In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to create a ClearCase trigger that sends email notifications whenever a specific event occurs, such as a file check-in.
Step 1: Define the Trigger’s Purpose
Decide on the SCM event you want to monitor. For this guide, we’ll create a trigger to send an email notification whenever a user checks in a file.
Step 2: Write the Trigger Script
ClearCase triggers execute a script or command when the trigger is activated. Here’s an example using a shell script:
Sample Script: send_email_trigger.sh
#!/bin/bash
# Trigger script to send email notifications on check-in
# Variables
EVENT_USER="$CLEARCASE_USER" # User who triggered the event
ELEMENT="$CLEARCASE_PN" # Path of the element being modified
OPERATION="$CLEARCASE_OP_KIND" # Operation performed
TIMESTAMP=$(date)
# Email details
TO_ADDRESS="team@company.com"
SUBJECT="ClearCase Notification: Check-in by $EVENT_USER"
MESSAGE="User: $EVENT_USER
Action: $OPERATION
Element: $ELEMENT
Time: $TIMESTAMP"
# Send email (using the mail command)
echo "$MESSAGE" | mail -s "$SUBJECT" "$TO_ADDRESS"
- Ensure the script has execute permissions:
chmod +x send_email_trigger.sh
Step 3: Create the Trigger
Use the cleartool mktrtype
command to create a trigger type associated with the desired event.
Example Command:
cleartool mktrtype -element -all -postop checkin \
-exec "path/to/send_email_trigger.sh" email_on_checkin
-element
: Specifies the trigger applies to elements.-all
: Applies to all VOBs.-postop
: Activates the trigger after thecheckin
operation.email_on_checkin
: The name of the trigger type.
Step 4: Apply the Trigger to VOBs
Attach the trigger to the desired VOB(s) to ensure it activates.
Command:
cleartool mktrigger email_on_checkin /vobs/my_vob
Step 5: Test the Trigger
To verify that the trigger works as expected, perform a check-in operation on an element within the VOB.
Example Test Command:
cleartool checkout -nc /vobs/my_vob/my_file.txt
cleartool checkin -nc /vobs/my_vob/my_file.txt
- This will trigger the script and send an email notification.
Step 6: Review an Example Email Output
After testing, the email sent by the script should look like this:
Example Email:
Subject:
ClearCase Notification: Check-in by jdoe
Body:
User: jdoe
Action: checkin
Element: /vobs/my_vob/my_file.txt
Time: Wed Jan 16 14:35:28 UTC 2025
You can customize this message format in the script to meet your team’s needs.
Benefits of Using Email Notification Triggers
- Improved Collaboration: Keeps the team informed about key actions.
- Process Enforcement: Ensures compliance with your SCM policies.
- Automation: Reduces manual communication efforts and errors.
Try implementing this trigger to make your ClearCase workflows more transparent and efficient!