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Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software, Version 9.5x, 9.6x and 9.7x new features and enhancements

Product Documentation


Abstract

This document provides an overview of new features and enhancements in IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software, Versions 9.5x, 9.6x, and 9.7x.

Content

Table of contents:

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7.0.5
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7.0.5 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Updated suppliers

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7.0.4
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7.0.4 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Updated suppliers

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7.0.3
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7.0.3 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Support for the RedHat 8.1 operating system.

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7.0.2
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7.0.2 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Support for Open Liberty 19.0.0.11 and later.

Support for HCL DX 9.5, formerly known as IBM WebSphere Portal and IBM Web Content Manager.

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7.0.1
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7.0.1 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Updated suppliers

Updated product translations

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.7
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.7 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:

Java EE 8

Cloud Foundry 1.1.1

EGit 4.11

Mylyn 3.23

Node.js 8.6.0

Cordova 7.1

M2Eclipse (m2e) 1.8.3

Maven Integration for WTP (m2e-wtp) 1.3.2

Node-RED 0.17.5

Note: Node-RED is a new addition in RAD 9.7 for developing IoT applications.

EGit extension tooling

  • Capability to manage Git repositories within Rational Application Developer integrated development environment (IDE)
  • Integrated code delivering capabilities
  • Basic merge conflicts extended with an intuitive resolution approach
  • Capability to easily create stashes and view in a list
  • Capability to search stashes by stashed file contents, stash author, and stash message
  • Enabled replication of commit (and push) across multiple repositories with the same files

Node-RED

  • New Node-RED integration that provides the capability to create IoT applications
  • Support for incorporated node.js and Node-RED servers
  • Integrated Node-RED editor
  • Node-RED terminal/console available within RAD workbench
  • Capability to deploy to a specified Node-RED server
  • Capability to add Node-RED servers in Rational Application Developer preferences page to which to deploy, test the connection, and start a specified Node-RED server
  • Automatic Node-RED server start in the preferences page
  • Convenient and unique Explorer view of IoT flows and nodes

Adoption of Eclipse Oxygen workbench

Support for installation and execution on Mac OS X High Sierra

Support for installation and execution on Ubuntu 16.04

Download the latest WebSphere Liberty runtime and continue to receive support for development environments.

Download WebSphere Application Server traditional runtime and continue to receive support for development environments.

Ensure Java 7 currency with download information at Fix Central

Ensure Java 8 download information at Fix Central

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6.1.4
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6.1.4 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and includes the following enhancements:

Support for Open Liberty 20.0.0.1 and later

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6.1.3
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6.1.3 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and includes the following enhancements:

Resolves shell sharing issues

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6.1.2
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6.1.2 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software supports the following additional software versions:

Maven M2E 1.8.3

Maven M2E-WTP 1.3.2

Cordova 8.0

Node.js 6.14.3

Java 8.0 SR5 FP20

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6.1.1
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6.1.1 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software supports the following additional software versions:

Java 8.0 SR5 FP10

M2Eclipse (m2e): 1.8.2

Maven Integration for WTP (m2e-wtp): 1.3.2

Eclipse Buildship for the Gradle: 2.2.1

Cordova: 7.1.0

Node.js: 8.6.0 (This version of Node.js is not supported in 32-bits operating systems)

IBM Cloud (Bluemix Tools): 17.0.0.3

Eclipse Tools for Cloud Foundry: 1.1.1

Eclipse Git Team Provider (EGit): 4.10

WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools (WDT): 17.0.0.4

Eclipse Test & Performance Tools Platform (TPTP): 4.11.2

The WebSphere Developer Tools (WDT) feature installs by default and the latest version adds a dependency to Maven tools. Maven tools installs by default.

