliminate the issue of trying to find documents and
 making sure they are up-to-date.<br>
 <br>
 CodeBeamer has a wonderful continuous build facility, but because
 devnull software is a virtual organization it is easy to have a broken
 build that continues
 to stay in that state for a significant amount of time either because
 of time differences or the challenges in communication. To mitigate
 that risk, we have created, as part of the build, a program that parses
 the build results and will automatically create a bug tracker of the
 highest priority and criticality for the issue and assign it to the
 developer who is in charge of the failed module. It will then show up
 in their tracker list.<br>
 <br>
 The CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans also reduces the developer's load in
 providing project related information. Items like estimated hours,
 actual hours, resolution and comments for any tracker can be updated
 without leaving the IDE. Updating the status of any tracker only takes
 a couple of minutes to provide timely and detailed information. These
 capabilities provide extremely valuable and timely information to the
 project manager looking after the project.<br>
 <br>
 The most powerful feature of this module is the interaction between
 source code management system and the tracker system. When you commit
 code to your SCM (for example, subversion) from within the NetBeans
 IDE, you are presented with a window that not only enables you to
 create a comment for the code to be checked in but that also allows you
 to associate a tracker (for example, a bug or task) to that submission.
 The tracker is selected from a tree of all of the available trackers
 for a project.<br>
 <br>
 <div style="text-align: center;"><img
  alt="Figure 2: Screenshot of CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans Commit Window"
  src="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig2.jpg"
  style="width: 658px; height: 512px;"><br>
 <span style="font-style: italic;">Figure 2: Screenshot of CodeBeamer
 Module for NetBeans Commit Window</span><br>
 </div>
 <br>
 Once this association is made, it enables anyone looking at the tracker
 in the NetBeans IDE to double click on the commit link, and the file
 associated with that commit will be opened up in the main plane of the
 IDE positioned at the starting line of the commit.<br>
 <h2>Conclusion</h2>
 The benefits of this integration are easy to see. The real question is:
 where can it lead to? Perhaps, extending the module to allow for the
 viewing and creation of wiki pages or reports, or exposing the project
 dashboards? With the open-source nature of the module, you can help
 shape its direction or create your own version
 for your specific needs. The forum is waiting for input and the
 community is waiting for new members: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
  href="https://codebeamer.com/cb/proj/wiki/displayHomePage.do?proj_id=346">https://codebeamer.com/cb/proj/wiki/displayHomePage.do?proj_id=346</a>.<br>
 <br>
 <h3>Footnotes</h3>
 1. Through the community support offered for the project, this
 functionality is anticipated to be ready by JavaOne.<br>
 <div style="text-align: right;">(<span style="font-style: italic;">May
 2007</span>) <br>
 </div>
 <br>
     <div class="feedback-box">
   <a href="/about/contact_form.html?to=3&amp;subject=Feedback:Codebeamer">Send Feedback on This Tutorial</a>
 </div>
 <br style="clear:both;" />
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	<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
	<html>
	<!--
	Copyright (c) 2008, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
	-->
	<head>
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
	content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"
	href="https://netbeans.org/netbeans.css" media="screen">
	<meta name="Derek Walker" content="NetBeans, Intland, CodeBeamer">
	<title>An Introduction to Intland's CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</title>
	</head>
	<body>
	<h1>An Introduction to Intland's CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h1>
	<span style="font-style: italic;">Contributed by Derek Walker, devnull
	software, inc.</span><br>
	<br>
	<h2>Summary</h2>
	In seeking a happy medium between managing software projects
	effectively and maintaining developer productivity, devnull software
	inc. found the right combination in an IDE and a collaborative
	development platform. A promising plug-in integrated the two,
	subsequently reduced the developer's workload and provided more
	detailed and accurate project information. This article gives the
	background of why this was necessary, how these tools were selected,
	and what benefits were realized from using them.<br>
	<h2>Introduction</h2>
	Software development organizations battle daily with the same triad of
	fundamental constraints: producing the right software (the right
	features with the necessary quality), producing it on time and within
	budget. These only get more complicated and difficult to achieve when
	other constraints, such as a distributed, virtual organizational
	structure, are added. The successful execution of a software
	development project may make or break a company; therefore, it should
	not only be the concern of the project manager but
