2 @setfilename debbugs.info
3 @settitle Debbugs programmer's manual
7 * Debbugs: (debbugs). A library for communication with Debbugs.
11 Copyright @copyright{} 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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15 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
16 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
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19 License'' in the Emacs manual.
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22 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
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26 All Emacs Lisp code contained in this document may be used, distributed,
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32 @title Debbugs Programmer's Manual
33 @author by Evgeny M. Zubok
41 @top Debbugs Programmer's Manual
43 Debbugs is a bugtracking system (BTS) that was initially written for
44 the Debian project but actually used also by the GNU project. The
45 main distinctive feature of Debbugs is that it's mostly email-based.
46 All actions on bug reports: opening, closing, changing the status,
47 commenting, forwarding are performed via email by sending specially
48 composed letters to the partucular mail addresses. However, searching
49 the bug reports, querying bug report status and viewing comments have
50 been web-based for a long time. To overcome this inconvenience the
51 Debbugs/SOAP service was introduced.
53 The Debbugs/SOAP service provides the means for developers to write
54 client applications that can send the queries with certain search
55 criteria to the Debbugs server and retrieve a set of bug reports that
56 match them. The developer may also ask the Debbugs server for
57 additional information about every bug report (e.g. subject, date,
58 originator, tags and etc.) and get all comments and attachments.
60 @code{debbugs}, described in this document, is the Emacs library that
61 exposes to developers the available functions provided by the Debbugs
62 server. @code{debbugs} uses Emacs' SOAP client library for
63 communication with the Debbugs server. In tandem with Emacs' email
64 facilities, @code{debbugs} provides a solution for building
65 applications that interact with the Debbugs BTS directly from Emacs
66 without addressing Debbugs' web interface.
69 * Installation:: Getting and installing @code{debbugs}.
70 * Configuration:: Configuring @code{debbugs}.
71 * Requesting bug numbers:: How to request bug report numbers.
72 * Requesting bugs statuses:: How to request the status of bug reports.
73 * Requesting messages:: How to get messages from bug reports.
79 @subheading Installation on Emacs 24 or later
81 Install @code{debbugs} from the @ref{Packaging, ELPA repository, , elisp}.
83 @subheading Installation on Emacs 22 and Emacs 23
85 If you want to install @code{debbugs} on Emacs 22/23, you will need to
86 install the @code{soap-client} library first. It can be downloaded from
87 the @uref{http://code.google.com/p/emacs-soap-client/, Emacs SOAP client
90 Compile the library and add it into your @code{load-path}:
93 (add-to-list 'load-path "/path/to/emacs-soap-client/")
96 @code{debbugs} library can be downloaded from the
97 @uref{http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/, ELPA repository}. Compile it and
98 set the @code{load-path}:
101 (add-to-list 'load-path "/path/to/debbugs/")
104 @subheading Installation on Emacs 21
106 We have not tried yet to install @code{debbugs} on Emacs 21. We would
107 definitely say that the installation will require even more additional
108 libraries than needed for installation on Emacs 22/23.
111 @chapter Configuration
113 @code{debbugs} is already configured to work with two main ports of
114 Debbugs BTS: @uref{http://bugs.debian.org} and
115 @uref{http://debbugs.gnu.org}. So if you intend to use one of these
116 ports, you don't need to configure @code{debbugs}. If you want to
117 interact with a Debbugs port other than those listed, you have to
118 configure @code{debbugs} by adding a new server specifier to the
119 @code{debbugs-servers} variable. The actual port can be selected by
120 the @code{debbugs-port} variable.
122 @defvar debbugs-servers
123 List of Debbugs server specifiers. Each entry is a list that contains a
124 string identifying the port name and the server parameters in
125 keyword-value form. The list initially contains two predefined and
126 configured Debbugs servers: @code{"gnu.org"} and @code{"debian.org"}.
132 Location of WSDL. The value is a string with the URL that should
133 return the WSDL specification of the Debbugs/SOAP service. This
134 keyword is intended for future use, it is ignored currently.
137 The URL of the server script (@code{bugreport.cgi} in the default
138 Debbugs installation) that provides the access to mboxes with messages
142 Example. Add a new Debbugs port with name "foobars.net":
148 :wsdl "http://bugs.foobars.net/cgi/soap.cgi?WSDL"
149 :bugreport-url "http://bugs.foobars.net/cgi/bugreport.cgi"))
154 This variable holds the name of the currently used port. The value of
155 the variable corresponds to the Debbugs server to be accessed, either
156 @code{"gnu.org"} or @code{"debian.org"}, or a user defined port name.
