Although the new SDK is supposed to be general-purpose, it has been developed especially with the idea of linking defect tracking tools. It provides an alternative to building point integrations through command line or scripting. It includes a replication engine so coding artifacts or metadata for a defect tracker can be can reproduced. It also includes a configuration tool for mapping elements or fields between programs.
In addition, Perforce has thrown in some sample integration source code to help users get started in designing a point integration.
Although Perforce’s goal was developing a general-purpose SDK, the linking source code control and defect-tracking tends to be a no brainer since the two functions are closely related in the software development cycle. Source code that is checked in should be vouchsafed for defects.
Perforce, which is headquartered in Alameda, California, developed the SDK because it was getting more demand for tighter integration with other best-of-breed tools, not to mention demand for look and feel that appears more native with the Visual Studio and Eclipse IDE platforms that have become de facto standards.
It is currently working on more native plugs to both IDEs, and on the horizon is looking at how and whether to respond to demand from some customers to develop hooks into Microsoft’s Visual Studio Team System.