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6.1
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6.1 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:

Tooling support for WebSphere Portal Server V9

The inclusion of the WebSphere Portal Server V9, as a supporting program for use as a local test environment

Support for Windows Server 2016

Support for Oracle 12, as a database that can be targeted with the development tools

Support for installation and execution on Mac OS X Sierra

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.6
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.6 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:


Eclipse platform and currency updates

  • Support for Eclipse 4.6.1 Neon.
  • Currency: Eclipse Tools for Bluemix 1.0.8.
  • Updated Cloud Foundry: bug fixes and the integration of the new CF plugins from Eclipse


WebSphere Application Server updates

  • Tooling support for WebSphere Application Server traditional V9 that includes updated server tools, tools for developing and deploying Java 8 and JEE 7 applications, and support for remote profiling and code coverage for WebSphere Application Server traditional V9, using Rational Agent Controller V9.6.
  • Updated tooling support to remain compatible with the most recent version of WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile.
  • Inclusion of a WebSphere Application Server traditional V9 test environment. As Version 9 is added, the WebSphere Application Server V8.0 test environment is removed. A Version 8.5, traditional test environment is still included, and the latest Liberty Profile test environment remains.


Command Line Interface (CLI) integration


JavaScript improvements and extensions

  • Support for JavaScript 5 and 6 (support was formerly limited to 3).
  • Significant improvements to content assist and autocomplete.
  • JavaScript unit testing is now more fully integrated into the product. The user experience for JavaScript unit testing is now comparable to the user experience for Java unit testing
  • A new integration with the Blanket.js JavaScript code coverage analysis framework. Similar to Java Code Coverage, these tools help developers assure and measure JavaScript initial code quality by analyzing what code is covered by automated tests. Among other things, you can now:

  • - Configure projects and HTML pages to run JavaScript code coverage.
    – Run enabled HTML pages as JavaScript tests.
    – See code coverage results integrated into the JavaScript editors, when covered JavaScript files are opened.
    – View test results in the JavaScript Test results view


Code coverage
New capabilities for enhancing and exporting JUnit-level code coverage results, including source, to IBM Application Delivery Intelligence.

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.5
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.5 Release


This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software is a maintenance release and introduces the following enhancements:

Resolution of APARs on the 9.5 stream

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.4
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.4 Release


This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software supports the following additional software versions:

Java 8.0 SR5 FP15

Cordova 8.0

Node.js 6.14.3

Git integration for Eclipse (EGit) 4.11

Maven (m2e) 1.5.1

Maven Integration for WTP (m2e-wtp) 1.1.0

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.3
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.3 Release


This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software supports the following additional software versions:

IBM Eclipse Tools for Bluemix 17.0.0.2

Eclipse Tools for Cloud Foundry 1.1.0

Cloud Foundry CLI 6.27.0

IBM JDK Java 8.0 SR4 FP5

Oracle JDK for MAC OS X Java 8.0 SR4 FP5

WDT 8.5.5.9 iFix2

Cordova 6.5.0

Node.js 6.9.5


Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.2 iFix001
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.2 iFix001 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:


IBM SDK for Node.js security fixes

The following IBM SDK for Node.js is supported beginning with version 9.5.0.2 iFix001:

• IBM SDK for Node.js v1.1.1.1

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.2
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.2 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:


Eclipse IDE support

The following Eclipse IDE is supported beginning with version 9.5.0.2:

• Eclipse 4.4.2.1


IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition updates

Beginning with version 9.5.0.2, IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition is updated to the following versions:

• IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition for Windows, Version 8.0.2.10

• IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition for Linux, Version 8.0.2.10


Other JDK support

The following Oracle JDK for OS X is supported beginning with version 9.5.0.2:

• Oracle JDK for Mac OS X 1.8.0_u71



IBM product integration support

The following product integration is supported beginning with v9.5.0.2:

  • IBM Node.JS SDK 1.1.0.20 - has been updated to address a security vulnerability.
  • IBM Eclipse Tools for Cloud Foundry 1.0.0.M3.1
  • IBM Eclipse Tools for Bluemix 1.6.0.1


Note: The Eclipse Tools for Bluemix and the Eclipse Tools Cloud Foundry are Mandatory updates. If not installed (by using this fixpack) then a specific security protocol will not be supported anymore by the Bluemix runtime. Bluemix will switch their security protocols by May 23, 2016.


