UML2ClearQuest 2.0.1

About

The purpose of this application is to ease the process of programming ClearQuest Designer's state transitions matrix for change requests. UML2ClearQuest can export UML state charts to ClearQuest Designer, which makes for a simple visual design process. UML Export is supported from IBM Rational Software Architect or MS Visio.

UML2ClearQuest supports the following capabilities:

* Transferring UML states from IBM Rational Software Architect, MS Visio or StarUML. Design business processes with the comfort of IBM Rational Software Architect, MS Visio and StarUML and easily import the results to IBM Rational ClearQuest to a new or existing record type.
* Visualizing the import data. Before importing, UML2ClearQuest shows the state diagram and checks it for compliancy with the IBM Rational ClearQuest state machine.
* Exporting state machines for record types from IBM Rational ClearQuest. Allows for exporting IBM Rational ClearQuest state machines to UML diagrams in IBM Rational Software Architect, MS Visio and StarUMLformat for modifying and viewing. A modified diagram can then be imported to the existing record type from which it was exported.

Rationale
In ClearQuest, a change request''s lifecycle is described via state machines, which is defined by the state transition matrix. Programming these matrices is an administrative task, which is based on some specification (contained in a "Configuration management plan" document). The specification is written by an analyst, usually using two types of charts that describe a process - State-charts and Activity-charts. These charts are handed over to the administrator, who plots them to ClearQuest. This approach has several obvious deficiencies:

* There''s an excessive link in the chain: the administrator
* Errors can frequently occur when transferring the diagrams
* Correcting the diagram entails manual reprogramming of the ClearQuest state transition matrix