159 @node Requesting bug numbers
160 @chapter Requesting bug numbers
162 In Debbugs BTS, the bug number is the unique identifier of a bug
163 report. The functions described in this section return from the
164 Debbugs server the list of bug numbers that match a user's query.
166 @defun debbugs-get-bugs &rest query
167 This function returns a list of bug numbers that match the
168 @var{query}. @var{query} is a key-value pair sequence, where the key
169 is a keyword (symbol) and the value is a string. All queries are
170 logically concatenated via AND.
176 The value is the name of the package a bug belongs to, like @code{"emacs"},
177 @code{"coreutils"}, @code{"gnus"}, or @code{"tramp"}.
180 This is the severity of the bug. The exact set of available severities
181 depends on the policy of a particular Debbugs port:
184 @code{"critical"}, @code{"grave"}, @code{"serious"},
185 @code{"important"}, @code{"normal"}, @code{"minor"}, @code{"wishlist"},
189 @code{"serious"}, @code{"important"}, @code{"normal"}, @code{"minor"},
193 An arbitrary string the bug is annotated with. Usually, this is used
194 to mark the status of the bug. The list of possible tags depends on
198 @code{"patch"}, @code{"wontfix"}, @code{"moreinfo"},
199 @code{"unreproducible"}, @code{"fixed"}, @code{"potato"},
200 @code{"woody"}, @code{"sid"}, @code{"help"}, @code{"security"},
201 @code{"upstream"}, @code{"pending"}, @code{"sarge"},
202 @code{"sarge-ignore"}, @code{"experimental"}, @code{"d-i"},
203 @code{"confirmed"}, @code{"ipv6"}, @code{"lfs"},
204 @code{"fixed-in-experimental"}, @code{"fixed-upstream"}, @code{"l10n"},
205 @code{"etch"}, @code{"etch-ignore"}, @code{"lenny"},
206 @code{"lenny-ignore"}.
209 @code{"fixed"}, @code{"notabug"}, @code{"wontfix"},
210 @code{"unreproducible"}, @code{"moreinfo"}, @code{"patch"}.
213 This is used to identify bugs by the owner's email address. The
214 special email address @code{"me"} is used as pattern, replaced with
215 the variable @code{user-mail-address} (@pxref{(elisp)User
219 With this keyword it is possible to filter bugs by the submitter's
220 email address. The special email address @code{"me"} is used as
221 pattern, replaced with the variable @code{user-mail-address}.
224 A keyword to filter for bugs which are already archived, or not.
225 Valid values are @code{"0"} (not archived), @code{"1"} (archived) or
226 @code{"both"}. If this keyword is not given in the query,
227 @code{:archive "0"} is assumed by default.
230 Example. Get all bug reports that were initiated by me.
233 (let ((debbugs-port "gnu.org"))
234 (debbugs-get-bugs :submitter "me" :archive "both"))
235 @result{} (5516 5551 5645 7259)
239 @defun debbugs-newest-bugs amount
240 This function returns a list of bug numbers, according to @var{amount}
241 (a number) of latest bugs.
243 Example. Get the latest six bug report numbers from Debian BTS:
246 (let ((debbugs-port "debian.org"))
247 (debbugs-newest-bugs 6))
248 @result{} (633152 633153 633154 633155 633156 633157)
252 @node Requesting bugs statuses
253 @chapter Requesting bugs statuses
255 Bug status is a collection of fields that holds the information about
256 the state and importance of the bug report, about originator, owner and
257 various aspects of relationship with other bug reports.
259 @defun debbugs-get-status &rest bug-numbers
260 Return a list of status entries for the bug reports identified by
261 @var{bug-numbers}. Every returned entry is an association list with the
262 following attributes:
270 A list of package names the bug belongs to.
273 The severity of the bug report. Possible values are the same as for
274 @code{:severity} in @code{debbugs-get-bugs} (@pxref{Requesting bug
278 The status of the bug report, a list of strings. Possible values are the
279 same as for @code{:tags} in @code{debbugs-get-bugs} (@pxref{Requesting
283 The string @code{"pending"}, @code{"forwarded"} or @code{"done"}.
286 Subject/Title of the bugreport.
289 The E-mail address of the bug report submitter.
292 A list of bug numbers this bug was merged with.
295 Source package name of the bug report.
298 Date of bug creation. Encoded as UNIX time.
302 Date of last update. Encoded as UNIX time.
306 Date of bug report / bug fix (empty for now). Encoded as UNIX time.
309 The E-mail address of the worker who has closed the bug (if done).
312 @code{t} if the bug is archived, @code{nil} otherwise.
