Copyright: Copyright ® 1997 Software With Brains.


Contents
VMTracker Reference Guide

Introduction

Welcome to VMTracker.  VMTracker is powerful, yet easy-to-use defect management software that allows you to track, find, and report on defects, enhancements and documentation changes to your software.  It manages multiple products, releases within each product, and programs within each release.  VMTracker is simple to use, so you can enter and retrieve the information you want quickly.  VMTracker is specially designed to track defects from the time they are detected through their correction, testing and release.  It can be easily used by development, quality-control, and support departments, as well as by management personnel.

Before Using VMTracker, please read the following topic.  It is important to understand how VMTracker organizes your releases to use VMTracker most effectively.

How VMTracker Organizes Defects

Using VMTracker

Setting up VMTracker is as easy as:

Creating a New Release

Adding Programs to a Release

Adding Defects to a Program

Setting Personal Preferences

Managing Customers

Managing your software's defects is as easy as:

Selecting a Product and Release

Viewing Programs and Defects

Editing Programs and Defects

Moving Programs and Defects

Searching for Defects

Adding Defects to Groups

E-Mailing Defect Reports

Printing Defect Reports

Charting Defects

Exporting Defect Information

Security Features

Sending Instant Messages

Integrating Your Favorite Tools

Registering VMTracker

Troubleshooting


How VMTracker Organizes Defects

VMTracker is more than just a defect management tool.  It is a release management tool.  By this we mean that VMTracker organizes programs by product and release.  The defects and change requests are then tracked according to the program they are associated with.  The benefit of this structure is that VMTracker helps you more easily see the contents of each release you produce for your software products.  This can reduce the risk of shipping the wrong copy of a program, since the EXE's date, time, and size are always displayed on the summary screen.

VMTracker organizes defects using a hierarchical structure, as follows:

 Product / Release - The product /release level stores all the products your company produces.

 Program - The program level stores the programs associated with each product and release.

 Defect - The defect level stores all the defect reports and enhancement requests associated with each program (in a given product and release).

This type of hierarchical structure allows you to see, at a glance, the programs that will ship with each product's releases, and which defects were fixed in each of those programs.  In this way, you can instantly determine the precise contents of any release, past or future.

How to Enter Information in VMTracker:
You start tracking your software's defects and changes by creating a new product and release.  Click on the Product and Release button on the toolbar, then click New.  Enter the information for this product and release.  You should decide on a comprehensive list of Statuses, Natures, and Severities for your defect tracking, and enter those lists on this screen.

Once you have created your product and release, you can enter the programs that will be shipped on that release.  The main summary screen shows the programs in the currently selected product and release.  Click the New button on the toolbar from this screen and enter the information for one of the programs in this release.  Repeat this process to create entries for all programs that will ship in this release.

When you have entered the programs, you are ready to enter the defects that have been corrected, or the enhancements that have been completed for each program in the release.  From the main summary screen, click on a program you want to enter defects and enhancements for and then click the View Detail button on the toolbar (the closed folder).  When you are at the defect screen, click the New button to enter defect information.  Continue to create new entries until you have entered all the defects and enhancements for this program.  Note that you should be entering defect information for all defects that will be shipped in this release, not the defects that were discovered in this release.

Power Tip:  To track defects that have been reported, but not yet assigned to a release, create a "Pending" or "Unassigned" release, and enter all new bug reports or change requests into this release.  When a defect or enhancement is completed and assigned to a release for shipping, move the defect entry to the release it will be shipping with.  For more information on moving defect entries, see the topic: Moving Programs and Defects.


Creating a New Release

To create a new release, click on the Select button or choose Products & Releases from the View menu.  When the Product and Release dialog appears, click on the New button.  Enter the information about the new release you want to create.

Product  -  Enter the name of the product you want to create a release for.

Release  -  Enter the name or version for the release you want to create under this product.

Description  -  Enter a brief description of the release you want to create.

Comments  -  Enter brief comments about the product or release.

Responsible  -  Enter the names of the individuals responsible for this release.

Starting Date  -  Enter the date work will begin on this release.

Delivery Date  -  Enter the date this release is scheduled for delivery.

Status  -  Select the current status for this release.

Status List Tabs  -  The status lists allow you to define the Program Statuses, Defect Statuses, Defect Natures, and Defect Severities that will be used for this product and release.  Each product and release can have its own distinct set of statuses and types.  By clicking on the list editor box, you can add, delete, or change the types that are currently listed.  Be sure to enter only one status type per line, and keep each status description less than 20 characters.  These list editors allow you to customize VMTracker to work in your existing environment -- by tracking programs and defects using the terms you are already familiar with.  The following buttons allow you to more easily customize each release your set up:

Click this button to edit, add items to, or delete items from the current status list.

Click this button to reset the current status list to the VMTracker defaults.

Click this button to copy the current status list from another product/release.

Click this button to reset all status lists to the VMTracker defaults.

Click this button to copy all status lists from another product/release.

 Click this button to modify the colors used to display the different statuses.

Before you click the OK button to save your release, you must select a valid Status for this release.  The Status selector is located at the top of the Product/Release window.  Any time you edit, default, or copy the Release Status list, you will be reminded to check the Status selector to make sure you've chosen a valid status.  If you change the Release Status list, and the currently selected release status is not in the new list, the Status selector will be defaulted to the first item in the list, and you will be prompted to select the correct status.

After you have created the new release, you are ready to begin entering programs at the summary screen.  Select a product and release by highlighting one and clicking the Select button.

Power Tip:  If you want to automatically duplicate the same program entries from a previous release of this product, select the Copy Programs option from the Setup menu.  To duplicate custom report options, select Copy Reports from the Setup menu.  To duplicate filters from another release, select Copy Filters from the Setup menu.


Selecting Display Colors

When you are setting up a product and release, you can not only customize the status lists for each release, but you can also determine the way that each type of entry will displayed.  By clicking on the Set Colors button, you can select a color to be associated with each type of status in each of each of the status lists.

To apply a color to a particular status, click first on the status you want to apply the color to.  Next, click on one of the color squares in the color palette at the bottom of the window.  The text of the status you selected will change to the color you chose.  Continue by clicking on the next status, then click its color -- and so on.  When you are done, click the OK button to return to the Product/Release window.

For example, in the Defect Severity list, you could set "Minor" defects to display in green text, while "Moderate" defects are displayed in "blue text, and "Critical" defects are displayed in red text.  Or, you might decide to have all "Pending" programs displayed in red, while all "Approved" programs are displayed in blue.  Entries will be displayed using these colors while browsing the programs and defects on the Summary Screen and Defect Screen.

This feature allows you to more easily determine the types of programs and defects you are viewing without activating the information screen for each item.  Display colors do not affect the operation of the filtering options.


Adding Programs to a Release

To add a new program to a release, make sure you are on the Summary screen.  You can determine which screen you are viewing by looking at the button with the single folder on it.  If the folder is shut, your are on the Summary screen.  If the folder is open, and a piece of paper is showing, you are on the Defect screen.

Click on the New button to bring up the Program Information dialog box. Enter the program's name, date, time, and size, and select a status - pending or approved.  Click on OK to accept the program and add it to the current release.

EXE Information:

Date  -  Enter the current date of the program or file you are adding.

Time  -  Enter the current time of the program or file you are adding.

Size  -  Enter the current size (in bytes, not K) of the program or file you are adding.

Power Tip:  If you want to automatically duplicate the same program entries from a previous release of this product, select the Copy Programs option from the Setup menu.  To duplicate custom report options, select Copy Reports from the Setup Menu.  To duplicate filters from another release, select Copy Filters from the Setup menu.


