IBM is offering its Rational Team API for download free of charge at its alphaworks web site. The unified, client-side Java API is a technical preview for IBM Rational ClearCase, ClearQuest, and RequistePro customers. The download package consists of reference documentation, tutorials, and samples of an API that is available for evaluation in IBM Rational Software Development Platform, Team Products, Release 7. The technical preview provides access to a subset of the capabilities of ClearCase, ClearQuest, and Requisite Pro.

The ClearCase subprovider includes the following:

• Authentication services
• Ability to make, remove, and update Web views
• Ability to check in, check out, and uncheck out elements
• Ability to display and set configuration specifications
• Ability to traverse UCM project hierarchies and get their propertie
• Activity browsing and creation

The ClearQuest subprovider includes:

• Authentication services
• Database schema and user repository services
• Query services
• Record services
• Workspace services
• Report and chart services

The Requisite Pro subprovider includes the following:

• Authentication services
• Ability to open and modify projects
• Ability to get project structure, including groups, users, document types, requirement types, and attribute definitions
• Ability to get, create, modify, and remove requirements (including attributes), documents, views, and packages
• Ability to get, create, modify, and remove relationships (trace and parent-child)
• Ability to get revisions for projects, documents, and requirements
• Queries: ability to execute, get, and set display fields and filter criteria

In order to use this API, customers must have Version 7.0.0 of Rational ClearQuest client, ClearCase Web server, or RequistePro client installed. That software installs the required Rational Team API JAR files that are used by the customer's Java classes to access the respective subprovider's repositories. The Rational Team API JAR files contain implementations of the Rational Team API interfaces for each subprovider. For ClearQuest and RequisitePro, the Java classes call into existing Java Native Interfaces (JNIs). For ClearCase, the Java classes make HTTP calls to the ClearCase Web Server. These libraries, in turn, access each subprovider's repository.

The authors of the IBM Rational Team API warn that the interface may change somewhat when the supported version is released. Because the interface is still in preliminary form, this technical preview of IBM Rational Team API must not be used to write code that will be used in production.