Automatic Numbering of Requirements

[cheesman]

Does anyone have examples of automatic numbering schemes for requirements?

I would like to use a notation such as REQ1.1.1 according to the package depth within the Requirements model.

Regards

Cliff

[«Midnight»]

Anything that suits your organization is fine.

However, EA supports only one 'sequence' in its automated numbering schemes. It allows you to define a prefix, the number format, and a suffix. The prefix and suffix will be constant, with the number portion incrementing. Both the prefix and suffix are optional, so you can have the number only, before, after, or between fixed portions of the identifier.

You can define automated sequences, as above, for a large number of elements (requirements, issues, classes, etc.). Each sequence is distinct, so they don't trash each other.

[bioform]

IF that does not work for you... consider a sql query to update the requirement name field (assuming you use this) or the notes field...

Should be pretty simple... follow the object's package ID value forward, incrementing a counter until you hit your root target package...

Another way is to use the heiarchy display to reflect the parent/child relationship and then count up to the root node.. same idea as before, but you are NOT using the package ID, rather the value that reflects it's parent ID (if my memory serves...)

Let me know if your interested in this approach... ACCESS is a great way to proto-type solutions for later coding as ADD-INs to EA.

[cheesman]

I'm not too experienced with Access and the process you described bioform.  I had a look today and it seems the eap file is not in the required format for my version of Access(2003).  I converted it using the Access tools, imported, and made changes.

On export I changed the extension of the new file from mdb to eap and tried to bring into EA.  This failed (as I expected) because EA did not recognise the format.

Am I missing the plot?

[bioform]

Actually just rename the ext. of the EAP file to .mdb and access will open it just fine.  DO NOT convert the database... just make you changes.. and then rename it back to .EAP

I prefer to run EAP NOT as a standalone file, but on a RDMS (I have MS SQL 2005 desktop edition - free, running on my laptop, that way I can use Access as the front-end to EA via ODBC)

Hope that helps with that portion of the task... If your interested I could send/post a bit of code that would implement a hacked solution (i.e., a quick example, not a robust solution...) if you wish?

[Eve]

cheesman, you had to convert the database because Access 2003 uses Jet 4, and by default EA doesn't use Jet 4.  You can configure EA to open the modified database by opening EA, going to the options dialog and checking 'Use JET 4.0 - requires restart'.

After that, restart EA and you'll be able to open the model again.

[bioform]

Simon M's advice is for when you HAVE converted the database to Jet 4...

Just opening the the .EAP file, renamed .MDB you will receive a message.. "You can't make changes to the database objects in the database..."

DON'T follow the advice in the message to convert the database... Since you REALLY DONT want to be changing the objects (tables and their attributes), just the row values in the tables, no conversion is necessary...

Just run your querie(s) to update the appropriate rows in the appropriate tables. Exit the file, renamed back to .eap and your done and in the clear!

[«Midnight»]

Using Access 2000 I was able to convert when I received your message. [NB: Keep the original unconverted copy as your backup.] After making the changes I had Access convert the file to Access 97 format, and EA seemed quite happy to work with the data.

I cannot confirm that this is safe, just that in limited testing it worked for me. Access 2003 has a similar convert function, but I don't know for sure if it will do the conversion to Access 97 format.