Adding Defects to a Program

Once you have added a program entry to a release, you are ready to begin adding defect entries. At the Summary screen, select the program that you want to add defects to by moving the highlight bar with the arrow keys, or by pointing and clicking with the mouse. Double-click or press Enter on the program to view the Defect screen. This screen allows you to see only the defects associated with the selected program in the current release. Now click on the New button to enter a new defect.

It is important to add defects to the correct release.  You should add program and defect entries to the release the program and defect correction will be shipped with, not the release the defect was discovered in.  The release the defect was discovered in should be entered in the Release field on the Origin page in the Defect Information window.

The defect information window allows you to enter a defect number, as well as different types of information associated with this defect:

Information  - General summary information about this particular defect.

Origin  -  Information about the initial report of the defect.

Environment - Describes the environment in which the problem occurred.

Workaround  -  Instructions on how to continue using the program by avoiding the defect.

Correction  -  Notes about how the program was corrected.

Verification  -  Information about the test results for defect.

Use the Arrow Buttons at the top of the window to navigate through the defects for this program without returning to the defect listing screen.

Print Page    This button prints the information on the currently displayed information "tab."

Attach    This button allows you to select documents to associate with this defect.  For example, you may want to attach a test plan written in a word processor to this defect.

Groups    This field allows you to view the groups this defect is associated with.  Groups help you keep related changes "connected" so programmers, testers, and support personnel know that several changes (perhaps to several programs) were made to support a new feature or solve a problem.  You can also add this defect to another group by clicking the + button.  You can remove this defect from a group by selecting the group from the list and clicking the - button.


Preferences

By selecting Preferences from the Setup menu, you can change settings for General Defaults, E-Mail Notification, and Default Directories.  These settings only affect the station setting them.  Each station can customize these preferences without affecting other stations.

There are three tabs on the Preferences screen, each containing a different type of customization.  Please read the topics below for more information about the options on each tab:

General Defaults

Messaging

Default Directories

System


General Defaults
Preferences

General Defaults

•	Initial Defect Tab    This list box allows you to choose which page of the tab set is selected (on top) when you edit a defect from the detail screen.   This setting applies only to the station that sets it.  Therefore, each station can set this option differently as required by each user.  For more information about the defect entry screen, see the topic: Adding Defects to a Program.

•	Preview Zoom    This list box allows you to choose the level of zoom to use when previewing reports.  You can override this setting while you are previewing a report.

•	Program Color   This list box allows you to select the way you want to view program entries on the main summary screen.  You can select to display each program in color based on its status, or view all programs in the same color.  For more information on viewing entries in color, see the topic: Selecting Display Colors.

•	Defect Color    This list box allows you to select the way you want to view defect entries on the detail screen.  Defect entries can be viewed in color by several classifications, including status, nature or severity.  For more information on viewing entries in color, see the topic: Selecting Display Colors.


Messaging
Preferences

Messaging

•	Global Notification    This checkbox, when cleared, turns off all notification messages for all status changes for all programs and defects in all products and releases.  Checking this box allows notification to occur again.  This setting is specific to the station that sets it.  Turning off notification does not stop other stations from causing notifications to be sent.

•	Revert to Release Recipients   This checkbox, when checked, instructs VMTracker to revert back to the release-level e-mail notification list if e-mail notification is active, but the status selected for the current defect does not contain any recipients in the program-level notification list. You can use this feature to allow the release-level default list to be the master list for all programs.  Thus, changes to the release-level list will be recognized when defect statuses are changed and notifications are sent.  If you use only the program-level notification lists, each program's list must change if you add or delete recipients from a status.  If the status selected is not "active" for e-mail notification (Notify for this Status is not checked in the Notification window) at the program level, then no notification will occur.  Likewise, if the status is not "active" for notification at the release level, then VMTracker will not notify the recipients associated with the selected status.  This setting is specific to the station that sets it.  Be careful since this can cause notifications to vary based on the station changing the defect status.

•	Enable Message Polling    This checkbox, when cleared, turns off all instant messaging (but not e-mail notifications).  Checking this box allows instant messages to be received again.  This setting is specific to the station that sets it.  Turning off message polling does not stop other stations from sending instant messages.

•	Message Polling Delay    This field tells VMTracker how often to check for instant messages.  VMTracker will check for messages once during each interval specified here.  You can tell VMTracker to check as often as every 3 seconds, or as infrequently as every 60 seconds.  Once you exit VMTracker, messages are no longer received on your station.  All pending messages will be delivered when the recipients start VMTracker again.

For more information about e-mail notifications, read the topic: Notification of Status Change.


Default Directories
Preferences

Default Directories

•	Default Directories    This group allows you to specify default directories for several of the Find... or Browse... dialog boxes throughout VMTracker.  These are only defaults, or initial settings.  They can be overridden any time one of these dialog boxes is used.

Find Program File    This path defines the current directory when the Find dialog box is activated.  The Find button appears on the Program Information window and the Defect Information window.  Set this path to the directory where you keep the programs and data files to be tracked.

Attach Document    This path defines the current directory when the Attach dialog box is activated.  The Attach button appears on the Defect Information window.  Set this path to the directory where you store documents and text files relevant to programs and defects.  For example, you might attach specifications for an enhancement request to a particular entry.

Print Report to File    This path defines the current directory when printing a report to a file.  You are prompted for a file name to be used when printing a report to a file.  Set this path to any directory that might be used to store report output from VMTracker.


System

New Defect Numbers  This option allows you to define how new defects are assigned defect numbers.  VMTracker automatically assigns the next available defect number for a new defect.  However, you can control when VMTracker begins starts over.  For example, you may want VMTracker to start at "1" as the first defect number for every release you create.  Or you may decide that every program will start with defect number "1".  Some users may prefer to make every defect truly unique, regardless of the number of products or releases they create.  All these options are available with this preference setting.

Product Text Case
Release Text Case
Program Text Case  These options allow you to direct VMTracker to automatically convert Product, Release, and/or Program names to upper case or lower case, or to perform no translation at all.  Some users find it more convenient to let the program translate all "key" information into upper or lower case, so they don't have to worry about having two entries for the same program, one in upper and one in lower case.  Because VMTracker is case-sensitive, it will make a distinction and consider them to be two separate programs.


Managing Customers

Click on the Manage Customers button on the toolbar to view the Manage Customers screen.  This screen allows you to enter information about the customers who have purchased your software.  Use the pull-down list to select a customer to work on.  You can also type the name of a customer in the Quick Search box to move more quickly to the customer you are searching for.

The customer information screen stores the usual information about your customers, including the customer/company name, a contact person at that company, their address, city, state, and zip code.  There are fields for phone and fax numbers, as well as an "active" checkbox, which allows you to track customers who have active maintenance or support contracts (if applicable).  You can also track the date the software was purchased by the customer.  A notes field is provided to allow you to enter additional information about this customer.

After locating and changing customer infromation click on Save to save the current customer record.  You can click New to create a new customer record.  Again, click Save when you are done entering the new customer's information.  To delete the current customer, click the Delete button.

Each defect can have many customers associated with it, since more than one customer may report a problem or suggest an enhancement.  To add customers to a defect entry, see the Origin help topic and refer to the Reported by field.

Defect Origin Screen


Origin

This page of the Defect dialog allows you to enter information about the initial report of the defect.

Reported by  -  The name of the customer(s) (company(s)) who reported the defect or requested the enhancement.  To add a customer to the list of customers reporting this item, click the + button.  To remove a customer from this defect, select the customer from the list and click the - button.

