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MaxRussell

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Exporting items based on a theme
« on: January 31, 2008, 07:18:11 am »
I have been asked to create my test coverage by exporting our requirements and creating a spreadsheet rather than adding tests to elements within EA.

I've identified the columns headings I would like to use in
Project | Import/Export | CSV Import/Export Specifications and can make the export, however this is where I hit upon a snag -
We have a number of Themes in our project and I only wish to work with one theme at a time. If I select the whole project tree, my export has everything and is practically unworkable.

I would select just a theme, however parts of the theme exist under Robustness Diagrams|Business Case Model|Themename, parts under Module|Themename, parts elsewhere.

What I'd like to do is find a way of commonly grouping these (seemingly, to me) disparate parts so that I can export them all at once in my predefined format.

Any suggestions? (Please bear in mind, adding tests directly in has already been ruled out.)

gpc

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2008, 09:53:19 am »
Hi,
Not my area, but I wondered if you could just run a search and gather all of your requirements by refining that, then copy results to clipboard and pasting to spreadsheet.
Nasty, but may work for you? you could even generate a report based on those search results to possibly extract further information.

thomaskilian

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2008, 11:30:35 am »
I usually run a small add-in to perform such kind of exports. Highly customisable...

Matt

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2008, 03:50:13 pm »
Try downloading the free 20 day trial of Time Architect - very powerful, flexible filtering available (it's not just for Project Managers...)

Whatever you set up in the grid can then be exported out to Microsoft Excel - true WYSIWYG!

Give it a go, saves writing your own add-in...

MaxRussell

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2008, 03:30:25 am »
Quote
I usually run a small add-in to perform such kind of exports. Highly customisable...


Could you be more specific? I understand that EA is extensible, but I'm yet to fathom out how to properly integrate that into our testing lifecycle.

MaxRussell

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2008, 03:52:58 am »
Quote
Try downloading the free 20 day trial of Time Architect - very powerful, flexible filtering available (it's not just for Project Managers...)

Whatever you set up in the grid can then be exported out to Microsoft Excel - true WYSIWYG!

Give it a go, saves writing your own add-in...


I've been looking at the Time Architect site and don't currently see how that would fit?

Matt

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2008, 03:52:12 pm »
Hi Max,

If I understand you correctly, you are trying to export only certain elements from within your package structure but these are spread out in various places across your structure.  However, I think from what you have said they are all under one parent folder?  If not, please see suggestion 2...

(Please note, instructions assume you have pulled down 2.0 Sneak Peak version...)

1.  Although TA tries to create a Gantt chart of everything (this is being changed ready for the new release...) it also has some very useful features for 'normal' modellers too! :D
  • Right click on the parent package and select Add-In>Time Architect>Draw Gantt Chart.
  • When the system pops up the dialog box, select 'Include Child Packages' then click the top, big button 'Get Gantt Chart - Element View'
  • TA will now try and draw a Gantt Chart that represents your structure - ignore that for now.
  • Click on the Grid button (Last but 1 button on the bottom icon bar) - Tooltip states 'Show Grid'
  • You will now get a full data grid view of all your elements.  From here you can filter based on just about all the criteria that you can think of - Phase, Version, Type, Duration, Resource, Complexity, Stereotype and more.  You can even add Tagged Values into the grid.  You can combine filters too, so you can hopefully filter down to only the elements you require.
  • From the export menu - you can then select export to Excel (you can include element notes if required....)


2.  If the elements you require are complex or really spread out then try the following:
  • Create a new package called 'Export' (or something similar)
  • Add a diagram to this export (any type will do).
  • Run the create Gantt step as above as far as the Grid step.
  • Select elements that you need to export either through filters or you can select rows in the grid (CTRL allows you to select non contiguous rows).
  • Now, right click on any highlighted row and click 'Move element(s)'.
  • In the folder view select Package created above, it will then show the name of the diagram in the diagram list.
  • Click 'copy to diagram only'.
  • TA will copy those elements to the diagram specified.
  • Repeat as needed.
  • Now open that diagram with all your elements.
  • Select the diagram in the project browser
  • Right click anywhere on the diagram Add-In>Time Architect>Draw Gantt Chart.  Make sure 'From Diagram' is ticked.  TA will now list all those elements that are on that diagram.
  • Go to grid view and Export to Excel, only the elements you want are exported.

There are many more variations of cool things you can do - the TA website is about to be updated with loads of these - and stuff that is in 2.0 that is not in the sneak peak.

TA has a load of features that make working with EA easier - move and copy elements from anywhere in the project.  Multiple element properties and many more.

Version 2.0 (due very soon) allows many of these functions straight from diagrams too!

Have a look - after all it's free (for 20 days :D)  Let me know if you need any help...

HTH

Matt
Solutions Reality
Creators of Time Architect


MaxRussell

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2008, 07:47:55 am »
I've been looking at method one - basically I can select the theme I need and follow those steps. I filter on the elements I would like to see at the top of my csv file/spreadsheet(Use Cases) and then export. At this point I thought the Use Cases would be the top element in the exported file and I could delete the rest, however the resultant export was not filtered.

Matt

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2008, 08:15:56 am »
Max,

I have just looked at this with version 1.9.9.6 (the sneak peak version...)

If you export to Excel - then you only get what is in the grid - filtered, sorted, grouped etc.

If you export to CSV - you don't!  It exports the full list!  If possible, can I suggest that you export to Excel instead of CSV?

(In 2.0 you can specify that you only want use cases in the first case! - it will be out soon...)

Please feel free to let me know if you need any assistance.

Best regards,

Matt

MaxRussell

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2008, 02:01:39 am »
I found the export direct to xls feature and that is a lot more useful, however I have one more question- I'm only interested in the use cases, as it is these I will use for test coverage. I've customised the list of exported columns and am happy that I'm seeing only those of interest to me, however I can't see the actual details of the use case, which in EA (here) are kept in the Notes field of the Use Case. Is there a way I could get them into the export?

Matt

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2008, 02:15:33 am »
Max,

there are two Excel export options.  The first one is without notes, the second option is with Notes.

We don't keep the notes in the data that we hold, so we needed to make it a second option to go and get the note information on demand.  There could be a lot of notes and we were trying to keep the footprint small!

Can you let me know if this works out for you?

Many thanks,

Matt

MaxRussell

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Re: Exporting items based on a theme
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2008, 02:29:13 am »
 ;D

yep!

Just what I'm after!