Additional supported operating system versions

For a full list of operating systems supported in Rational Application Developer v95, see: http://www-969.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/index.html

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5.0.1
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5.0.1 Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:


Additional supported operating system versions

For a full list of operating systems supported in Rational Application Developer v95, see: http://www-969.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/index.html

Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software 9.5
Link Date Released Status
Download 9.5. Release

This release of Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software contains new features and enhancements in the following areas:


Eclipse IDE support

The following Eclipse IDE is supported beginning with version 9.5:

• Eclipse 4.4.2


Eclipse platform updates
The following additional Eclipse 4.4.2 patches and fixes are included in this release:
• Eclipse platform: Bugzilla fix: 445538
• Eclipse Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT): Bugzilla fix 464068
• Eclipse Java Development Tools (JDT): Bugzilla fix 457871
• Eclipse Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF): Bugzilla fixes 444898, 428176, 464801
• Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP): Bugzilla fixes 458728, 383569, 387821, 420956, 457198, 456729, 411704, 424638, 393601, 459641, 413329, 348331, 460503, 430981, 445538, 334391, 448873, 380233, 457384
• Eclipse 4 Rich Client Platform (RCP): Bugzilla fixes 383569, 420956, 457198, 418561


IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition updates

Beginning with version 9.5, IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition is updated to the following versions:

• IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition for Windows, Version Version 8.0.1.10

• IBM SDK for Java Technology Edition for Linux, Version 8.0.1.10


Other JDK support

The following JDK for OS X is supported beginning with version 9.5:

• Oracle JDK for Mac OS X 1.8.0_u51


Updates to supported web browsers

In v95, the following additional web browser versions are supported:
• Google Chrome v39
• Mozilla Firefox v31 ESR (Extended Support Release)
• Internet Explorer v11
• Apple Safari v7, v8


Additional supported operating system versions

For a full list of operating systems supported in Rational Application Developer v95, see: http://www-969.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/index.html


IBM Software Update Notifier

IBM® Software Update Notifier provides a system tray icon that alerts you when there are new updates available for your installed IBM offerings.

The tool also notifies you when there are updates to the materials that are published in the IBM Support Portal.


Bluemix Tools: Remote debug applications

A remote application debug capability has been introduced for J2EE applications and WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile servers that are published from the tools. After an application has been deployed to Bluemix, you can right click on the application in the Servers view and select Enable Application Debug. The application is restarted in debug mode so that you can debug the selected application directly from Eclipse:


Bluemix Tools: Incremental publish

In the past, a single line of code change required the entire application to be redeployed. With the introduction of incremental publish support, the tools can now publish only the changed files to Bluemix and the changes take effect immediately without a redeploy of the entire application. After an application has been deployed to Bluemix, right click the application from the Servers view, and select Enable Development Mode. When the application is running in Development Mode, you can publish your application incrementally to the Bluemix server just as if you are doing local development. You just need to push the Publish button:


Bluemix Tools: Run on Server for JavaScript files

After a JavaScript application has been deployed to Bluemix, you can now choose a different entry point JavaScript file by right clicking the file and click Run As > Run on Server. The application is removed from the server and re-installed with the selected file as the entry point JavaScript file. In addition, the browser is automatically launched to run the entry point JavaScript file after the application has started:


Bluemix Tools: Remove unused routes

When an application is published to Bluemix, a route is automatically created for you. A new Remove button has been added under the Routes section on the Applications and Services page on the server editor to allow you to find and delete unused routes:


Bluemix Tools: JavaScript Debug Support for Node.js Applications

Rational Application Developer 9.5 adds support to debug remote JavaScript applications that have been published from the Tools. After a JavaScript application has been deployed to Bluemix, you can right click the application in the Servers view and select Launch JavaScript Debugger. The application is restarted in debug mode and the Node Inspector is launched so that you can debug the application.