Release  -  The version of the software the defect was originally discovered in (not the release it is corrected in).

Report Date  -  The date the defect or enhancement was reported.  This field defaults to the current date for new defects.

Technician  -  The initials or name of the technician who entered the initial report of this defect.

EXE Information  -  The date, time, and size of the program or file containing the defect.  You can double click the left mouse button in any of these three fields to open a File Information dialog box.  Use this dialog box to select the file containing the defect, and click OK.  This will automatically "pull back" the program's date, time, and size to these fields.

A section at the bottom of the page allows you to enter freeform notes about the defect. This would include a more detailed description of the defect or change request, as well as any instruction on how to duplicate the symptoms for testing purposes. It may also include any special notes about circumstances at the user's site relating to the problem. For example, a customer may have just installed a new memory manager which now causes the program to operate improperly.


Selecting a Product and Release

When you start VMTracker, you need to select a Product and Release to work on.  If you have not created any releases yet, please refer to Creating a New Release. Once you have created several releases for your software product, and perhaps several products for you business, you will need to select which product and release you want to work on.  To do this, click on the Select button on the toolbar (the button with several closed folders on it).  Or, you can use the View menu and choose Select Product and Release.

When the product and release selection window appears, simply highlight the product and release you want to work on, and click Select.  You can also double-click the selected product and release in the browser. You will be returned to the main summary screen to view or work on the programs in this release.

From the Product and Release selection window you can also delete entire releases, and enter e-mail notification lists for each release.

Power Tip:  To change quickly between releases, use the "Most Recently Used" list on the View menu.  The last five (5) releases you have worked on appear on the View menu.  By simply clicking on the release description, you can change to another release more quickly than using the Select Product / Release option.

You can clear the MRU list by selecting "Clear MRU List" from the Tools menu.


Viewing Programs and Defects

There are two main screens in VMTracker: the summary or Program screen, and the  detail or Defect screen.

While you are viewing programs at the summary screen, you can easily tell the date, time and size of the programs that make up this release.  You can also see the current status or each program.  You can filter which programs appear on this screen by clicking the Filter View button on the toolbar.  By selecting statuses from the list, only programs with the selected statuses will be displayed.

When you want to view the defects for a single program, double-click on a program (or press Enter) and the defect screen will be displayed.  You can view each defect's ID number, as well as it's current status.  You also see a brief description of each defect entry.  If you want to filter which types of entries appear on this screen, use the Filter View button on toolbar.  When selecting types from these filters, only matching entries will be displayed.

On the defect screen, you can also view the entries in color by status, nature, or severity.  This allows you to see, at a glance, the status, nature, or severity of all the items on the screen.  For more information about viewing programs and defects, please refer to the following topics:

Filtering Programs and Defects

Selecting Display Colors

Showing Display Colors


Filtering Programs and Defects

You must create a filter before you can apply it to the browse screens.  If you have not created a filter yet, please read the topic: Managing Filters.

To more quickly identify the entries you want to work on, you can use the filter dialog to display only the programs and defects that are important to you.  The filter settings apply to the summary and defect browse screens, and allow you to select which programs and defects are displayed based on status, nature and severity.

This dialog allows you to select which program statuses, defect statuses, natures and severities will be displayed on the browse screens.  You select items by moving them from the Select From list box to the Selected to View list box.  You can select several items at one time by using Shift or Ctrl while selecting items.  Once selected, many highlighted items can be moved at once using the arrow buttons displayed between the lists.

When you are done selecting which types of entries to display (and not display), click the Save button to save the Filter with a name and close the dialog.

Managing Filters


Managing Filters

Before you can filter defects and programs, you first need to create one or more filters by clicking on the Filters button.  This will display the Filter Selector dialog.

If you have already created a filter, and you want to apply it to the current release browse screens, select the filter you want to apply and click Apply.  If you want to create a new filter, click the New button.  To delete an existing filter, highlight the filter you want to delete and click Delete.

To modify an existing filter, highlight the filter you want to change and click Customize.  This will display the View Filter dialog that allows you to change the properties of a filter.

To stop using a filter at any time, click the Clear button.  This directs VMTracker to display all programs and defects.  To determine if a filter is currently in use, look for the Filter: prompt just below the toolbar on the main screen.  If the Filter prompt does not appear, no filter is currently selected.

Note:  The filter that is in effect when VMTracker is closed will be applied automatically the next time you start VMTracker.


Showing Display Colors

If you have set up your product and release to have colors applied to each status, you can select to show the status colors on the main summary and defect screens.  Click the Color View button and you will be asked to select which color scheme you want to use.  If you select None, all entries will be displayed in the same color.

If you are currently viewing programs, you will only have one other choice -- Color by Status.  Choosing this option will display each program using the color you associated with it on the color setup screen (Program Status tab).

If you are currently viewing defects, you will have several other choices.  You can view defects in color by status, nature, or severity.


Editing Programs and Defects

To edit an existing Program or Defect entry, highlight the Program or Defect you want to modify using the mouse to select it, or using the arrow keys to highlight it.

If you are currently viewing Program entries, click on the Edit Information button on the toolbar, or click the right mouse button and select Edit from the pop-up menu.

If you are currently viewing Defect entries, Edit Information button on the toolbar, double-click the left mouse button, or click the right mouse button and selected Edit from the pop-up menu.

Now you can edit the information you want to change, and click OK to save it.


Moving Programs and Defects

It's easy to move a program to different release, or a defect to a different program.

To move a program and its defects to a different release:

1 	Highlight the program on the program Summary screen, and click on the Edit button.

2 	Change the Product or Release to the one you want to move the program into, and click OK.

If the program already exists in the target Product and Release, you will be asked if you want to overwrite it.

If you answer Yes, the current program's information will overwrite the target's information.

If you answer No, the target program information remains, and only the defects for the current program are moved into the target	program's Product and Release under that program.

To move a single defect to a different program:

1 	Highlight the defect on the Defect detail screen and click on the information button.

2 	Change the program name to the one you want to move this defect under and click OK.

If that defect number already exists under the target program, you will be asked to confirm the overwrite of the target defect.

It is also important to note that there is an automatic way to automatically create program entries for a new release.  You can duplicate the program entries (not including defects) from one release to another by using the Copy Programs option on the Tools menu.


Searching for Defects

You can search for specific defects by using the Find dialog.  Click on the Find button or press CTRL+F to activate the Find dialog box.  Searching will find matching defects in all releases of all products in the database.

How to Search

1 	Select a field to search by.  You can find defects by their program, error number, summary text, or defect ID.

2 	Select whether you want to search only the current product and release, or all products and releases.

3 	Enter the text you want to search for.

4 	Click on the Search button to begin finding the defects that match your criteria.

5 	When the search is complete, VMTracker will place you at the first defect it finds matching your search criteria.  If none were found, a message is displayed to inform you.

6 	To search again using the same criteria, press while browsing on the main summary or defect screen.  Pressing F3 begins searching from the currently highlighted defect and proceeds forward.  To begin searching from the beginning of the release, click on the Find button or press CTRL+F.


Adding Defects to Groups

You must create a group before you can add defects to it.  If you have not created a group yet, please read the topic: Managing Groups.

Once you have created one or more defect groups, you can add a defect entry to one or more of the groups by highlighting a defect entry on the defect browse screen and right-clicking on it.  Select Group from the popup menu to display the Add to Group dialog.  You can also add a defect to a group from the defect information screen by clicking the + button next to the group list.

