Mark, That is actually a tool that I have not spent any time with. So I can not compare them directly.
Yes both are documentation tools for ARS. ( And there are several commercial products too.) However... a little more detail on my stuff is simply this... The output is totally controlled by XSLT transformations. So if a person knows XSLT (or can read the existing stack of them and tweak them) then they could change the output to what ever they want it to do. Currently it generates HTML/Javascript for browser consumption, but I can also see it being specialized into CSV file generators very easily. So if ARInside offers that same "simple" total customization approach then I guess it does do the "same things". But I doubt it is as flexible as the approach that I am taking. I have found my tool helpful for many things over the years, but it is not (by any other hands than mine) polished into a final form. So it "works" as much as it does, but it is not "tested" on a larger scale than my desktops too. FWIW: Ok.. I just went out and found a copy of ARInside out there in the internet (version ARInside-Setup-2-07-2.msi to be exact) and I remember why I have not used ARInside before. It requires the ".Net Framework v2.x" and I do not load that on any of my PC's. So it is a "no go" as far as I am concerned at that point. Which is why I have never used it. However even at that a quick review of the 10 page pdf docs that is included in that version tells me a few things are different in our approaches... ARInside: Command line utility that appears to produce a set of "output fies" that are all generated at run time. my web app: Web server based: produces one output "page" at a time. ( currently no "batch generate all" pages option) ARInside: uses ARS API my web app: Only parses XML into output formats (at this time, no API requirements, so in theory you could put this web application on a MAC based web server and make it work too.) And I am sure there are other differences too... ( like maybe ARInside is faster, or has better documentation, better output, or...etc...) So again... if anyone is interested let me know if you want to know more about "my web app". (Which by the way I currently refer to "arsxml" because I could not come up with a better name than that. :) Oh.. and did I mention that my intention was to be open sourced with this project from day one? :) [ Again... like ARSDocs ] The shortest explanation is "ARSDocs but: using Java instead of Perl, and reduce time from "need information to result outputs". (and totally based on open standards/needs, and "easily"(and totally) customizable without "programming" skills. Well, limited to XSLT skills.) -- Carey Matthew Black Remedy Skilled Professional (RSP) ARS = Action Request System(Remedy) Love, then teach Solution = People + Process + Tools Fast, Accurate, Cheap.... Pick two. On Jan 11, 2008 7:20 AM, Mark Rushton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ** > Isn't this what ArInside does? > > > > Mark Rushton > IBM Global Services > Remedy Engineering & Development Team > > > Carey Matthew Black <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent by: "Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)" > <arslist@ARSLIST.ORG> > > 11/01/2008 11:50 > > Please respond to > arslist@ARSLIST.ORG > > > To arslist@ARSLIST.ORG > > cc > > > Subject Re: How to Document Workflow? > > > > Brian, > > I have not spoke much about this... and if there were interest I guess > that could change.... > > I started a project a few years ago with the following goals: > > 1) Do what ARSDocs does, but without the hours of processing time it > takes between "Oh I need to know" and "Ding. Your files are built." > 2) Do what ARSDocs does, but not use ARSPerl > 3) Do what ARSDocs does, but be more customizable to the end user > without "programming knowledge" > > I got stuck with my approach do to some technical bumps that I have > not had time to fix, but it works. > > Long story short.... > > I put together a JSP/Servlet based web application that takes an ARS > XML def file and produces lists/pages of the details of the objects. I > can not say that the application is "easy to setup", or that it is > more than at an alpha stage... but if anyone is interested... I think > I could find a place to publish it and give you a shot at helping me > figure out what needs fixed first. Mostly performance issues with > parsing XML. :) It should work on any Mid-Tier compatible web server, > but currently does not use any BMC API code. Maybe some day it will, > but not yet. > > As a quick idea of what it can do.... For a given XML file... > > Objects All > Forms > Form_Permissions > Views > Fields > Active Links > Filters > Escalations > Containers > Menus > Actions All > only_ActiveLinks > only_Macros > only_Filters > only_Escalations > only_Messages > only_Notifications > only_RunProcess > > Hide/show based on (Enabled/Disabled/Both) objects in all lists. > Link from a field in a Set field action to all other workflow that > references that field. (According to the XML file that is being > processed.) > > Then each of those "list pages" has links to other detail pages... and > so on .. and so on... > > Note: Their are likely v6.3 and v7.1 XML changes that need to be > adjusted for still, but I started this in v5.1.2 so that should be no > surprise. :) > > A word of caution... I doubt this will work with large ARS > applications. ( The xml file is just to big to process exactly this > way. Your Servlet container settings may need to be adjusted (max ram > = 5 x <size of largest XML file you want to parse> appears to be a > good starting point.) So YMMV. > > > But if there is interest I think I could publish it and see if anyone > out there would be willing to help improve it too. (The offer/request > for help is not limited to Brian.) > > -- > Carey Matthew Black > Remedy Skilled Professional (RSP) > ARS = Action Request System(Remedy) > > Love, then teach > Solution = People + Process + Tools > Fast, Accurate, Cheap.... Pick two. _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"
