Description

New Import option for DNG Advanced ReqIF Import: Enable or disable "Only import attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected, do nothing else during import".

• When the option is disabled, DNG Advanced ReqIF Import shall behave as normal (no change in behavior)

• When the option is enabled, DNG Advanced ReqIF Import shall behave as follows:

  • Import the attribute values of already existing attributes in DNG that user has selected, i.e. the following attributes in the ReqIF:

    • User has selected attribute for import

    • Attribute already exists in DNG

    • Attribute in ReqIF and attribute in DNG have the same ReqIF ID (or have otherwise been identified by DNG to be "the same")

  • Import shall do nothing else

    • This really means that import shall do nothing except import attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected

    • This import option takes priority over all other import options and behavior

  • Exceptions (Actions import can still do):

    • Necessary modifications to ReqIF Definition (does not include changes to ReqIF IDs in DNG)

      • Create ReqIF Definition (as necessary)

      • Modify ReqIF Definition (add history entry for import to ReqIF Definition)

    • Import convenience / report features that have no impact on the “real” DNG data

      • Create or modify tags as part of DNG Advanced ReqIF Import feature “Import Tagging Options” (DNG 7.0 feature; Marks artefacts that were not part of import with tag)

      • Create Import Log

DNG shall also make this DNG Advanced ReqIF Import option available via the DNG OSLC API. The corresponding DNG OSLC API shall be public and documented.

Motivation / Reason

The reason for a ReqIF roundtrip exchange is that the other side is supposed to do some changes to the data.

One prominent Use Case is the exchange of requirements between an OEM and a Supplier (or “Home” and “Away”). The new import option described in the RFE is meant to support the ReqIF Import on the OEM Side.

When an OEM imports a ReqIF from a Supplier, the OEM:

• Only wants to import attribute values of specific attributes (usually HIS Supplier attributes like “Supplier_Status” and “Supplier_Comment”)

  • These specific attributes were originally created by the OEM and then exported to the Supplier

  • These specific attributes do not get created by the Supplier

• OEM wants to import nothing else; the OEM wants to be the “Master” over their data and wants to have no impact on their DNG data except importing the desired attribute values
  Non-comprehensive list of examples what that means:

  • OEM does not want to import any new elements (new artifacts, attribute definitions, etc.), as the Supplier is not supposed to create new elements and only export back attribute values of selected attributes

  • OEM does not want to import any changes to definitions (e.g. attribute data type), as the Supplier is not supposed to change the definition of any of the exchanged data

  • OEM does not want to import any new ReqIF IDs, as new ReqIF IDs would mean that the Supplier either created a new element or changed the ReqIF ID of an existing element, which is both not permitted

  • OEM does not want to import any other changes to ReqIF IDs, such as changes to the “Preferred” ReqIF ID

Q: Why is this RFE phrased as “do nothing except importing attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected” instead of providing a list of import options that can be enabled or disabled (e.g. "Allow artifact type creation", "Allow modification of artifact type" and then disabling all available options?

A: Theoretically, if DNG had import options (that can be enabled or disabled) that cover all activities that happen during import, this RFE would not be required. We could instead simply disable all options except for “import attribute values” and then the import would do no noting except import attribute values.

DNG currently does not have import options (that can be enabled or disabled) that cover all activities that happen during import.

Additionally, we as the DNG users probably currently do not have a full understanding of all activities that happen during import, and thus it would be difficult for us to create RFEs for import options that cover all activities that happen during import.

Because of these reasons, this RFE is phrased as “do nothing except importing attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected”, as this is exactly what is needed when an OEM imports a ReqIF from a Supplier and IBM should know best what else can happen during import and thus needs to be “switched off”.

Examples of behavior

The following examples are meant to illustrate how the DNG Advanced ReqIF Import shall behave if the user has selected attributes for import and has enabled the option "Only import attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected, do nothing else during import". These are only examples and not a comprehensive list.

Example 1: Selected attribute does not exist in DNG

• Even though the user has selected the attribute for import, import does not import the attribute

• Importing the attribute would require creating a new attribute definition, which is not permitted

Example 2: Selected attribute has different attribute definition in ReqIF and DNG

• If attribute definitions are compatible, Import shall import attributes values as best as possible (same behavior regarding import of attribute values as current DNG import behavior)

• Import shall not make any changes to the existing attribute definition in DNG

• Import shall not create a new attribute definition in DNG

Example 3: Selected attribute has different attribute data type definition in ReqIF and DNG

• If attribute data types are compatible (e.g. XHTML in ReqIF and String in DNG), Import shall import attributes values as best as possible (same behavior regarding import of attribute values as current DNG import behavior)

• Import shall not make any changes to the existing attribute data type in DNG

• Import shall not create a new attribute data type in DNG

Example 4: Selected attribute has different ReqIF ID in ReqIF and DNG

• Even though the user has selected the attribute for import, import does not import the attribute

• Importing the attribute would require either…

  • Creating a new attribute definition, which is not permitted

  • Modifying the ReqIF ID of the existing attribute, which is not permitted

Example 5: ReqIF contains artifact that does not exist in DNG

• Import does not import the artifact, as the creation of new artifacts is not permitted

• However, the artifacts that exist in DNG and ReqIF get imported (or rather, the attribute values of already existing attributes that user has selected get imported for these artifacts)

Example 6: ReqIF contains attribute data type that does not exist in DNG

• Import does not import the attribute data type, as the creation of new attribute data type is not permitted

ReqIF Ranking

3

Idea History

This idea has been copied from the following RFE:

https://jazz.net/jazz03/web/projects/Requirements%20Management#action=com.ibm.team.workitem.viewWorkItem&id=138610

Creation date of original RFE:

Nov 12, 2020