You can now choose the group you want to add the defect to by selecting a group from the list and clicking on it, then clicking OK to close this dialog.  To add the defect to more groups right-click on the defect, select Group, and repeat the procedure.

Managing Groups


Managing Groups

Groups allow you to associate a specific defect entries with other defect entries.  For example, if one defect correction or enhancement requires changes to several different programs, you would want to make sure that thos programs are all tested and released at the same time.  By creating a group and adding defects to it, they become assoicated with one another, so programmers and testers can determine which programs to modify and test at one time.

Before you can add defects to a group, you must first create at least one group.  Click on the Group button on the toolbar to display the Manage Groups dialog.

To create a new group, click the New button and enter a short, descriptive name for  the Group.  Try to limit the name to 25 characters or less.

To view or manage a group, click on the drop-down list box and click on a group.  This displays any programs and defects that are in this group in an open list box under the Group drop-down list.

To delete defects from the selected group, highlight the program and defect you want to delete in the open list box, and click the Delete button.

You cannot add defects to a group from this dialog.  To add a defect to a group, please read the topic: Adding Defects to Groups.


EMailing Defect Reports
E-Mailing Defect Reports

If your Windows setup supports electronic mail, VMTracker will allow you to e-mail defect reports to other people on your network.

When you are viewing defect entries, the Mail button will become active.  To mail a defect report to another person, highlight the defect you want to send and click on the Mail button.  You can also right-click and choose Mail from the pop-up menu.  This will start the mail dialog and present you with a mail message with the defect report attached.  You simply add any text you want to the mail message, choose a person to mail it to, and send it.

You can mail other reports from the report selector screen.  Highlight the report you want to print and click on the Mail button.  Since the report is being printed to an ASCII file for mailing, it will not be formatted the same as it is when printing on paper or previewing on screen.

You can also notify other network mail users of changes to defect statuses by using the Notification of Status Change feature of VMTracker.

Note that the name of the defect report file is not derived from the defect information, it is actually the name of the temporary file used to store the information, so it may not appear to be meaningful.  The file is deleted after the mail message is sent.

VMTracker determines the existence of a mail system by detecting MAPI32.DLL.  Only mail systems that use MAPI32.DLL will work properly with VMTracker.  If VMTracker cannot load MAPI32.DLL for any reason, it will warn you that a mail system could not be found.


Printing Defect Reports

You can print several reports from VMTracker.  Click on the Print button to display a report selection dialog box.  From this dialog you can select one of several reports to print.  You can also customize the provided reports and save the customization under a new report name.  Standard Reports will appear in bold font, while user-defined reports will appear in non-bold font.

Defect Listing Reports:

Release Summary  -  Lists all programs within the current release, showing one summarized line per defect within each program.

Release Detail  -  Lists all programs within the current release, printing all detail information for each defect in each program.

Program Summary  -  Lists each defect within the current program, showing one summarized line per defect.

Program Detail  -  Lists each defect within the current program, printing all detail information for each defect.

Defect Detail  -  Prints all detail information for the current defect.  (Available only from the Defect detail screen.)

Defect Management Reports:

Release Status  -  Prints a listing of each product and release and its corresponding information, grouped by product.

Release Statistics by Severity  -  Shows the total number of defects by severity, including the number of defects for each status within each severity.

Release Statistics by Status  -  Shows the total number of defects by status, including the number of defects for each severity within each status.

Release Statistics by Program  -  Shows the total number of defects by Program within a release.

Release Shipping List  -  Shows the names of the programs in the current release, along with their date, time, and size, providing a "roster" of programs to be shipped.

Origin Notes  -  Prints a listing of all defects within the current release, grouped by severity, showing only origin notes for each defect.

Customers By Defect Listing  -  Prints a listing of all customers associated with each defect within a release, ordered by program and defect number.

Printing to a File  --  You can print the standard reports to a file if you need to.  When you click the Print button from the report selector screen, a standard Print dialog box is displayed that contains a Print to File checkbox.  Check this box to print a report to an ASCII text file.  When you close the Print dialog, you will be prompted for a file name for the selected report.  Because ASCII text files do not contain special fonts, formatting will only approximate the actual printed report.  Some reports may differ slightly from their printed appearance for this reason.

To learn more about creating custom reports from the standard VMTracker reports, see the help topic, "Customizing Defect Reports."


Charting Defects

You can display charts which summarize the characteristics of the defects within the currently active product and release.  Click on the Chart button to display the Chart Defects dialog.  Select one of the chart types listed:

Shows the percentage of defects in each of the Status categories.  This is useful for getting a "big picture" view of the release regarding its completion level.

Shows the percentage of defects in each of the Severity categories.  This is helpful for gauging the overall severity of problems being reported in a given release of a product.

Shows a comparison of the number of defects found in each release within the current product.  This allows you to compare the quality of releases with one another.  Note that this graph analyzes defects based on the release they were reported in, not the release they were corrected in.  This graph summarizes defects based on the Release field on the Origin tab on the Defect Information screen.

Nature  This field allows you to filter the items that are graphed based on their nature.  For example, by selecting Defects from the list, you can determine which percentage of defects within a release are critical, which are minor, etc.

Use Custom Colors from Release Setup    Check this box to use the colors you set up for this release when displaying the chart.  If this box is unchecked, the chart is displayed using the normal system colors for each element of the chart.

Notes:

•	The charts could take several seconds or even minutes to calculate, depending on the number of defects in a release.

•	More than 16 elements in the same chart will result in duplicate colors.

•	Custom Color checkbox is not available when viewing by Release.


Export to ASCII

VMTracker allows you to export your defect information to a comma-delimited ASCII text file.  When you select to export, you will be prompted to enter the name of a file to export your data into.  You can select an existing file to overwrite, or create a new file.

The file that is created will contain the information for all defects in the current release.  The export file will consist of one "release" record (the first record), followed by individual "defect" records.  Each field is separated by commas and enclosed in quotes.

Release Information Record:

Product
Release
Description
Comments
Release Status
Starting Date
Delivery Date
Responsible #1
Responsible #2

Defect Information Record:

The first set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Information Tab:

Product
Release
Program
Defect ID
Error Number
Summary
Defect Status
Defect Nature
Defect Severity
EXE Date
EXE Time
EXE Size

The second set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Origin tab:

Customer
Contact
Original Release
Report Date
Technician
EXE Date
EXE Time
EXE Size
Origin Notes

The third set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Environment tab:

Hardware
Operating System
Network
Network Type
Environment Notes

The fourth set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Workaround tab:

Technician
Workaround Notes

The fifth set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Correction tab:

Programmer
EXE Date
EXE Time
EXE Size
Programmer's Notes

The last set of fields in the Defect Record are from the Defect Verification tab:

Tester
EXE Date
EXE Time
EXE Size
Tester's Notes


Security Features

VMTracker allows you to define access rights to some of the information in the VMTracker database.  All users can view any of the information stored in VMTracker, however, you can control who is able to modify this information.  By selecting User Access from the Setup menu, you can select a user ID to modify, or enter a new user ID by clicking New.  For each user, you can grant or deny access to modify User Access rights, Product/Release information, Program information, and Defect information.  By checking each of the boxes, you can grant access to any, all, or none of these functions.

The first person to access an installation of VMTracker is given User Access modification rights.  This person can then set up other users' rights within VMTracker.  One user must always have User Access modification rights.

Setting Up Network Security


Setting Up Network Security

When setting up network security for VMTracker, you should first determine which type of network you are using, Microsoft or non-Microsoft.  If you have a Microsoft Network running (even "over" another type of Network) VMTracker will use the station ID from the Microsoft Network as your user ID.  If you are not using a Microsoft Network, you must define each station's user ID as described below.