315 The date the bug has been unarchived, if ever. Encoded as UNIX time.
318 @itemx fixed_versions
319 List of version strings.
322 A URL or an E-mail address.
325 A list of bug numbers this bug blocks.
328 A list of bug numbers this bug is blocked by.
331 The message id of the initial bug report.
334 Who is responsible for fixing.
337 Always the string @code{"db-h"} or @code{"archive"}.
340 A list of package names.
346 Example. Get the status of bug number #10 from GNU BTS:
349 (let ((debbugs-port "gnu.org"))
350 (debbugs-get-status 10))
352 (((source . "unknown") (found_versions) (done) (blocks)
353 (date . 1203606305.0) (fixed) (fixed_versions) (mergedwith)
354 (found) (unarchived) (blockedby) (keywords) (summary)
355 (msgid . "<87zltuz7eh.fsf@@freemail.hu>") (id . 10)
356 (forwarded) (severity . "wishlist")
357 (owner . "Magnus Henoch <*****@@freemail.hu>")
358 (log_modified . 1310061242.0) (location . "db-h")
359 (subject . "url-gw should support HTTP CONNECT proxies")
360 (originator . "Magnus Henoch <*****@@freemail.hu>")
361 (last_modified . 1310061242.0) (pending . "pending") (affects)
362 (archived) (tags) (fixed_date) (package "emacs") (found_date)
367 @defun debbugs-get-attribute bug-or-message attribute
368 General accessor that returns the value of key @var{attribute}.
369 @var{bug-or-message} must be a list element returned by either
370 @code{debbugs-get-status} or @code{debbugs-get-bug-log}
371 (@pxref{Requesting messages}).
373 Example. Return the originator of the last submitted bug report:
376 (let ((debbags-port "gnu.org"))
377 (debbugs-get-attribute
378 (car (apply 'debbugs-get-status (debbugs-newest-bugs 1)))
380 @result{} "Jack Daniels <jack@@daniels.com>"
384 @node Requesting messages
385 @chapter Requesting messages
387 @defun debbugs-get-bug-log bug-number
388 Returns a list of messages related to @var{bug-number}. Every message is
389 an association list with the following attributes:
393 The number of the message inside the bug log. The numbers are ascending,
394 newer messages have a higher number.
396 The header lines from the E-mail messages, as arrived at the bug
401 A list of possible attachments, or @code{nil}. Not implemented yet server
406 @defun debbugs-get-message-numbers messages
407 Returns the message numbers of @var{messages}. @var{messages} must be
408 the result of a @code{debbugs-get-bug-log} call.
410 Example. Get message numbers from bug report #456789 log from Debian
414 (let ((debbugs-port "debian.org"))
415 (debbugs-get-message-numbers (debbugs-get-bug-log 456789)))
420 @defun debbugs-get-message messages message-number
421 Returns the message @var{message-number} of
422 @var{messages}. @var{messages} must be the result of a
423 @code{debbugs-get-bug-log} call. The returned message is a list of
424 strings. The first element are the header lines of the message, the
425 second element is the body of the message. Further elements of the list,
426 if any, are attachments of the message. If there is no message with
427 @var{message-number}, the function returns @code{nil}.
429 Example: Return the first message of the last submitted bug report to
433 (let* ((debbugs-port "gnu.org")
434 (messages (apply 'debbugs-get-bug-log
435 (debbugs-newest-bugs 1))))
438 (car (debbugs-get-message-numbers messages))))
442 @defun debbugs-get-mbox bug-number mbox-type &optional filename
443 Download mbox with all messages from bug report
444 @var{bug-number}. @var{mbox-type} specifies a type of mbox and can be
445 one of the following symbols:
449 Download mbox folder, i.e. mbox with messages as they arrived at the
453 Download maintainer's mbox, i.e. mbox with messages as they are resent
454 from the Debbugs server.
458 Download status mbox. The use of either symbol depends on the actual
459 Debbugs server configuration. For @code{"gnu.org"}, use the former;
460 for @code{"debian.org} - the latter.
463 @var{filename}, if non-@code{nil}, is the name of the file to store
464 mbox. If @var{filename} is @code{nil}, the downloaded mbox is
465 inserted into the current buffer.
467 Note, that mbox downloading will work only if the
468 @code{:bugreport-url} field of the @code{debbugs-servers} variable is
469 specified (@pxref{Configuration}).