Rearranging requirements and auto-numbering

[Emilio]

Triggered by the "Requirements Management" whitepaper I went about reording my requirements so that the auto-numbering number matched the name (XX-FR-3.1) I gave it.

The problem is there is a bug in 7.0 where it appears one cannot completely rearrange them.

1. Selecting a requirement and subsequently using the Move up/down menu items don't move them at all

2. Selecting the requirements and dropping it in between two upper branches drops the requirement inside the previous branch (4.1 -> 3.1.2) instead of dropping it at the same level  4.2

Any way to solve that?

[«Midnight»]

Do you have the Allow Free Sorting turned on? [See the Tools | Options dialog.]

If this does not work, perhaps there's another way. [Thanks Frank, for reminding me so often; simple works!]

First make a copy of your project, in case I'm talking through my hat.

Then export the package tree containing your requirements to an XMI file. Use your favorite XML editor to go in and rearrange the requirement entries so that they appear in the order you wish. Then import the package tree back into EA, overwriting the original.

Did either of the above work?

David

[Eve]

If you wanting to move a something in the project browser you will need to drop it onto the new parent you want to give it, followed by setting it's order as you want.

I have seen issues where you couldn't change the sort order of some elements, although I was never able to find the cause.  However, selecting Contents | Reset Sort Order in the context menu of a package fixed the problem when I saw it.

[Emilio]

Having discovered this new hidden option (thanks!) I enabled the "Allow Free Ordering" option as it was disabled.

Then I tried to drag it and drop it at the top level (it was a top level requirement) but instead it drops it into the nearest high level requirement (nesting) above. That is not what I wanted.

Out of frustration I started doing the XMI because I was thinking of also doing a delete/cut/paste to solve the problem (and considerable effort) when it came to my mind to use MOVE UP/DOWN again.

Now the Move Up/Down option works! apparently it does if you have Allow Free Ordering enabled, when disabled Move Up/Down are still shown in the menu as operational (they should be grayed out!) but was not doing anything.

So lessons learned:

1. Use the Show Auto Numbering (had that already)
2. Enable Allow Free Ordering in Tools | Options
3. Select a requirement
4. With the right mouse button click on it, get a context menu
5. Use the Move Up/Move Down option from that context menu as you see fit

That does it, thanks!
2.

[«Midnight»]

Just off hand I wonder if you have to exit and restart EA, or at least reload your current project, to get the 'hands' to cooperate...