After determining the user IDs of all stations that will access VMTracker, you should start VMTracker and enter each of the user IDs in the User Access screen.  It is here that you assign access rights to each user.  Once all of the users have been defined in the User Access screen, they can begin using VMTracker from their stations.

Determining a Station's User ID

On Network systems, each station must have a unique user ID.  The user ID is obtained from the operating system automatically by VMTracker when you start VMTracker from the workstation.  If you are using a Novell Network, VMTracker may detect the Netware station ID as it's User ID.

When you start VMTracker from a station, it may warn you that it cannot determine your station's User ID.  In this case, you should run the Set User ID program to define a unique user ID for every station that will use VMTracker.  Each station's ID must be unique, since VMTracker will not allow two users with the same ID to use the software concurrently.

Running this program updates the registry on your station.  The VMTracker key contains a UserID setting that will be set to the user ID you enter when you run the Set User ID utility.  You can directly modify the registry file to change the user ID at any station, however, you should understand that modyfing the registry can cause serious damage to your Windows setup if done improperly.  Using the Set User ID utility does not provide any additional functionality -- it is only provided to simplify the process.  VMTracker will always check the registry for a User ID and use it if one exists, even if a valid name was obtained from the operating system.

When you start VMTracker, it will try to detect a user ID from the station.  It will then check to see if a User ID exists in the registry on that station.  If it cannot determine a user ID, it will issue an error message and exit the program.  If a user ID is obtained, VMTracker will try to find that ID in the Security database and determine the user's access rights.  If the name is not found in the Security database, VMTracker assigns the name "Unknown User" and allows use of the software in "browse only" mode; that is, the user is able to view release, program and defect information, but not modify it.

Please consult your Windows or Netware documentation for more information on how to determine a workstation's name on a Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Network (Windows 95) or Novell Network.


Instant Messages

Sending Instant Messages

Instant messaging is a feature that allows users of VMTracker to send short text messages to other network users who are currently using VMTracker.  For example, you might receive a message telling you that a particular defect is locked by another user.  You might want to send a pop-up instant message to let the other person know you also want to work on that defect.

Before you can use instant messaging, you must make sure that the feature is enabled on the Preferences | Messaging screen.  Read the topic: Messaging for more information about options regarding associated with feature.

To send an instant message to someone, click on the View menu, and select Instant Messaging.  You will see a list of all the users who are currently using VMTracker on the network.  To send a message to one of them, highlight one of the names in the list, and click the Message button.

A form is displayed that allows you to type a short text message to the person you selected from the list.  Type a brief message and click Send.  The message is instantly sent to that person.  If that person exits VMTracker before receiving the message, the message will be received the next time that person starts VMTracker (after the specified interval for that user's station).

Receiving Instant Messages

When your station is set up to recieve instant messages, VMTracker automatically checks for pending messages as often as you specified in the Preferences | Messaging screen.  If a message is available the next time VMTracker checks, the message is displayed.  Messages can pop-up any time you are in VMTracker (except when you are viewing or sending a message).

When you recieve a message, you can read it and cancel it (throw it away).  Or, you can also reply.  To reply, simply type your response in the message box.  You can delete the sender's message text, or type within it.  When you click Reply, the message, including any left-over text from the sender is sent back to the sender.


Favorite Tools

The Favorite Tools option on the Tools menu allows you to add up to five (5) programs to the Tools menu for easy access while working in VMTracker.  After initially installing VMTracker, there are no custom tools onthe Tools menu.  When you add them, they appear below the Favorite Tools option.

To add a program to the list of tools, click on the Favorite Tools option on the Tools menu.  A dialog box appears with a list box containing the programs you already have set up.  To add to the list, click the Add button.  Another dialog box appears titled Tool Information.  This dialog box allows you to enter the information needed to run the program you are adding.

When you have entered the necessary information, the program is added to the list.  You can change or remove an existing entry by highlighting it and clicking the Edit button or the Remove button, respectively.  When you are done editing the list, click Close to return to the main VMTracker window.


Registering VMTracker

The demo version of VMTracker allows you to enter a limited number of Releases, Programs, and Defects.  The registered version allows an unlimited number of Releases, Programs, and Defects.  To register, remit guaranteed payment (certified or bank check or money order) payable to:

Software With Brains

649 Branch Drive
Toms River, NJ  08755

We're sorry, but personal checks and other non-guaranteed forms of payment cannot be accepted.

Important:  Please print the Activation form from the Setup menu, and include the License Code from the Activation Screen and the number of licenses you are purchasing.  You view the activation screen by selecting Activate Licenses from the Setup menu.  You will receive an Activation Code that can be entered on this screen along with your name.  When you enter the correct code, the software becomes fully licensed, and the demonstration restrictions are removed.

Current Price List

Single User License..........$149

Network Licenses:          5-User.........$249                 20-User..........$699
                                    10-User........$449                 50-User..........$999
                                    15-User........$599                 Unlimited........$1499

                           (NJ Residents:  Please add 6% to all prices for NJ state sales tax)

Technical support can be obtained via E-MAIL at:

swbrains@monmouth.com

We will attempt to answer all messages as soon as time permits, however, no guarantees are made as to the accuracy or timeliness of any response.


Troubleshooting

 When I start VMTracker, it tells me it can't determine my User ID, then it just exits.  How do I tell VMTracker my User ID?

 When I start VMTracker, I get an error message saying an Application Error occurred trying to initialize the Borland Database Engine (usually $2108 or $2109).  What happened?

 When I start VMTracker, I get an error message saying a Network Initialization Error occurred.  How do I correct this?

 I can start VMTracker from a workstation, but all the OK buttons are disabled, and I can't create new releases, programs or defects. What's wrong?

 When I started VMTracker, I noticed my User ID was blank.  I went into the User Access screen and changed my User ID, but now when I start VMTracker, I no longer have rights to update or create anything.  Why can't I change my User ID?

 Whenever I try to e-mail a defect report, or use automatic status notification, I get the message, "File Error -- Cannot find MAPI32.DLL." or "VMTracker cannot find a valid e-mail system.  (MAPI32.DLL)"   What's wrong?

 VMTracker doesn't fit on my screen.  The main window is too large and I can't see all the buttons or scroll bars.

 I just created a new release, but all my customized reports are missing.  What happened to them?

 I created several filters, but now they are not appearing in the filter selection window.  What happened to them?


Correcting User ID Problems
VMTracker User ID Problems

If you are trying to access VMTracker from a network station...

When VMTracker tells you that it can't determine your User ID, it means that it can't obtain a "computer name" from Windows or your network, or your station does not have a User ID set up properly in the Registry

To correct this problem, run the Set User ID program.  When it starts, notice if the User ID field has a default value.  If not, VMTracker cannot determine your station's computer name from the operating system.  You can correct the problem by typing a unique User ID for this station and clicking OK.  VMTracker should now be able to determine your User ID.

Note:  After setting your station's user ID, make sure someone with Security Access rights in VMTracker adds your name to the list of valid VMTracker users.  See Setting Up Network Security for more information on this topic.

If you are trying to run VMTracker on a non-networked PC...

Iif you are installing VMTracker on a non-networked PC, your station may not have a computer name to provide to VMTracker.  If this problem occurs on a non-networked PC, you can correct it by simply running the Set User ID utility and entering a name for your computer.  VMTracker will then use that name as your User ID.


BDE Error Initializing Database

This error is usually caused by an invalid path identified in your system Registry.  You may need to reinstall VMTracker to reinitialize the BDE paths in your Registry.

