Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Serena Dimensions: open Files with correct Filename

At work we use Serena Dimensions for Version Control.
Double-clicking a sourcefile opens the code in the editor of your choice, but unfortunately Dimensions doesn't provide a meaningful filename as the clicked element is downloaded to a temporary file and the editor shows just the name of the temporary file.

After requesting an improvement in the Dimensions community i got some great hints from Paul Caruana and finally implemented the following workaround:

  • Create a batch file
    echo off 
    set dimexe="c:\program files (x86)\serena\dimensions 12.2\cm\prog\dmcli"
    set ueexe="c:\program files (x86)\ultraedit\uedit32"
    set fi=%2
    set fi=%fi:"=%
    set ver=%3
    set ver=%ver:"=%
    set typ=%5
    set typ=%typ:"=%
    set tmpfile=C:\tmp\%fi%.%ver%.%typ%
    
    echo parms: %* 
    echo file: %fi% 
    %dimexe% FI %1 /USER_FILENAME="%tmpfile%" /EXPAND /OVERWRITE 
    %ueexe% %tmpfile%
    
  • Create a new "Tool" inside Dimensions:
    •  Menu "Tools" -> ""Customize Menu and Toolbar"; Tab "Tools" -> Create a new Tool (Star-Button), choose a name (e.g. "MyEdit").
      Configuration: 
      • Command: C:\foo\projects\cmedit\cmedit.cmd
      • Arguments: $[Specification] $[Filename] $[Revision] $(Product):$(Workset) $[type]
      • Start In: c:\foo
This gives me a "MyEdit" Entry in the Context Menu which downloads the file & launches Ultraedit with a meaningful filename - Mission accomplished!

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