	the entire team. Not to mention that it is far more enjoyable to be on
	a smooth running project than on one that is not.<br>
	<br>
	Team members need to know the "big picture" (that is, the vision of the
	product and the problem it solves for its users), the general project
	plan and milestones, and what their individual assigned tasks,
	deliverables and deadlines are. They also need visibility about how
	well they and the rest of the team are doing in meeting these
	commitments so corrective measures can be taken if necessary. They
	should also meet regularly to ensure that goals are being met and to
	address any issues encountered. Project or program managers see no
	issue with these tasksthey make up a major part of their jobs;
	however, most developers, even the ones who understand the need for
	these tasks, find
	them uninteresting and burdensome.<br>
	<br>
	Our company, devnull software inc., is no different from other
	organizations and must provide this visibility in order to be
	successful. Our distributed, virtual organizational structure increases
	this burden because our project managers lack direct visibility about
	what everyone is doing and our staff works in different time zones;
	therefore, more formal communication
	and reporting is required. We needed a way to manage projects
	effectively while keeping the burden low on our developers, thus
	avoiding a decrease in productivity and morale. In fact, the ideal
	solution would actually also boost productivity. This required that we
	consider how the critical tools needed to achieve these goals would
	function and would need to be selected.<br>
	<h3>Collaborative Development Platforms</h3>
	In the past, many tools have been used to manage the software
	development life-cycle: source code management (SCM) systems, bug and
	issue tracking software, build tools, project management systems,
	documentation applications and email. The main issue with these tools
	was that they were just thata group of tools. There was no integration
	between them, therefore it was difficult to get visibility into the
	whole project. This integration was difficult to achieve by a single
	organization because of the cost and expertise required to do it.<br>
	<br>
	With the emergence of the web and other collaboration tools (i.e.,
	chat)
	came a new way to documentthe wiki. It soon became the "virtual
	handbook" everyone was looking for. It was ideal for developers and
	anyone who had no time to document. It required almost no time to learn
	to use or enter information. The other powerful feature was the ability
	to create hyperlinks to other parts of the wiki. Later, plug-ins
	provided much more sophisticated functionality while keeping the same
	interface. Collaborative development tools emerged that integrated
	the past tools and the newer collaborative tools, like the wiki, into a
	platform that would help the management of software projects and
	provide greater project visibility.<br>
	<br>
	IDEs have been an integral part of the software development life-cycle
	for almost three decades. In the 80s, IDEs were rigid yet still
	provided the highest productivity for individuals. In the late 90s, IDE
	vendors extended their IDEs with frameworks allowing simple plug-ins
	that extended the IDE's functionality beyond its core purpose. But
	developers were disconnected
	from each other except for simple SCM access. Today's IDE frameworks
	allow you to integrate developers into teams through collaboration
	services and extend the IDE to become a comprehensive integrated
	application life-cycle environment.<br>
	<h3>Selecting an IDE</h3>
	Every software development organization is interested in developer
	productivity, reducing time-to-market, keeping teams small, and making
	developers happy by increasing their sense of accomplishment and making
	their day-to-day work life more convenient. <br>
	<br>
	One of the ways, and arguably the easiest way, to achieve this is
	through an IDE. It's hardly a secret that developers are happiest when
	they are producing code, especially when necessary but tedious tasks
	are automated or streamlined. Besides the convenience, an IDE frees up
	more time for creative and intellectual work.<br>
	<br>
	devnull software inc. looked at many IDEs, but in the end we came to
	the conclusion that NetBeans was the best tool for our needs:<br>
	<br>
	<ul>
	<li>One tool to address all of our development needs for a 3-tiered
	application</li>
	<li>J2EE support</li>
	<li>JSF support</li>
	<li>Web page editor and application builder (i.e., Visual Web Pack)</li>
	<li>Ant support</li>
	<li>SVN support</li>
	<li>Extensibility and customization of the tool via a Java based
	framework</li>
	</ul>
	<h3>
	Selecting a Collaborative Development Platform</h3>
	Our requirements for a collaborative development platform were
	extensive since we planned to use it as the "operational system" for
	the company. In short, it would run our business.<br>
	<br>
	The main objective was to find one tool to serve the role of many tools
	and support our entire software development life-cycle in a virtual
	environment. It needed to replace core systems like SCM and bug and
	issue tracking, as well as ancillary ones such as document management,
	reporting, news/announcements and a wiki. We were also looking for it
