| The Interface | Using Analysis Tools | |
This chapter describes how to create and manage projects.
A large system application can consist of hundreds, even thousands of source files. However, during system analysis typical users are only interested in a small number of source files at any one time. To make this process easier, you need to identify the source files that are of interest in your system and use them to create projects. Projects are beneficial because:
Projects are the basis of all analysis and application maintenance in Revolve. Before analysis can begin, a new project must be created. To create a new project, you must determine its name, its location on your local system, and the source files that comprise it. Once this data has been collected it is parsed to create a database representation of the source files. Parsing is the process where each source file is processed and compiled into the project database. This database contains extensive information about your system. Specific details, from individual items like MOVE statements to the names of variables, are cataloged and are accessible with the various tools and browsers provided.
Before you create a project, it is good practice to create a directory that will contain only the new project's components. If two projects coexist in the same directory and files are shared, then conflicting versions of those files will occur because every time a file is parsed in one project it causes the other project to be inconsistent. Keep your projects separate to ensure your project's source code integrity.
After you have designated a directory for your project select New from the Project menu. The New Project dialog box is displayed. This where you define the name and location of the new project file. The name that you enter here becomes the name of the .prj file. Once this is done you add components. Remember, a single project can contain up to 32,000 source members including COBOL, JCL jobs, and others depending on language extensions being used. Please note that this figure does not include imports (libraries, copybooks, includes, procs, control-cards, or macros). Use the Add Components dialog box to navigate to the location of the source files, select them, and add.
Project creation is complete when all the source files have been added and parsed. Parsing creates a database file for each source file. Each database file has the same name as the original source file and is given an extension of .rd#. Database files are stored in the directory that contains the .prj file along with system-wide database files. System-wide database files have the same name as the project and are given extensions like .ud#, .rt#, .rl#, .rv#, .rp#, .ra#, .pu#. If any changes are made to the source files, then the project must be parsed again to bring all the database files and source files up to date.
Notice in Figure 3-1 that source component ABC.CBL is added to Project.PRJ with Add Components and parsed. The database file ABC.RD1 is created during the parse. ABC.RD1 is the representation of ABC.CBL that is used in analysis. When you make changes to ABC.CBL, ABC.RD1 must be parsed to incorporate the most recent modifications.
Figure 3-1: The Project Creation Process
It is important to remember that after making changes to files during
your analysis, you should perform a 
Make
on your project to ensure that all source files are loaded correctly.
Mainframe Access is a suite of MERANT tools that enables you to access files residing on a mainframe. Revolve includes the client software for Mainframe Access, so if you have installed the Mainframe Access server software on your mainframe, you can use Revolve projects to access mainframe files as easily as PC files.
Before you can access mainframe files using Mainframe Access, you need to have installed and configured a number of options. You must perform the following operations:
The Server Access Configuration utility lets you define a number of nodes, where a node can be a mainframe or Fileshare server. As Revolve can work with multiple nodes in the same project, you could, for example, implement a project that uses one node for data files and development work, and a second node for your production system (to which you could submit compilation and link actions).
Projects created in Revolve 4.1 are incompatible with version 6.0. This means you cannot use Project > Open to open an older version's project in Revolve 6.0. If you try to do this, an error message will be displayed. To enable you to transfer projects between versions, the Import Project function is provided. You should create a new project in the 6.0 version of Revolve and then select Import Project from the Project menu. You are prompted to transfer User Relation information, which includes Complete Project specifications, Search Directories, File types, and Component Parameters. You are also prompted to confirm that Annotations should be transferred. Refer to the on line help for more information.
You can also import .pop files with the Import Project function. This is useful for integrating information from Mainframe Express.
When a project is loaded, Revolve attempts to resolve all system-wide relations. However, user intervention is occasionally required, especially in cases where direct name matching is not appropriate. These relations are needed to perform system-wide analysis tasks like tracing how a field impacts other fields throughout the project. With the functionality provided in Complete Project you can connect common files, executables, and screens with appropriate files in your system or indicate that a resolution is unavailable.
