ClearQuest Email Notification Package FAQ

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ClearQuest Email Notification Package

Frequently asked questions

Installation

What version of ClearQuest the package Can be used with?

EmailNotification 1.5 can be installed using ClearQuest Designer 7.0 or later. No additional modifications are required.

For older versions of the package, ClearQuest 2001A and later versions are supported. In order to use EmailNotification 1.3 with ClearQuest 7.1, CodePage entry needs to be added in the [General] section of "package.ini" files. Detailed instructions are provided on the following page: ClearQuest_7.1

Do I need to deploy the package on each ClearQuest client?

There is no need to install the package on CQ clients. ClearQuest package is applied to a schema and needs to be deployed on machines where you perform development of new schema versions only.

Can I use the package with VBScript-based schema?

Yes, the package can be used with VBScript or Perl schema. Package extensions can be implemented with Perl.

Can I apply package to a stateless record type?

It is possible. This option is now available in wizard, but you can use command line as well. Please check applying package to a stateless records page for details.


Configuration

Can I create HTML emails?

Absolutely! You can set proper content-type in the email header (Header Add-in field), and use HTML the email body. This RFC-compliant email will be properly recognized by most of the email clients. Please check examples page.

Can I send attachments with notifications?

It is not recommended to attach large files to notifications, as it can impact performance of ClearQuest application. Nevertheless, it is possible. You can find detailed instructions on the examples page.

Where can I find notification rule examples?

  1. Notification examples
  2. Package configuration guide
  3. Extending IBM(R) Rational(R) ClearQuest(R) Email Notifications presentation
  4. Support forum

In multisited environment, can I use different SMTP relays for different sites?

Yes, it is possible by defining site-specific property for email_host, i.e. if your site name is Atlanta, Atlantaemail_host would work as email_host property for that specific site only.

You can also unset paticular property by using EN_NONE as a value.

Can I call one User Defined function from another?

Yes, you can use EN_CALL_UDF function and supply other function name and parameters, but it is not the only way to reuse functionality. You can also define "common block" in a database property and "include" it in other user defined functions.

For example, you can defined property that contains common function definitions

Property Name Value
MY_COMMON_BLOCK
sub func1 { ... }
sub func2 { ... }
sub func3 { ... }

and then re-use it in other user-defined functions

Property Name Value
MY_FUNCTION
 
eval GetProperty('MY_COMMON_BLOCK');

...


Can I customize the package for my own needs?

You can enable package editing and add customization.

  1. close ClearQuest designer and enable package editing from command line:
     packageutil enableediting [-dbset <dbset>] <login_name> <password> -enable <login_name>
    
    where "[-dbset <dbset>]" is a specification of schema repository connection name that was configured in ClearQuest Maintenance Tool. It can be omitted if you have only one configured schema repository.
  2. open schema in Designer and update Submit action access controls for udb_property and Email_Notification_Rule record types (for example, limit to a group)
  3. test your changes
  4. disable package editing from command line to prevent accidental modifications
     packageutil enableediting [-dbset <dbset>] <login_name> <password> -disable <login_name>
    
  5. check the schema in, and promote changes to production database

Nevertheless, I would recommend researching first, if is it possible to achieve what you are going to implement using functionality available in the package, as your changes will be overwritten when new package release is installed.


Troubleshooting

What if the package is not doing something that you would expect it to do?

  • Verify that the package is applied to selected record type.
When package is applied, you should see "EN_NotifyHook" in the Perl Record Script section of the record.
  • Verify that email_enabled database property (udb_property record) is created and set to non-zero value
  • Check if en_email_message record is created.
en_email_message records are always created when Queue or Deferred (default) delivery mode is used. If you are using Light delivery mode, switch to Deferred until troubleshooting is completed.
  • Turn On Debugging
Create Debug database property (udb_property record), set it to desirable log level (up to 9), and capture debug output using dbwin32.exe utility.


Known Issues