	to initially augment our project management system by making project
	plans
	and progress reports more visible to the entire team. Not only did
	this tool need to be comprehensive but it had to be tightly integrated
	as well. We also wanted only one system in order to eliminate
	"application thrashing"the constant switching between applications.<br>
	<br>
	Knowledge and documentation of our projects is critical to our success,
	so a very capable and extensible wiki was a necessary requirement. We
	expected the wiki to become our main project reporting interface and
	performance dashboard as well as provide a platform for traditional
	project documentation. Since the wiki was to be
	the central tool, we were also looking for all other tools to
	tie into it so we could integrate related entities. For example, a task
	to implement a feature could have a wiki link to the actual requirement
	specification and the usecase it is related to.<br>
	<br>
	Given that we have specific needs and that these will change as our
	processes mature, extensibility is extremely important to us. We never
	want to be
	in a situation where we are unable to perform a necessary task. To be
	able to extend the platform, especially the wiki, meant it needed to
	run on the right platformJ2EE, the platform of the applications we
	develop and our area of expertise. We do not want to
	develop or find capabilities in areas that are not core to our main
	business. This not only gives us independence but also the ability to
	quickly adapt the system as needed. We also expected the platform to be
	able to extend through well-documented plug-ins, APIs and web services,
	and have an extensive list of pre-built features since we would
	not have the time nor the resources to create everything we needed.<br>
	<br>
	As previously mentioned, there was an extensive list of requirements.
	Besides the main requirements, here are some of the other important
	ones we were looking for:<br>
	<br>
	<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
	<li>Ability to host in-house behind our firewalls</li>
	<li>Easy installation and administration that could be done by our
	team</li>
	<li>Wiki requirements: extensive mark-up language and plug-in
	library, built-in charting for reports, ability to embed html directly
	into wiki pages, the ability to create dynamic data for wiki pages and
	to link pages to bugs and tasks<br>
	</li>
	<li>Extensive email notification capability</li>
	<li>Ability to create and archive email forums and threads</li>
	<li>Easy enough to use and extend by entire team including
	documentation and QA</li>
	<li>Automatic continuous builds and build result notification</li>
	<li>Dependable and responsive support</li>
	</ul>
	After reviewing a number of commercial and open-source collaborative
	development platforms, CodeBeamer from Intland was the only platform
	that met our requirements.<br>
	<h2>CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h2>
	We have always been intrigued by the idea of integrating our
	collaboration development platform with our IDE, so we jumped at the
	chance to try the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans, a plug-in for
	CodeBeamer. It is a NetBeans module that interfaces a CodeBeamer
	instance and allows the remote viewing, creation, modification and
	deletion of CodeBeamer "trackers" (requirements, bugs, tasks, change
	requests or any custom-defined tracker) and, soon, the same
	functionality for documents[1] in CodeBeamer's document management
	system. The
	interface is a set of panels added to the NetBeans IDE. It enables the
	developer to interact with CodeBeamer and its critical information
	without leaving the IDE and effectively makes one application out of
	two. In addition, the module is open-source so you can look at the
	code, customize it or help out in its development. There is a
	developer's community with a forum. It was too compelling not to try,
	despite being
	just a prototype at this time with general availability anticipated
	around <a href="http://java.sun.com/javaone/sf/index.jsp">JavaOne 2007</a>.<br>
	<br>
	<div style="text-align: center;"><a
	href="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig1.jpg"><img
	alt="Screenshot of the NetBean's IDE with the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans"
	src="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig1.jpg"
	style="border: 0px solid ; width: 559px; height: 404px;"></a><br>
	<span style="font-style: italic;">Figure 1: Screenshot of the NetBean's
	IDE with the
	CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</span><br>
	<span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on image for larger view)</span><br>
	</div>
	<h3>Installation</h3>
	Installing the module is similiar to installing a typical NetBeans
	module. After downloading the module, you install it using the Update
	Center. If you do not have a CodeBeamer instance running, Intland
	offers a free 15-user version of CodeBeamer that is available on their
	web site: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
	href="http://www.intland.com/">www.intland.com</a>.<br>
	<h3>Features and Benefits of Using the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans</h3>
	Once we began using the module, the benefits were immediately apparent.