Bluemix Tools: Java 8 WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile for Java support

The WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile for Java runtime in Bluemix now supports deploying and running projects that are compiled using Java 8. To specify the runtime Java version, create an environment variable during deployment with the name JBP_CONFIG_IBMJDK and set the value to “[version: 1.7.+]” or “[version: 1.8.+]”. The Java version is validated to ensure compatibility with the Java version used for project compilation:


Bluemix Tools: Incremental publish support of web fragment projects

Incremental publish support for Java EE applications has been expanded to support web fragment projects.


Bluemix Tools: Trust self-signed certificates support

You can specify that self-signed certificates be trusted when adding user-defined Cloud URLs:


JavaServer Faces Tools: Support for resource library contracts

Facelets allows to create templates using XHTML and CSS that can be used to deliver a consistent look-and-feel across an entire application. JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2 defines Resource Library Contracts that allows facelet templates to be applied to an entire application in a reusable and interchangeable manner. The tooling for Resource Library Contractas included in Rational Application Developer 9.5 enables developers to create and edit customization contracts using a simple editor, without having to manually write the contracts definitions and creating the required folder structure.

To add new contracts, use the Faces Config editor and it automatically generates the contract definition and the folder structure inside the project:


JavaServer Faces Tools: Support for Faces Flow
Rational Application Developer 9.5 adds support to to work with Faces Flow. Faces Flow provides an encapsulation of related facelets with a defined entry and exit points. The flow concept is defined as a state graph formed by a set of nodes. This feature can be used by developers to create wizard-like structures. The new tooling provides a way to easily define flows using an editor, and it automatically creates the basic flow structure and optionally the initial node and the configuration file. To create flows, use the new Faces Flow Definition wizard:



You can then use the generated configuration file to define the flow:


JavaServer Faces Tools: Portlet support

IBM Rational Application Developer 9.5 allows portlet developers to create JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2 portlet projects for IBM WebSphere WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile runtime. This includes the changes required for auto-code generation for various portlet artifacts like portlet.xml, faces-config.xml, and the facelet among other things:



In order to consume this feature, you must install the IBM WebSphere WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile runtime feature, and configure it with JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2 compatible portlet bridge.


JavaServer Faces Tools: File upload for portlets

This Enhancement for JSF2.2 portlet bridge adds the support for the file upload component as specified in JSF2.2 specification.


JavaServer Faces Tools: Generating the portlet facelet code

The JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2 portlet facelets (xhtmls) has different name spacings for various supported JSF2.2 features. So for portal tools this enhancement handles the generation of different source code than the JSF 2.0 facelets:


JavaServer Faces Tools: Protected Views

IBM Rational Application Developer 9.5 includes a simple editor to protect facelet pages against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks (CSRF) in non-postback requests (like GET). By adding URL patterns, several pages can be protected at the same time:


<p class="ibm-ind-link"><a class="ibm-anchor-down-em-link" href="#whatsnew_95_jsf_stateless">JavaServer Faces Tools Stateless Views</a></p>


JavaServer Faces Tools Stateless Views

The JavaServer Faces 2.2 specification provides a way to run facelet pages in a stateless mode. In JSF applications context, stateless means that the JSF StateManager does not store any data related to the view. IBM Rational Application Developer 9.5 provides two ways to declare a view as stateless:

1. From the Properties view:



2. Using the editor's content assist:


JavaServer Faces Tools: File upload component

Before JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2, if you wanted to have a component to upload files to a server you were required to use a third-party component library or implement your own custom component, but now the file upload component is part of the JSF specification and is available in the Palette view to be dragged and dropped as any other component.




JavaServer Faces Tools: HTML 5 Support

The JavaServer Faces 2.2 specification defines a way to mix JSF code with plain HTML5 by adding a couple of new namespaces:

The new namespaces are automatically added to JavaServer Faces Tools projects and enables users to:

• Use HTML attributes in JSF components (Pass-through attributes).
• Use JSF attributes in HTML tags (Pass-through elements).

Using the new namespaces, you are also able to write fully-compliant JSF pages using only HTML.

