We've added a new feature to our website (customer area) today: Changelogs. Our internal changelog database (which we started since 1.0.2004.2) is now also available online and can be browsed and searched. This gives you the oppertunity to check if a bug is fixed or simply check what changes have been made to a subsystem since a given date.

This is great!

Now a request for a feature. :-( Would it be possible to mark the release points in the list, with version/release date, so we know which fixes made it into the release?

For example this morning there are changes showing that, I think, were made after the release. A row showing the release would make it clear which are not in the current release.

arschr wrote:

This is great!

Now a request for a feature. :-( Would it be possible to mark the release points in the list, with version/release date, so we know which fixes made it into the release?

For example this morning there are changes showing that, I think, were made after the release. A row showing the release would make it clear which are not in the current release.

No, that's not true. Every change in the online db is available in the downloads on the website. So if you download the 1.0.2005.1 runtime libraries archive for example, you'll get all the changes listed for that component.

Which change did you think isnt in the latest code?

The release date on the new installer is 12-14. When I click the change log under it there are three changes dated 12-16.

I notice now that in the for build column on those changes it says 12162005. I guess that column performs the roll I asked for?

arschr wrote:

The release date on the new installer is 12-14. When I click the change log under it there are three changes dated 12-16.

My mistake. The texts with teh download items has to be added by hand. I forgot to update the date text there. I haven't automated the update of download items in our CMS yet.

I notice now that in the for build column on those changes it says 12162005. I guess that column performs the roll I asked for?

Yes.

Really awsome. I wish other vendors would do this.

Frans, I was wondering if you could explain a little about how you use your changelog db. So you have a defect tracking system I assume which tracks defects, enhancements, etc. Once a fix for a defect has been implemented then what. You add it to your changeLog db? Just looking at how I could implement something like this myself. Any help with your processes would be great.

erichar11 wrote:

Really awsome. I wish other vendors would do this.

Well, most vendors have some sort of log/fix database, at least that's my understanding.

Frans, I was wondering if you could explain a little about how you use your changelog db. So you have a defect tracking system I assume which tracks defects, enhancements, etc. Once a fix for a defect has been implemented then what. You add it to your changeLog db? Just looking at how I could implement something like this myself. Any help with your processes would be great.

We've a bugtracker system (simple, 'Bugtracker.NET' from sourceforge) in which we log all reported issues, bugs etc.

I use finalbuilder to build the various packages. They're in one main project, per package a subgroup of tasks. Now, when an issue is fixed or some change has been made, addition has been made etc., a logentry is added to the local changelog database, using a tool I wrote. When a new entry is added to a component, the package the component belongs to is marked 'to be build'.

In finalbuilder I've made a task which in C# retrieves the build flags for each package. So when a new build has to be released, I simply load final builder, and run the project, and each package with a change is build.

After the stuff is uploaded and the items in the CMS are adjusted with the new dates, I go to my changelog tool and press F7. It then communicates with a webservice and syncs the changelogs online.

Some things are manual still, like the upload of the build files and the cms items, as well as the creation of the changelog entries. THis is on purpose, as sometimes you need a translation/summary from what's been done for example, or you don't want to upload right away etc.

Below a screenshot of buildmanager bigger view:

Thanks frans, very helpful.