Why does the SilkCentral Test Manager filter use an unnecessary wildcard when searching for a component attribute?

In SilkCentral Test Manager 2009 SP1 when using the inbuilt filter you may find that if you are searching a test plan for a certain component attribute; that the filter will also return those test plans which contain the initial attribute string and also any strings which follow. For example if your filter was designed to search test plans for the component “Online” it will also return any other components which contain “Online” as the first word, for example “Online search”

The problem can be reproduced as follows:

1.  Create a new Component Attributes named “Online”
2.  Create a Test Plan/Test Container named “Online” assign it the attributes names and values “Component = Online” and “Version = 09.20”. Then assign the Test Container to a product (e.g. SilkTest)
3.  Create a second Test Plan/Test Container named “Online Search” assign it to the attributes names and values “Component = Online Search ” and “Version = 09.20”. Then assign the Test Container to a product (e.g. SilkTest)
4.  Create a filter named Search1 and provide the filter with the following search criteria

Test Definition Attribute – Version = 09.20
Test Definition Property – Type = SilkTest Test
Test Definition Attribute – Component = Online

Now when you execute the Filter in SCTM 2009 SP1 it will display both of the test definitions which have the word “Online” (Online and Online Search) in the Component value,  this is because the filter uses a Wildcard to search for any values which following the attribute “Online”.  By design the filter when executed should only display the Test Plan which has the Attribute value “Component = Online”.

This can be resolved by requesting Hotfix “SCTM901_Hotfix_12.zip” from Technical Support.