Pass-through attributes:

HTML5 introduced a series of new attributes for existing elements, and with JavaServer Faces Tools 2.2 you can mix those attributes with JSF components by using the content assist in the source editor or using the Properties view.

Properties view:



Content assist:



Pass-through elements:

Besides the ability to inject HTML5 attributes in JSF components, you can also inject JSF attributes in HTML tags using the content assist in the source editor or using the Properties view.

Properties view:



Content assist:


J2EE tools: Update wizard

The Java EE Specification Update wizard now supports migrating an EAR, application client module, connector module, EJB module and web module to the Java EE7 specification. The old "Upgrade JPA 1.0 to JPA 2.0" check box has been replaced with a "Upgrade JPA specification level" checkbox that brings the JPA specification level up to the level that matches the target Java EE level that is being migrated to and sets the JPA platform accordingly.


Bluemix Tools: Map and unmap projects

In the past, when an application was deployed outside of the bluemix tools, you had to remove the application from the server before you could publish that same application from the Tools. The new map and unmap project feature allows you to map or unmap a project to an existing application that is deployed outside of the Tools without redeploying the application to Bluemix. To map a project, right click on an existing application in the Servers view and select Map to Project:


Bluemix Tools: Service creation wizard improvements

The service creation wizard has been redesigned to:

• Support the creation of multiple services and multiple instances of the same service in a single wizard flow.
• Show service icons so you can easily find services.
• Select free service plans by default. The free plans are denoted as "free":


Bluemix Tools: Dedicated Bluemix support

The Tools now support connecting to a dedicated Bluemix server. You can click on the Manage Cloud button in the Bluemix server creation wizard and add the dedicated Bluemix URL to connect to a dedicated Bluemix:


Bluemix Tools: Password update

You can update the password for an existing Bluemix server instance by right clicking the server in the Servers view and selecting Update Password (previously you needed to recreate the server if the password had been changed or no master password had been set on the Eclipse secure storage).


Bluemix Tools:Other improvements
A number of performance and usability improvements have been introduced in this release:

• The Tools are now more responsive during publish operations. Only changed applications are refreshed instead of refreshing all applications on the server.
• The progress indication has been improved for long-running operations.


Portlet support on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile

You can create and maintain resources for portlet applications on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile by using the Java™ Specification Request (JSR 168 and JSR 286) portlet API in portlet projects, which can be added to a new or existing enterprise application project. Using the tooling you can:

• Create an empty portlet project for WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile.
• Create portlet html and jsps for the portlet projects targeted on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile.
• Directly publish portlet projects on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile.


Script-based Portlet tools

The Script-based portlet is an option to provide an easy way for web developers primarily working with HTML, css, and javascript to shift to portlet development. This portlet option creates required html, css and js files under a portlet project structure and the developers are able use their existing HTML, js, css skills to create the user interface, styling info as well as the scripts without touching any of the portlet code.



The Script-based portlet option also allows one-click enablement for Dojo and jQuery in the portlet creation wizard to allow drag-and-drop support for Dojo and jQuery widgets on portlet htmls from the palette.


Rational Agent Controller v9.5

The Rational Agent Controller v9.5 is now available on these platforms running on Java 8:

• Windows 32 and 64 bit
• Linux 32 and 64 bit
• AIX 32 and 64 bit
• Linux for z 31 and 64 bit
• zOS 31 and 64 bit
• Solaris SPARC 64 bit
• Solaris x86 64 bit
• Ubuntu 14.04 LE Power Linux 64 bit
• RHEL 7.1 LE Power Linux 64 bit (New for v95)
• SUSE 12 LE Power Linux 64 bit (New for v95)

Rational Agent Controller is required to run on the target machine for remote profiling and code coverage, and is supported running on Java 6, 7 and 8 JVMs.


Code Quality Tools: Profiling Support for remote WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile

In addition to the current support of profiling in local and remote WebSphere Application Server, and a local WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile, we now also support profiling in a remote WebSphere Application Server Liberty profile.


