IssueWeaver(R) - an add-on product to Razor(R) Copyright 1992 - 2005 Visible Systems Corporation www.visible.com Notes ----- This file contains information on how to install IssueWeaver. If your Razor license does not have IssueWeaver enabled, please contact our sales staff at 'razor_sales@visible.com'. Required -------- Razor installation with an issues database A WebServer installed and running A WebBrowser Installation ------------ NOTE: If you are installing IssueWeaver on Windows NT, please refer to the installation instructions in README.RazorNT. Preparation: - RAZOR_HOME must be set to point to the Razor release area - RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR must point to a Razor database NOTE: These environment variables are normally set as a result of sourcing (or dotting) an appropriate rz_prep file. Please refer to the Razor manual for additional information. Install: cd $RAZOR_HOME ./scripts/rz_iw_install NOTES: You will be prompted for the path to the cgi-bin and web server documents directory. Links will be created in these directories to the IssueWeaver executables and libraries, therefore, write permission to these directories is required. For new installations, the directory Razor_iw_lib will be created in the web server's document directory. If this directory currently exists, ONLY "new" files will be added; no existing files will be overwritten. To force the creation of a "new" Razor_iw_lib, the install script may be invoked with the parameter "-o". The current Razor_iw_lib will be "moved" to Razor_iw_lib. and a "new" Razor_iw_lib will be created. Any customized files such as rules, etc. would then have to be copied from the "old" Razor_iw_lib to the "new" Razor_iw_lib. Currently defined RULES (refer to the IssueWeaver manual, Chapter 4, "Basic rules" for a complete description) are upward compatible. New RULES will be described in the RELEASE NOTES as well as this README file. Rules File ---------- A template file 'rules.conf' may be found in $RAZOR_HOME/Razor_iw_lib. This template file outlines all supported RULES. The rules file (/Razor_iw_lib/rules.) controls the look and behavior of IssueWeaver. The extension "identifier" may be used to distinguish the rules to be applied to additional issues group within one database and/or additional databases. As part of the IssueWeaver installation, a default 'rules' file is created which references the default issues group in the database pointed to by the environment variable, RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR. To access a different issues group or a different database, copy Razor_iw_lib/rules to Razor_iw_lib/rules. and change the setting of the rules UNIVERSE and/or GROUP. Additional customization may be made via the rules file or via the IssueWeaver Admin tool (refer to the IssueWeaver manual and README.IWAdmin for details). Site Customization ------------------ We have found that not all environment variables are set for web server applications. One example is the environment variable TZ (time zone). To accommodate the necessity for some sites to export environment variables, the file 'rz_iw_site' will now be sourced by the issue_weaver script if it exists in the web server's cgi-bin directory. Starting IssueWeaver -------------------- To run IssueWeaver with the default rules file, open the following from a web browser: http:///cgi-bin/issue_weaver To run IssueWeaver with a customized rules file, open the following from a web browser: http:///cgi-bin/issue_weaver?Zrules= Difficulties ------------ If you have any difficulties starting IssueWeaver, you may check your setup by opening the following from a web browser: http:///cgi-bin/rz_iw_info If you are unable to locate the source of the problem, please contact Razor/IssueWeaver support by phone (1-800-6VISIBLE) or e-mail (razor_support@visible.com). Setting Filters --------------- Currently, IW supports use of user-specific startup filters. These filters are stored as filter_sort. in directory $RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR/Weaver/user. We have now added support for "system" filter files. The system filter files (sys_filter..default, sys_filter.. in directory $RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR/ Weaver/user) provide the Razor system administrator with a means of limiting the issues available to an individual user. The system filters are applied to the list of issues obtained from the Razor DB server prior to presentation to the user. Hence, a user's system filter may be constructed so as to limit: - List of issues presented to user at IW startup - Issues selectable (IW GUI "#" button) - List of issues eligible for text match searching (IW GUI "Search" button) - List of issues eligible for reporting (IW GUI "Reports" button) The format of the sys_filter files is identical to that of the filter_sort files. However, a given sys_filter file specifies the settings for a particular user only for a single issues group. The use of the sys_filter files by IW is optional. The system filtering is configured as follows: - If present, system filter in $RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR/Weaver/user/sys_filter.. will be used when user uses IW to access issue group . - If present, system filter in $RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR/Weaver/user/sys_filter..default will be used when user accesses issue group . - If neither user or default system filter file is present, no system filtering is performed. Can envision using the system filter enhancement to limit access to individual issues within a single issue group based upon any combination of attribute values. E.g. assume that each Issue form contains a one-of-many attribute field (UserOrganization) that encodes the user organization (e.g. CompanyA, CompanyB, CompanyC, ...) that "owns" the issue. Assume that the Actions file has been configured such that an Issues-Create-After script runs each time a new issue is added to the issue group. This script either fills in the UserOrganization field automatically or simply validates the UserOrganization attribute value field. The Razor administrator could setup sys_filter files for each individual such that users from Company A could only view/modify issues in which the UserOrganization field was set to 'CompanyA' users from Company B could only view/modify issues in which the UserOrganization field was set to 'CompanyB', etc. Finally ------- Enjoy! Please feel free to send your suggestions/comments to: razor_support@visible.com Your inputs (good or bad) are very important to us! Visible Systems Corporation www.visible.com Visible Systems acknowledges the use of CGIC. CGIC, copyright 1996-2005, by Thomas Boutell and Boutell.Com, Inc. Permission is granted to use CGIC in any application, commercial or noncommercial, at no cost. HOWEVER, this copyright paragraph must appear on a "credits" page accessible in the public online and offline documentation of the program. Modified versions of the CGIC library should not be distributed without the attachment of a clear statement regarding the author of the modifications, and this notice may in no case be removed. Modifications may also be submitted to the author for inclusion in the main CGIC distribution.