It may also be caused by a missing DLL file (IDAPI32.DLL).  Make sure this file exists in the VMTracker directory before starting VMTracker.

Also check the system registry to make sure the BDE is correctly installed.  See the topic:  The BDE and the Registry.


BDE Error Initializing Network

Errors initializing the network can often result from insufficient disk space, or a lack of user rights to the VMTracker directory.  Contact your network administrator and check to make sure each station has read, write, create, and delete access to the VMTracker directory.  If this does not help, try giving users Supervisory rights to the VMTracker directory.

Also check to make sure the VMTracker directory is not out of drive space.  On some networks, drive space can be limited on a per-directory basis.  If the VMTracker directory is being limited, increase the amount of space being made available to it.

Also check the system registry to make sure the BDE is correctly installed.  See the topic:  The BDE and the Registry.


Correcting User Access Rights

There can be two reasons for problems with access rights:

1 	Your station's User ID has not been added to the VMTracker Security database.  You can tell if your station has been added to the Security Database by viewing the About Box from within VMTracker.  If it displays "Unknown User" as the User ID, then VMTracker has determined that your station is not in the Security database.  The person who runs VMTracker first after installing it is able to grant user access rights to other stations.  This person must start VMTracker and add the names of the other stations to the Security database.  You can read more about how VMTracker determines access rights by viewing the topic Security Features.

2 	Your User ID has been added to the VMTracker Security database, but you have not been granted access to the different parts of the program.   The person who runs VMTracker first after installing it is able to grant user access rights to other stations.  This person must start VMTracker and add the names of the other stations to the Security database.  Have the person with User Security access rights check your User ID and correct the access privileges.


Changing User IDs

When you start VMTracker for the first time, it uses your station's Network User ID as your User Access ID.  This ID gives you rights to change information in VMTracker.  When VMTracker starts, it uses your station's Network User ID to obtain your access rights from the Security database.  If it doesn't find your station's ID in the Security database, you have no modification rights.  In essence, all you can do is "browse."

The reason your user ID came up blank the first time is probably because your system is not attached to a network.  Stand-alone PCs do not always have station IDs.  VMTracker normally issues administrative rights to the user (station) that installs VMTracker.  That user must then set up the other station's IDs in VMTracker.

To correct this problem, use the Set VMTracker User ID program to change your VMTracker User ID to the same name you entered when you were in VMTracker.  The next time you start VMTracker, it will think your station ID is the one you entered through the User ID utility.  Since VMTracker will find that name in the Security database, you will once again have access to all functions.


Problems with EMail
Problems with E-Mail

These errors occur when VMTracker cannot load MAPI32.DLL, the Windows library used for sending e-mail.  Your system probably does not have a file named MAPI32.DLL in the Windows or Windows System directory, which may indicate that you do not have the Windows mail system installed.  You need a valid installation of Microsoft Mail, or other MAPI-compliant mail system in order to use the e-mail feature of VMTracker.  Third-party e-mail systems are not supported by VMTracker.

To activate e-mail in VMTracker, check with your network administrator to see if you're running an e-mail system, and if so, which one. If you are using Microsoft Mail, make sure your station is fully configured and properly set up to use e-mail from Windows.  When e-mail works from the Windows desktop, then try using it from VMTracker.

Also, VMTracker will not be able to connect to your mail system if you have not selected a default profile.  This can cause problems if you install Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Mail, but do not complete the setup on the station you are running VMTracker from.  Part of the configuration process of MS Mail is the selection of a default profile.  Please refer to the Windows help system for more information about selecting a default profile within the Windows mail system.


Screen Size

VMTracker works best at resolutions of  800 x 600 (also known as Super VGA) or higher.  You may have regular VGA, which has a resolution of 640 x 480.  If your system is capable of Super VGA mode, you should use that mode.  Refer to your hardware specifications to determine if your display adapter and monitor can use Super VGA mode.  You will also need to configure Windows to use this mode.  Refer to your Windows documentation for more information on how to change your Windows display resolution.

Note:  VMTracker will actually run on a system with standard VGA resolution, however, you may need to move the windows to see all of the available options.  At higher resolutions, VMTrackers "adjusts" its size to appear larger on the screen.


Copying Custom Report Options

The reports aren't really missing, they only exist in the release they were created in.  You can make a copy of your custom reports automatically using the Copy Reports option from the Setup menu.  You can then select from a list of the other Products and Releases that contain your custom reports.  For more information about Copying Reports, see the help topic, Copying Reports.


Filters and Releases

The filters aren't really missing, they only exist in the release they were created in.  You can make a copy of your filters automatically using the Copy Filters option from the Setup menu.  You can then select from a list of the other Products and Releases that contain the filters you have already set up.  For more information about Copying Filters, see the help topic, Copying Filters.


Attaching Documents to a Defect

You can attach many documents to a single defect.  This is useful if you want to attach a test plan or additional documentation about a particular defect.  You can edit an attached document by double-clicking on it or selecting it and clicking Open.  The list of attachments is unique for every defect.

Open   This button executes the application associated with the selected document.  If possible, the document is loaded into the application once it is launched.

Add    This button allows you to select a document to add to the list of attachments for this defect.  A dialog box is presented similar to the normal Open File dialog box.

Remove    This buttons removes the selected document from the list of attached documents.  It does not delete the document from the hard drive, it simply removes it from the attachment list.


Changing Recipients for One Program

You may find an occasion to change the notification list for a particular status on only one program.  VMTracker allows you to modify the Program level recipient list.

To change this list, click on the View Programs button on the toolbar, if you are not already viewing programs.  Once you are on the summary screen, highlight the program that requires the custom recipient list.

Next, click the Notify button on the toolbar.  You can change the list of recipients or even deselect certain statuses so they do not produce notification messages.

Close the window when you have finished updating each status that required changes.


Copying Filters

When you create filters, the filters are valid only for the current product and release.  That is, when you work on another product or release, the filters are no longer available to you.  The reason they are not automatically made available is because filters include status, nature, and severity selections that are associated with one product and release.  Since each product and release can use different status, nature and severity types, the filters may not have any meaning when used in a release with different status types.  Since some users may always use the same status types from release to release, VMTracker offers a way to copy all filters into the current product and release.

To copy filters from another release, pull down the Setup menu on the main menu bar.  Select the Copy Filters option.  You will see a brief message explaining the  copying process.  Click OK to continue.  At this point, you will be asked which Product/Release you want to copy filters from.  Select a release and click OK.  VMTracker will look for all filters in the selected release, and copy them to the current release, keeping the same statuses, natures, and severities that were selected in each one.

If the statuses, natures, and severities for this release are the same as the release you just copied from, then you do not need to modify the copied filters.  They are ready to apply immediately.  However, if you have used different statuses, natures or severities in this release, you should modify the settings for each filter by clicking on the Filters button on the toolbar and then selecting Select All.  This will update the options with the ones from the current release.  Now you can deselect any items you don't want to display when using this filter.  Continue this process for all filters copied over.


Copying Programs

Since you may have several releases, or versions, of you product, you may ship the same programs in several releases.  Rather than entering the program information for each program every time you create a new release, VMTracker gives you a way to automatically duplicate the program entries from a prior release.

To copy the program entries into a new release, first create a new release using the Products & Releases option on the View menu.  Next, select the new release to be the current release.  Then, by clicking on the Copy Programs option on the Setup menu, you will be able to choose a release to copy programs from.  When you confirm the process, the programs are copied from the selected release into the current release.

