API naming convention change issues with Blueprints / Roadmaps

Products

• Clarity PPM On Premise
• Clarity PPM SaaS

Issue/Introduction

Starting in 15.6.1, there was an API naming convention change. If you need to change the API ID (for example, so you can sync the attributes in Roadmaps), the below issues happen:

• The attribute is removed from all blueprints and views in the New User Experience (UX) 
• Users see the error “The selected view uses attributes that are unavailable” in saved views
• The change also leaves empty space behind in the blueprint where the attribute used to be

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. In a version prior to the naming convention change for API Attribute IDs (example 15.6), log in to Clarity as an Administrator
2. Go to Administration->Studio->Objects->Project
3. Create a new custom attribute with an API Attribute ID of atest (only numbers or letters are allowed)
4. Add this new attribute to the blueprint Details section in the New UX
5. Upgrade Clarity PPM to 15.7.1
6. Navigate to the project object in Classic Clarity and update the API Attribute ID to the required naming convention of a_test
7. Log in to the New UX and go the Details section of the blueprint you added the attribute to

Expected Results:  Attribute still appears in the blueprint

Actual Results: Attribute no longer appears and a blank space is left where the attribute used to exist

Additionally, if the attribute was saved by users in views in the New UX, they now see error: “The selected view uses attributes that are unavailable” in the views

Environment

Release : Clarity 15.6.1 and higher versions if upgrading from a prior release with old API ID Naming convention

Component : CA PPM SAAS STUDIO

Cause

In most scenarios, changing the API Attribute ID isn't required if upgrading from a prior release, though in some scenarios like syncing roadmaps to projects, this is required which does cause the issues and a few additional steps. Regarding saved views, the attributes where the API Attribute ID was changed will be treated like a deleted attribute and it will be removed from the saved view since the system use the API Attribute ID to match against the saved view. If there is no match, it will remove that field from the saved view since it assumes that field got deleted in Studio

Resolution

Blueprints

• Update Blueprints to readd the field back into the blueprints. If the field is no longer needed in the blueprint to clear out the empty / blank space left where the field was:
  
  • Drag any fields in the section below the empty space above the empty space (that will leave the empty space at the bottom)

  • Another option would be to remove everything out of the section in the blueprint with the empty space, delete the section, then recreate the section and add the fields back into the section.

For Views:

• Recreate the view to add the fields back

Additional Information

See KB: Deactivating, Removing, or resizing attributes on a blueprint causes empty / blank / white spaces in the blueprint