Code Quality Tools: Code Coverage support on remote WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile

You can now gather Java code coverage statistic for web applications running on a remote WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile similar to the way you can perform this action on a local WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile and on both a local and remote WebSphere Application Servers.


Code Quality Tools: Profiling and code coverage support for Java 8

Profiling and code coverage is now supported for projects running in Java 8 JVMs. This includes profiling and code coverage on applications published on WebSphere Application Server Liberty profile running on Java 8.


Code Quality Tools: Software Analyzer integration with Rational Team Concert

When Rational Application Developer shell shares with a Rational Team Concert client, the Rational Team Concert administrator can select Software Analyzer rules (such as Java code review rules and Java Software Metrics rules) to run as part of a Rational Team Concert build:



In order for the Rational Team Concert build to analyze the checked-in code with the selected Software Analyzer rules, the Rational Team Concert build machine needs to have the Code Quality Extension for Continuous Integration offering installed as an extension to Rational Team Concert Build System Toolkit. When Software Analyzer rules are run as part of a build, the Rational Team Concert Build user can now open the resulting Rational Team Concert build result to see the result of static code analysis in the Software Analyzer Result tab and download the HTML/XML report in the Downloads tab:


Code quality tools: Code Quality Extensions for Continuous Integration

A new offering called Code Quality Extensions for Continuous Integration, is replacing the Rational Application Developer Code Coverage Extension. The Code Quality Extensions for Continuous Integration offering contains both the code coverage feature and software analyzer feature. It can be installed as extension to RTC Build System Toolkit to gather code coverage statistic and static code analysis statistics:


Code Quality Tools: Software Analyzer Advisor for Rational Team Concert

You can use the Software Analyzer Rational Team Concert Advisor feature to control the code quality by requiring the user to pass certain software analyzer rules before checking code into Rational Team Concert. To use this feature, administrators can set Require Satisfactory Software Analyzer Result as a Rational Team Concert source delivery precondition for the project area and pre-select a certain set of Java code review and Java software metrics rules. Administrators can also specify the severity threshold for the Java code review rules:



When this precondition is enabled, users for this project area can deliver code changes to a Rational Team Concert source control stream only when the code passes the pre-defined Software Analyzer rules.


Code Quality Tools: Code Coverage Result view

A new view called the Code Coverage Result view is now available that shows code coverage results from various types of launches and for different languages. This view now replaces the Coverage Launch History view and contains the same context menu as the Coverage Launch History view contained.


Code Quality Tools: Enhanced Code Coverage

A new JUnit runner called "JUnit 4 with Enhanced Code Coverage" adds support for showing code coverage results for individual JUnit test cases in a JUnit test suite. A new file report option has been added for viewing code coverage results by file. Hovering your cursor over a file shows the tests for that file. A threshold tab in the file report allows you to filter out files or methods above or below a certain coverage threshold. There is also a new "Merge" action in the context menu when selecting multiple code coverage files in the CC results view that allows you to generate a merged code coverage file report.


Code Quality Tools: IBM Rational Application Developer Extension for Rational Team Concert with Jazz Team Server

IBM Rational Application Developer Extension for Rational Team Concert with Jazz Team Server is updated to 9.5.


Rational Build Utility supports enable code coverage and generate code coverage reports
IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software Build Utility is updated to 9.5 version.
Two new Ant tasks are created in Rational Build Utility:
• codeCoverage: performs the same operation as enable code coverage from either the Properties page or the Run menu in Rational Application Developer
• codeCoverageReport: performs the same operation as code coverage report generation within Rational Application Developer when you click Run > Code Coverage >...Generate Report


JavaScript Unit Test Support

IBM Rational Application Developer 9.5 contains a new set of tools to create automated unit tests for JavaScript-based applications, such as those used by static or dynamic web applications as well as mobile applications using Cordova. These tools enhance the developer experience to create high quality software along with other quality tools present in Rational Application Developer, such as automated Java unit tests, code coverage, TOA, static and dynamic analysis and others.