We recommend that you use Complete Project's features to provide Revolve with any missing information before you begin your anlysis. This enables you to tie up any loose ends that may exist and ensure the integrity of your analysis.
The Complete Project window is displayed by selecting Complete from the Project menu. Possible problems are displayed as folder entries in the window. Expand the folders. Anything listed below the folder entry needs to be examined more closely. Specifically, a Fix should be performed.
The primary feature of the Complete Project interface is resolving
project inconsistencies or errors. Each folder displayed in the
information window should be expanded to view specific occurrences of
problems. By selecting the displayed errors and clicking
Fix. An
appropriate Fix dialog is displayed. When the parent (top line) of the
Complete Project entry is selected and the Fix button is clicked,
a dialog will be displayed asking if all pertinent items should be
included in the fix. If you choose No , then each problem will
need to be repaired individually. If you choose Yes the Skip
button is enabled and allows you to move down the list of entries,
skipping those entries which should not be fixed. Refer to the online help
for specific information on specific fixes.
Once you have incorporated your input to resolve the Complete
Project issues you can review the specific changes you made in the
Review dialog.
Review lists system-generated and user-generated resolutions to
system-wide problems and enables you to revoke resolutions.
The Project Manager, as the name suggests, is the interface designed to be used for managing your project. It enables you to access your project on the component level according to file type. For example, all components that have been added to a project as COBOL files are displayed in the Project Manager under the cobol folder. Likewise, other folders that are displayed contain corresponding file types. From this vantage point you are able to access individual project files and control their status in the project.
The Project Manager is activated in three ways: by creating a new
project, by selecting the Manager menu item from the Project
menu, or by clicking 
Project
Manager at the bottom of the Desktop.
Figure 3-2: Project Manager
The Project Manager's interface is designed around hierarchical folders, where the top level folder indicates file type. When expanded, corresponding project files are displayed.
In addition to viewing component status, the Project Manager
enables you to add or delete components in the open project. The
Add function
displays the Add Components dialog box, where you locate system files and
add them to the project. The 
Delete function deletes the selected component from the project.
After modifications, like adding or deleting components, and editing
source code, are made to a project, check the status of the modified files
by selecting them in the Project Manager and clicking
Status. The Status
function examines the file's time stamp to see when it was modified in
comparison to the project. If time stamps differ, the modified files will
have a status of Out of Date. To load the selected components,
click 
Load Selected.
To update the entire project click
Make. The Make function examines all project files and updates all
unloaded or out of date components.
Every system file that you add to a project is assigned specific settings based on its file type. These settings indicate how the file will be handled in your project. There are two classifications of these settings:
Project Level settings are applied to every file as it is added to the
project. These settings are accessed on the Utilities > Options
dialog. The Project Manager enables you to make changes on the
Component Level to Component Parameters and Search Directories. To do
this, select component files in the Project Manager and click
Options. The
changes you make affect only the selected components.
For more information on setting Project Level Component Parameters and on specific functionality, see Component Parameters and Search Directories.
Preprocessors are useful for preparing some source files for parsing into a project. To specify a preprocessor for specific components, select the Component Parameters tab from the Project Manager. The components you select are directed through the preprocessor prior to parsing. When your project is parsed, components with preprocessor configuration are preprocessed with the module name specified in the Preprocessor field. After preprocessing is complete, the files are parsed into the project.
It is recommended that you store preprocessors in the \bin directory where the software is installed. If the preprocessor is not configured correctly, it will produce errors and cause relative source components to have incomplete information. Be aware that parser error messages may result from preprocessor problems. If you do use a preprocessor on a file and it doesn't parse correctly, try removing the prepocessor settings and allowing the Revolve parser to process the file. The parser may be able to handle the file on its own.
You should check out the chapter Customizing the Analysis Environment. It describes settings that customize your analysis environment, like Display Options. Or find out about using the SourceConnect feature to access source code on mainframes.
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| The Interface | Using Analysis Tools | |