If you have set up e-mail notification lists for each program, they are copied along with each program.


Copying Reports

When you create custom reports on the Report Customizer screen, the reports are valid only for the current product and release.  That is, when you work on another product or release, the reports are no longer available to you.  The reason the reports are not automatically made available is because the custom report options include status, nature, and severity selections that are associated with one product and release.  Since each product and release can use different status, nature and severity types, the report options may not have any meaning when used in a release with different status types.  Since some users may always use the same status types from release to release, VMTracker offers a way to copy all reports into the current product and release.

To copy reports from another release, pull down the Setup menu on the main menu bar.  Select the Copy Reports option.  You will see a brief message explaining the report copying process.  Click OK to continue.  At this point, you will be asked which Product/Release you want to copy reports from.  Select a release and click OK.  VMTracker will look for all custom reports in the selected release, and copy them to the current release, keeping the same statuses, natures, and severities that were selected in each one.

If the statuses, natures, and severities for this release are the same as the release you just copied from, then you do not need to modify the copied reports.  They are ready to print immediately.  However, if you have used different statuses, natures or severities in this release, you should modify the custom settings for each custom report by clicking on Customize from the report selector window, and then selecting Select All.  This will update the options with the ones from the current release.  Now you can deselect any items you don't want to print on this report.  Continue this process for all reports copied over.


Correction

This page allows you to store information about the corrected version of the program.

Programmer  -  Enter the name or initials of the programmer who corrected the problem, or implemented the enhancement.

EXE Information  -  Enter the date, time, and size of the version that corrects the problem or contains the enhancement.  These fields are always the same as the ones on the verification screen, since the program that is tested will be the same one that is corrected.  You can double click the left mouse button in any of these three fields to open a File Information dialog box.  Use this dialog box to select the file containing the defect, and click OK.  This will automatically "pull back" the program's date, time, and size to these fields.

At the bottom of the page is a section for freeform notes where programmers can enter any special instructions regarding the corrected version of the program.  For example, you might explain why the defect occurred, as well as any other programs that required fixing to correct the problem.


Customizing Defect Reports

By clicking the Customize button on the report selection screen, you can select which Program Statuses, Defect Statuses, Defect Natures, and Defect Severities to include on your reports.

Selecting Program and Defect Types for Printing
The unselected options appear on the left side of the screen.  You can highlight the ones you want to include on the reports and click the right arrow button.  This will move the highlighted items to the right side of the screen.
To select all items in all the status lists, click on Select All.

Deselecting Program and Defect Types for Printing
The items on the right side of the screen are the types of items to be included on the reports.  You can move them back by highlighting items on the right side of the screen and clicking the left arrow button.  This "deselects" different program and defect types, and items of these types will not be included on your reports.  You can also double click on any item to move it from one side of the screen to the other.
To deselect all the items in all status lists, click on Deselect All.

Selecting Defect Information for Printing
You can also select which information you want to appear on any of the defect reports.  The areas of information are shown on the Options tab of the Report Customizer window.   These items can be "checked" or "unchecked" to include or exclude them from the current report.  You can select to include or exclude information shown on the detail reports and summary reports, as well as filtering the defects that will appear based on priority.  On summary reports, you can select the order in which the defect items will be sorted.

Saving Custom Report Options
You may have some custom options that you use on a regular basis.  Any time you set custom options for a report, those options remain in effect every time you print that report, until you change them.  You can customize the options for the standard VMTracker reports by clicking the Save button, or you can create a new report by selecting one of the standard reports and saving the options for it under a different name.  Click on the Save As button and enter a unique name to create a copy of the current report with your custom options.

Printing One-Time Custom Reports
You can customize a report and print it once without saving the custom settings by clicking the Print button on the Customizer window.  This prints the current report with the selected options, but does not save those settings permanently.


Defining Notification Recipients

When you want to define a list of people on your network to be notified whenever a status changes, you must first decide who needs to be notified for each status.  Also, you must make certain that each person is a valid user of your network's Microsoft Mail system.  VMTracker only works with Microsoft Mail systems.

If you anticipate changes to the notification lists (new employees, etc.), use a Personal Distribution List (or alias) and enter the name of the PDL in VMTracker's list.  VMTracker will send mail to all members of that list.  By changing the list, you can update who the mail will be sent to by making a single change in your address book.  Remember that a PDL is defined at each workstation, so changes to the PDL must be made in each station's address book.

Another way to avoid having to change every program's notification list when the list of recipients changes is to use the Revert to Release Notifications option in the Preferences window (Setup menu).  This option, when checked, tells VMTracker to revert back to the release-level notification list if there are no recipients set up on the program-level notification list.

You can display the notification screen by clicking on the Select Product and Release button on the toolbar (or from the View menu).  Then click the Notify button to set up the default notification lists for each status.  On the notification screen, you will see the list of defect statuses that you entered when you set up this release.  Once you have decided which statuses should cause a notification to be sent, click on the first status in the Status list that requires notifications to be sent.

Next, make sure the checkbox titled "Notify for this Status" is checked. This is used to turn activation on or off at the release level for each status.  When you set up notification lists for the first time, make sure the box is always checked.  You can use this box later to turn off notification for selected statuses for this release.

Last, click on the list box at the bottom of the window.  Type the names of the people you want to notify when the selected status is chosen for a defect entry.  You can enter up to 32 names for each status.  Make sure you enter only one name per line.  Press Enter after entering each name for this status.  Make sure you enter the names exactly as they appear in your Address Book.  Use only the users' names, and not their addresses.

When you have entered all the names for this status, click on another status in the status list, and repeat the process.  When you are done, close the notification window.  The lists can be modified later if necessary by returning to this window.

Changing the recipient list for one program.


Environment

This page allows you to store information about the environment in which the defect occurs.

Hardware  -  Enter a brief description of the system the defect occurred on.  Describe the processor type and speed, hard drive size, RAM installed, etc.

Operating System  -  Enter the name and version of the operating system being used, including any "shells" that may be running.

Network Attached  -  Check this box if the user's PC is attached to a network.

Network Type  -  Enter the name and version of the network operating system being used.

There is a section at the bottom of the page for freeform notes.  You may want to describe any other software or hardware on the user's system that could be related to the problem.  For example, you may want to list the video card manufacturer and video driver version number if the problem is display related.


Information

On the defect information page of the defect dialog box, you enter general information about this defect.

Defect - Enter a unique number that identifies this defect.  The defect number is defaulted to the next highest number for the current release.

Status - Select the current status of this defect. Each department should be responsible for updating this indicator to alert other departments that a defect is ready for them. For example, after testing a fixed defect, the testing department might set the Status to Pending Rework if another problem was found, or the original problem was still not properly resolved.

Error - An error number reported by the program for this defect.  Not all programs associate an error number with a problem.  This field may not apply to you.

Summary - Enter a brief description of the defect or enhancement request.  This information will be transferred to the Origin Notes field when entering new defects.

Nature - Classify the nature of the defect or change request. Bugs could be classified as Defects, whereas new feature requests may be classified as Enhancements.

Severity - Rate the severity of the defect to classify its importance to the successful operation of the product. This helps managers prioritize which defects or enhancements need to be addressed first.

Priority - Select a numeric priority for this item.  Generally, the lower the number, the higher the prority.  That is, a priority of "1" means the item has a high priority, whereas a priority of "10" is of less importance.  You can assign a priority rating between 1 and 999.  All entries must have a priority.

EXE Information - Enter the date, time, and size of the program containing this defect.  You can double click the left mouse button in any of these three fields to open a File Information dialog box.  Use this dialog box to select the file containing the defect, and click OK.  This will automatically "pull back" the program's date, time, and size to these fields.

