WebIssues is an open source, multi-platform system for issue tracking and team collaboration. It can be used to store, share and track issues; highly customisable and easy to use. Mylyn is a task framework for the eclipse IDE maintained by Tasktop. It can connect to many popular Issue Trackers as Trac, Jira, Bugzilla. With this release from Pramatr Mylyn can now communicate with WebIssues Issue tracker and team collaboration system.

No more logging in to WebIssues or downloading the WebIssues client, Pramatr WebIssues Mylyn Connector brings WebIssues right in to the Eclipse IDE.

Pramatr WebIssues Connector Eclipse feature consists of two parts :-

1. An API library that talks the WebIssues protocol that is completely re-usable available from our website here

2. The Eclipse/Mylyn implementation classes that adapts the Mylyn task model to the API library and provides task and query editing GUI components

Integration of WebIssues Mylyn Connector

i. Prerequisites

• Working installation of WebIssues Server. Download and installation instructions can be found here.
• Working version of Eclipse 3.5.2 onwards. Download latest installation from here.
• Installation of Mylyn plugin within working version of eclipse IDE. Mylyn installation instructions can be found here.

1. Install Connector in eclipse

• Start eclipse, from Help->Install New Software.. add the latest Pramatr WebIssues Mylyn Connector update site listed here,  Pramatr WebIssues Mylyn Connector
• Pramatr WebIssue Mylyn Connector will be available for download. Select, download and restart eclipse

• Once downloaded eclipse will require restarting. Once restarted select Planning perspective
• from Task Repository tab, right click, select Add Task Repository. List of available connectors will be visible. Select the new WebIssue connector

2. Configure Connector

• Connector configuration dialog will open; fill in required details and check Save Password (configuration should be tested)
• Once successfully connected configure initial search query
• Pramatr WebIssue Mylyn Connector will execute query against defined WebIssues server and return requested data

3. Ready for Use

• Pramatr WebIssues Mylyn Connector is configured and ready to use. Tasks, features, issue artifacts from WebIssues server will be visible within the Mylyn Planning perspective. Artifacts amended, created, altered within Eclipse will be synchronised against the main server.
• Final step is to start using it. Remember, Pramatr forums are always open for your thoughts and feedback.

Are We Agile?
Pramatr’s use of tools and techniques is quite simple; if something works we use it and if it doesn’t we don’t. We strive to make things easier for us to develop and deliver and anything that makes this process simpler and quicker is ok by us. We use continuous integration, unit testing, small chunks of achievable work etc… all of which are techniques found within agile methods.

So are we agile? No not really, we don’t tick all the various boxes to make sure we’re following an imaginary agile line, in fact I dare say there are agile techniques we certainly don’t do. As a small team, requirements change and items are sometimes not finalised until an iteration of work actually starts. At times new and pressing requirements find their way in to an iteration mid-way through. So to manage our project we needed something that could manage all of this but also give us some lose structure that we could work with.

No Install!
Rallydev is deployed as SaaS so right off the bat there’s no install. With this simple deployment approach you can eliminate any setup and maintenance costs and just use the software to do exactly want you want. A quick registration on the website is required and then you’re away.

Nice Visuals
The Rallydev UI is an absolute pleasure to work with, incorporating great use of space and colour. The elegant way in which you can try new features and give feedback is simply brilliant. The plethora of reports provided gives great visibility into the project. With its ‘double-click’ in-line task editing and modifiable dashboard, items you need to access often are accessible with a single click. This is a great time saver and just works!

Active Community
Rally’s community forums seem to be bustling with life backed full of questions, hints and tips and great new ideas. There’s even a nice opportunity to vote for new features, which is really a great idea for both customers and company alike. Listening to what your customers want might seem like common sense, but how many companies allow customers to properly engage in this way?

And the Oscar Goes too…
The absolute killer feature for us is Rallydev’s Eclipse integration, a mylyn based plug-in that fits into the IDE effortlessly. Eclipse integration has become a must have feature over recent years but many products are still left lacking, but not Rallydev.

Free! You got to love it right?
Rally have really captured a market share here by giving smaller businesses the opportunity to use their product for free. They’ve recognise there’s more micro-sized businesses than large behemoth enterprises but what’s even more exciting is the feature list you get with CE – it should keep even the most ardent of agile supporters happy:

• Manage requirements through user stories
• Manage releases
• Monitor and manage iterations
• Monitor and assign resources
• Task-board views
• Numerous task and defect reports
• Manage defects and defect suites
• Record test cases against stories

Summary
With Rallydev you get a great product with features bursting from the seams. It’s easy and accessible and will allow you to very quickly integrate your business and requirements. In no time at all you can have your team trained, registered and working for your new management tool (especially with the Eclipse integration!). Smaller businesses can try it without restriction which should really help spread the word for this great product and convert many CE users to paying Enterprise customers. Try Rallydev out today and more importantly let them know what you think!