JavaScript Testing tools are installed by default when selecting AJAX, Dojo, and HTML feature in IBM Installation Manager:



With these tools you are able to:

• Create new JavaScript unit test projects: These unit test projects can reference other web projects in the workspace to discover JavaScript files and artifacts that can be unit tested.
• Add unit testing support to existing web projects.
• Use Jasmine framework as your testing runtime. Rational Application Developer now bundles Jasmine as part of the installation, but you can use any Jasmine version: just specify the path to your library and Rational Application Developer includes it in the project.
• Create test files based on Jasmine spec structure. These test files can reference any JavaScript file in the workspace.
• Use the standard JavaScript Development Tools present in Rational Application Developer to either discover JavaScript functions or create test code from the templates available.
• Create test runners and discover the test files as well as your JavaScript files under test that are in the same test project or spanning in different projects across the workspace. Also, this test runner creation wizard adds the required artifacts to quickly run the tests as soon as the test runner is created.
• Deploy and run the tests on a server. Whether you are using static or dynamic web projects, you can deploy the unit test application to Web Preview server, WebSphere Application Server Liberty Profile, or WebSphere Application Server full profile, or any other server.
• Share your test projects with other developers and version it using a SCM, such as Rational Team Concert or Git.


Cloud Foundry: CLI Integration

Beginning with IBM Rational Application Developer v9.1.1, Eclipse Tools for Bluemix can be installed via Installation Manager, and now the Cloud Foundry CLI is installed as well. Besides just bundling the Cloud Foundry CLI binaries, IBM Rational Application Developer 9.5 also offers an option to launch the terminal directly from the workspace. This new option is available for all kind projects, including web and Node.js projects.




Cordova Tools: Support for other plugins

Cordova projects now have the ability to install plugins from either the local file system or from a Git repository. Also, the locations of the plugins, which are configured under the Cordova Plugins preferences page, can be shared with other developers quickly by just exporting the Cordova preferences.

For more information about Git CLI client support in Rational Application Developer Cordova tools, see:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21687322.


Cordova Tools: Validation

A validation message is shown in Markers view at the project level when a Cordova CLI location is configured and this location is not stored in the Workspace Preferences or it does not exist in the local file system. Also, this validation message provides a quick fix that can guide you in the migration process to select a new Cordova CLI location and configure it in the project properties.


Cordova Tools: Artifacts

Rational Application Developer now allows you to specify the artifacts required to sign an archive for proper distribution in the application stores. This artifacts are platform dependent:

• iOS[1]: requires a Code Identity and a profile. Both are obtained from Apple web site.
• Android[2]: requires a keystore (generated using Keytool from the JDK) as well as the alias, type, password, and store password.

These artifacts are specified in the Cordova Platforms preferences page.

At project export time, you can choose the mode (release or debug), and whether the export process should sign the archive. If you select Yes, then a ready-to-be-distributed archive is generated. If not, then an unsigned archive is generated and cannot be distributed (application stores and devices might not accept an unsigned application). For more information, see:

[1] http://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/5.0.0/guide_platforms_ios_tools.md.html#iOS%20Shell%20Tool%20Guide
[2] http://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/5.0.0/guide_platforms_android_tools.md.html#Android%20Shell%20Tool%20Guide


Cordova Tools: NPMJS

With the coming removal of the official Cordova Plugins Repository (or CPR)[1], Rational Application Developer 9.5 introduces changes to adapt to the new plugins repository in NPMJS. Users now can see the list of plugins for Cordova applications listed in NPMJS[2].

If the plugin is not listed there yet (this is done by each plugin developer), you still have the ability to install it using Git or downloading it to the local file system and add it as a local plugin using the Add plugin dialog. For more information, see:

[1] http://cordova.apache.org/announcements/2015/04/21/plugins-release-and-move-to-npm.html
[2] https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=ecosystem%3Acordova


Cordova Tools: Version 5.1.1

The Cordova CLI has been upgraded from 4.0.0 to 5.1.1. To see a full list of changes see: http://cordova.apache.org/news/2015/06/10/tools-release.html

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Document Information

Modified date:
23 June 2022

UID

swg27046332