Thinkwrap Tools
Thinkwrap tools currently fall into two categories:- Continuous Integration Tools
- Collaboration Tools
Continuous Integration Tools
The Thinkwrap software development process recommends and supports a Continuous Integration approach to software development. Thinkwrap Continuous Integration results in a more productive, reliable, and informed software development environment, resulting in earlier detection of, and ultimately, fewer defects. Continuous Integration is dependent on automated builds, automated testing, and a feedback loop.
To support Continuous Integration software development processes, Thinkwrap provides a suite of integrated tools to meet these requirements. The tools used in the Thinkwrap Continuous Integration process are:
- Thinkwrap AutoPilot - the user interface and controller to manage software build projects.
- Thinkwrap Builder - automated build process.
- Thinkwrap UnitTest - unit test driver.
Thinkwrap Autopilot
The Autopilot is the primary controller and interface for all of the continuous integration tools. It is the tool used to describe and manage the configuration environment, and is the primary developer portal for access to project build state (current and historical), and for access to all project build metrics; build stats, build failures, unit test exceptions, notifications, etc. Through the Autopilot configuration manager, the person designated as the project configuration manager, can design and maintain the development, integration, testing, production environments and the rules for propagation between them. He/she will also design and modify the software build processes and dependencies, alert generation/escalation rules, reports, schedulers, etc. Through the tool, the Configuration Manager also has access to management of the artifact management system (code control).
Through the Autopilot portal, a developer can access information such as file modifications (new, updates, deletions), compilation errors, unit tests and other project specific build requirements. All of this information is made available via a web interface.
This sharing of information results in fewer failed application builds, better traceability for modified files and a dashboard view of the current state of the application code base.
Thinkwrap Builder
Thinkwrap Builder is the tool used to specify and execute the software build process. In addition to compile, and link/integration phases, this tool also is responsible for initiating unit tests, as well as integration level tasks; like deployment and data preparation. The Builder reports exceptions in a format that can be consumed and stored by the Autopilot.
The Builder integrates with artifact management system and interprets dependencies to minimize the necessary effort to build/rebuild the target(s) as a result of changes to source artifacts.
Thinkwrap UnitTest
Thinkwrap Continuous Integration is used on more and more Test Driven Development projects, and as a result, unit testing has become more standard in our software development processes. Thinkwrap UnitTest is the tool that drives the execution of unit tests that exercise the ability of the code to meet the predicted behavior of the unit test cases.
UnitTest is a collection of tools, the choice of which is dependent on the project technology. The UnitTest has to integrate into both the chosen IDE and the Thinkwrap Builder.
Thinkwrap Collaboration Tools
- Thinkwrap Project Wiki
- Thinkwrap Project Blog
- Thinkwrap Issue Manager