Group - You can click on the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons to add this defect to a group, or remove it from a group, respectively.  Grouping defects allows you to categorize items that belong together.  This helps you identify which programs and corrections need to be tested and/or released at the same time.

Use the Arrow Buttons at the top of the window to navigate through the defects for this program without returning to the defect listing screen.  When you use these buttons to change defects, the currently selected information tab (Origin, Workaround, Correction, etc.) remains selected and visible.  This allows you to easily view the same information for a series of consecutive entries.

Notify on Status Change   When checked, VMTracker allows notification messges to be issued to all recipients for this status in this program.  Remember, Global, Release, and Program level notification checkboxes must be checked for this to occur.


Notification of Status Change

VMTracker has a powerful multi-user feature that allows you to notify people on your network whenever someone changes the Status field of a defect entry.  Whenever a defect's status is changed, network users will be sent an E-Mail message telling them that a new defect has been entered, or a defect's status has been changed.  It will also contain some important information about the defect.

You might use this feature to notify Quality Assurance technicians that a program is waiting for re-testing after a bug was corrected.  Or, you may want to notify the marketing people about approved changes so they can prepare literature about changes that are ready for release.  Essentially, you can use this feature to notify anyone on your E-Mail system about any status change for any reason.

This feature is set up at the release level, and implemented at the program and defect entry level.  There are two major components to status notification:

1 	Turning notification on or off.

2 	Defining the recipients.


The BDE and the Registry

The Borland Database Engine uses entries in the system registry to locate its files.  If these entries do not point to a valid installation of the BDE, errors can result.

If only some stations have a problem, check the BDE directory for the station.  Using the REGEDIT utility, you can view and modify registry entries.  The BDE directory is located in the registry under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
      Software
            Borland
                  BLW32
                  Database Engine

The BLW32 and Database Engine entries contain paths to the Borland Database Engine.  If these are not correct, change them to point to a valid installation of the BDE. In many cases, this should be the VMTracker directory.  If you have other products that use the BDE, this may differ.  You can reset it to point to the VMTracker directory by changing each of these values to specify the VMTracker directory.  You can do this automatically by deleting the BLW32 and Database Engine keys and re-running VMTracker.  VMTracker will recreate these keys and entries each time it runs if they do not exist.

Understand that many products use the BDE, and if you have any of these products installed, changing the BDE entries could affect their operation.

WARNING   Changing the registry could cause your system to operate improperly, or not at all!  Only those persons knowledgable in the Windows system registry should perform such changes.  Software with Brains assumes no responsibility for any damages caused while performing any changes suggested here.  You do so at your own risk.


Tool Information

This dialog allows you to enter information about a program or utility that you want to use while you are working in VMTracker.  The dialog presents four fields:

Description  A description of the program to appear on the Tools list.  This is the text that will appear on the Tools menu on the main screen.

Program  The drive, path, and file name of the program to be executed.  You can fill this in automatically by clicking the Browse button.  When you select a program, it's path is automatically filled in for you, as well as the Working Directory field.   If no Description text has been entered yet, the program name itself is entered into the Description field.

Working Dir  The working directory of the program to be executed.  This will be filled in automatically when you select a program using the Browse button.

Parameters  Any command-line parameters required by the program to be executed.

Click OK when you have completed the entry and it will be added to the Tools list, or updated.


Turning Notification On or Off

Once notification recipients have been entered at the release level, and programs and defects have been created, you may want to turn off notification at some point.  There are four levels at which you can control whether notification occurs.

1 	Global Level -- This level is controlled by a checkbox on the Preferences screen which is accessed via the Tools menu.  By clearing this checkbox, you turn off all notification for all products, releases, and programs.  By checking this box, you allow notification to occur at all levels, provided the other levels also have notification activated.

2 	Release Level -- When you define the release level notification lists from the Select Product and Release window, you can select whether notification will occur for each status of this release.  If you clear the checkbox for a particular status, notification will not occur for this status for any programs in this release.  Checking the box reactivates notification for this status within this release.

3 	Program Level -- You can disable activation for a single program by clearing the checkboxes for any or all statuses in the program notification window.  You access this window by clicking the Notify button on the toolbar while browsing the main summary screen.  Highlight the program you want to change notifications for, and click the Notify button on the toolbar.

4 	Defect Level -- You can choose to disable notifications on a one-time basis while changing a defect entry.  If global notification is on, you will see a "Notify on Status Change" checkbox on the Information page of the defect detail window.  By clearing this check box, notification will not occur if the defect's status is changed.  Checking this box will cause notification to take place, provided the program allows activation for the selected status.

Keep in mind that activating notification is an "all-or-nothing" feature.  You must have Global Notification turned on, as well as the Release and Program settings for the selected status.  If the notification checkbox for a particular status is cleared at any of these levels, notification will not take place when the status is selected.


Verification

This page allows your testing department to track whether or not the defect has indeed been corrected, or which problems occurred as a result of the correction.

Tester  -  Enter the name or initials of the person who tested the program after the defect was corrected.

Testing Date  -  Enter the date the program was tested, or the date the entry was made in VMTracker.

EXE Information  -  Enter the date, time, and size, of the program or file that was tested.  These fields are always the same as the ones on the verification screen, since the program that is tested will be the same one that is corrected.  You can double click the left mouse button in any of these three fields to open a File Information dialog box.  Use this dialog box to select the file containing the defect, and click OK.  This will automatically "pull back" the program's date, time, and size to these fields.

A Notes field is supplied on the bottom of the page for describing any problems found during testing, or perhaps a description of the tests that were performed.


Workaround

This page allows you to describe any instructions that may help other customers avoid the problem. You can describe any procedures that allow the user to accomplish the same task, but without encountering the defect.  For example, if a push-button was not working properly on a toolbar, you might instruct users to use the pull-down menu option that performs the same function.

Technician   -  The name or initials of the person entering the workaround information.

There is a section at the bottom of the page for you to enter freeform notes describing the method, or steps to follow, to avoid or correct this problem at the customer's site.


Access Rights

Access Rights determine which pieces of information a specific user can modify.  Users may or may not have access to Release, Program, Defect, or Security information.


Defect Number

A defect number identifies a defect.  Defect numbers can be unique within a single program, within a release, within a product, or across all products and releases.


Defect Screen

The defect screen shows all the defects for the selected program.  From this screen you can add, delete or update defect entries for this program.  The defect screen may include defects, enhancements, or documentation entries for the selected program


Display Adapter

A card inside your computer that controls the image displayed on your computer's monitor.


Filter

Filters allow you to selectively limit the items that are displayed on the screen.  You can use filters to view only the types of items that are important to you.


Natures

Natures define the types of entries you make for a program.  Defects, enhancements, and documentation changes are all types of entries.  You define the list of Nature types when you set up a release.


Severities

Severities define the priority or criticality of an entry.  Severities are often defined as a scale from Minor to Severe.  You define the list of Severities when you set up a release.


Standard Reports

Reports that are provided with the VMTracker Defect Management System.


Statuses

Statuses define the current condition of a program, defect or enhancement.  You define the list of status descriptions when you set up a release.


Summary Screen

The summary screen is the main VMTracker screen where all the programs in the selected release are shown.  From this screen you can add programs to the release, delete programs from the release, or select a single program and work on its defects.


Workaround

A workaround is an alternate method of accomplishing a task when the software does not work as designed, often due to a defect.  A workaround often involves a series of steps neccessary to achieve the same results as the original (non-working) function.