Process Tasks and Enhanced Process Links

When you use enhanced process links in a project, the links for each file add or check-in operation in a given view are attached to a process task, rather than being attached directly to the process item. The process task and the process item are, in most cases, distinct. The process task is created automatically.

In the enhanced model, new process links are always added to a process task whose status is In Progress in the target view. If there is no process task in progress for a given file add or check-in operation, StarTeam creates one just before adding the first process link for that operation.

Note: A process task that is In Progress can itself be selected as an active process item.

Advantages

By using enhanced links, StarTeam creates the process task to track the changes for a process (such as fixing a bug or finishing a task) rather than using the process item itself.

In the enhanced linking model, StarTeam items still represent process items and add or check-in operations, and process links identify the changed files and folders. However, the process item and the changes are represented by separate items.

Specifically,

The process item can be a change request, task, or requirement.
The process item can live in any view. It does not necessarily have to reside in the same view where the changes are being performed.
A process task is view specific. It is always created in the root folder in the view where the changes have been made.
The creation of a process task for a given process item is always created automatically, and as transparently as possible. For example, if the you select a change request as a process item, StarTeam automatically creates the associated task if necessary, and automatically attaches the process links to the task instead of the change request.

By using enhanced process links, VCM always creates a new task (a process task) to represent the change package, and creates a new process link to the process task. It never modifies existing links, and therefore avoids corrupting the change package. This model makes it easier to see how a process item was used across various views in the project, no matter where the process item is referenced. It also makes it easier to support process items from another view.

Note: For projects that use the enhanced linking model, the Link tabbed pane gives you the option of displaying all links or only enhanced process links. In addition, the Link pane displays the current Item Selection and allows for navigating to child links.

How Process Tasks Work When Checking In Files

In the standard linking model, if you check in three files using a process item, the process item is linked and pinned to the tip revision of the files. With the enhanced linking model, you use process tasks for check-in and add-file operations, and the active process item is linked directly to a process task. That process task is linked and pinned to the file revisions. The process task serves as an intermediate item between the process item and the files. A process item is relevant to only one view. If you re-open and reuse a process item, StarTeam creates a new process task for it. If you use a process item repeatedly with the same process task, StarTeam creates new links for each operation.

Distinguishing Process Tasks from Other Tasks

When you select an enhanced process item, the Link pane displays a list of all process tasks that are relevant to this process item, regardless of which view the corresponding operation occurred in. Also, the name of the relevant view is shown in each case.

StarTeam distinguishes a process task from a standard task in the Link pane by displaying a different icon for each type of task.

You can also distinguish process tasks from standard tasks by looking at the value of the task's Usage property in the Detail pane.

Note: To make the Usage property visible in the Detail pane, you must select it as one of the Fields to show in the Filters > Show Fields dialog box.

The following are the Usage property values used for the various types of tasks:

For process tasks created when adding and checking in files, the Usage property value is Checkin.
For process task created by View Compare/Merge, the Usage property value is set to match the merge type: Promote, Rebase, or Replicate.
For tasks that are not process tasks, the Usage property value is Other.