	We created CodeBeamer trackers for requirements, project tasks, bugs
	and
	information requests. Developers checked their trackers daily to
	confirm what they had planned for the day and to make sure no new
	critical
	bugs had been assigned to them. Later, they could update trackers with
	details
	about what was accomplished. We found that these same activities could
	easily be done through the CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans module while
	in the NetBeans IDE. This was very convenient and saved time. It also
	helped people maintain focus and flow since it eliminated "application
	thrashing".<br>
	<br>
	Bugs are time critical, especially those that bring down customer
	production systems or break the build. Dealing with them
	quickly is mandatory. The ability to look at the details of a bug while
	in the IDE and simultaneously looking at the code significantly helps
	in this area. Once reviewed, the developer can update the tracker with
	estimated effort and delivery date thereby giving those who are
	managing the issue timely information. If the bug is incorrectly
	assigned, it can
	be re-assigned from the GUI. If during the course of fixing the bug (or
	at
	anytime developing code), a bug is found, a new bug tracker can be
	created without leaving your work and the IDE. When available[1],
	accessing the documents from the NetBeans IDE that are related to a
	feature, i.e., requirements or standards, will be another productivity
	boost and will eliminate the issue of trying to find documents and
	making sure they are up-to-date.<br>
	<br>
	CodeBeamer has a wonderful continuous build facility, but because
	devnull software is a virtual organization it is easy to have a broken
	build that continues
	to stay in that state for a significant amount of time either because
	of time differences or the challenges in communication. To mitigate
	that risk, we have created, as part of the build, a program that parses
	the build results and will automatically create a bug tracker of the
	highest priority and criticality for the issue and assign it to the
	developer who is in charge of the failed module. It will then show up
	in their tracker list.<br>
	<br>
	The CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans also reduces the developer's load in
	providing project related information. Items like estimated hours,
	actual hours, resolution and comments for any tracker can be updated
	without leaving the IDE. Updating the status of any tracker only takes
	a couple of minutes to provide timely and detailed information. These
	capabilities provide extremely valuable and timely information to the
	project manager looking after the project.<br>
	<br>
	The most powerful feature of this module is the interaction between
	source code management system and the tracker system. When you commit
	code to your SCM (for example, subversion) from within the NetBeans
	IDE, you are presented with a window that not only enables you to
	create a comment for the code to be checked in but that also allows you
	to associate a tracker (for example, a bug or task) to that submission.
	The tracker is selected from a tree of all of the available trackers
	for a project.<br>
	<br>
	<div style="text-align: center;"><img
	alt="Figure 2: Screenshot of CodeBeamer Module for NetBeans Commit Window"
	src="../../images_www/articles/codebeamer-for-netbeans/fig2.jpg"
	style="width: 658px; height: 512px;"><br>
	<span style="font-style: italic;">Figure 2: Screenshot of CodeBeamer
	Module for NetBeans Commit Window</span><br>
	</div>
	<br>
	Once this association is made, it enables anyone looking at the tracker
	in the NetBeans IDE to double click on the commit link, and the file
	associated with that commit will be opened up in the main plane of the
	IDE positioned at the starting line of the commit.<br>
	<h2>Conclusion</h2>
	The benefits of this integration are easy to see. The real question is:
	where can it lead to? Perhaps, extending the module to allow for the
	viewing and creation of wiki pages or reports, or exposing the project
	dashboards? With the open-source nature of the module, you can help
	shape its direction or create your own version
	for your specific needs. The forum is waiting for input and the
	community is waiting for new members: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
	href="https://codebeamer.com/cb/proj/wiki/displayHomePage.do?proj_id=346">https://codebeamer.com/cb/proj/wiki/displayHomePage.do?proj_id=346</a>.<br>
	<br>
	<h3>Footnotes</h3>
	1. Through the community support offered for the project, this
	functionality is anticipated to be ready by JavaOne.<br>
	<div style="text-align: right;">(<span style="font-style: italic;">May
	2007</span>) <br>
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