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Topic Title: Source document updates
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Created On: 27-Jun-2003 16:40
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 27-Jun-2003 16:40
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Hazel Woodcock

Posts: 38
Joined: 4-Oct-2002

I have several documents provided to me in MS Word format. Persuading the organisation in question to adopt anything more sophisticated appears to be out of the question. My problem comes when the source document is updated. Sections are added, text is changed and all the reasons for using a decent RM tool become clear. I have imported the first version of the document into DOORS, and want some way to 'update' the module. I am sure that DXL will be the answer to all my problems here, but I don't want to re-invent the wheel if this has been done before.
Any suggestions?

Hazel

-------------------------
Hazel Woodcock
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 27-Jun-2003 20:31
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Louie Landale

Posts: 2070
Joined: 12-Sep-2002

First of all you, management, and the people creating the requirements should acknowledge that once its in DOORS than THAT is the "official" repository and work should be done there. If someone wants to read an MS-Word version then export them a pretty "copy", but they must know its just a copy.

Specifically, there is NOT a "DOORS Copy" of the MS-Word document, but there may be an "MS-Word" copy of the DOORS module.

Reimporting a word file is a nightmare since there is no convenient way to associate every MS-Word paragraph with its DOORS object counterpart. However, an alternative follows:

Import the original document and make the DOORS module structurally sound. Create a view featuring the Absolute Number in the first column and the Main text in the 2nd. Export this view to a comma-separated spread sheet. Make a mental note not to bother editing the DOORS module. Provide the spread-sheet to the engineers who will using Excel to edit it. When they are done they provide the CSV back to you. Now you can import the CSV spread sheet specifing that the first column in the file is the "key" that corresponds to "Absolute Number" in the module. Object text and headings are updated in the module. I don't think this method will move objects, however.

- Louie

Use the DXL forum to find out if there is a DXL solution out there somewhere.
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 30-Jun-2003 13:17
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Tony Goodman

Posts: 1098
Joined: 12-Sep-2002

Louie is correct. DOORS is the master. I will fight long and hard to persuade people to make updates in DOORS.

The spreadsheet approach may cause more trouble than it is worth. The import from CSV will mess up your headings by duplicating the heading text in the object text. Also, the import is flat, so although the existing hierarchy will be preserved, any new sections will be imported at the same level as the object before them in the module.

The attached DXL was an attempt I made a while ago to implement a module comparison tool. This uses the object number as the key rather than the absolute number. The idea being that you can import the updated word document into a scratch formal module and then compare this with the original module.

It is not very clever and does not recognise when objects have been moved. It will however point out all the differences.
Useful if there are a small number of changes.

Another way is to use the document compare in word and make the changes in DOORS manually!

-------------------------
Tony Goodman
http://www.smartdxl.com
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 1-Jul-2003 09:58
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Hazel Woodcock

Posts: 38
Joined: 4-Oct-2002

I am in complete agreement about the master being the DOORS version. I am working with customers (and customers' customers) who need to be educated, and who own the source documents. This can be a slow process :-)

Tony, could you please e-mail the dxl direct, as I don't seem to be able to pick it up from the link. It sounds as if this will at least ease my problems, if not solve them.

Thanks,
Hazel



-------------------------
Hazel Woodcock
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 14-Jul-2003 20:24
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Amy Wesley

Posts: 12
Joined: 18-Oct-2002

Hazel,

Hi there! Believe it or not, but I'm the main DOORS contact at Visteon in the U.S.. I keep meaning to get in touch with you, but the best laid plans, etc.

Anyway, I feel your pain. We had someone in our Multimedia division here experience the same thing. I have a dxl which doesn't do automatic updates, but which attempts a comparison in DOORS. What you have to do is to import the updated document into a new DOORS module, then this code will compare the two and try to point out what is different. Granted, the code might be kind of rough because, unfortunately, we don't get a lot of time over here to write the kind of dxls that I'd like to see, but in its current state, it may get you 95% of the way there.

If you're interested in trying it out, you can contact me via our Visteon e-mail.

Regards,
Amy Wesley
awesley@visteon.com

-------------------------
Amy Wesley
Visteon Corp.
Dearborn, MI USA
1-313-755-5126
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 16-Jul-2003 18:57
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Louie Landale

Posts: 2070
Joined: 12-Sep-2002

As for the CSV export: Don't display the "main" column, rather display each attribute separately, in this case include columns: "absolute number", "paragraph number", "Object Heading" and the "Object Text". when importing, tell the importer to ignore the "paragraph number".

- Louie
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 24-Oct-2003 13:02
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Andrea Cini

Posts: 5
Joined: 23-Oct-2003

Just to say all of you: me too!
I want to share my experience, very similar to those described in this forum.

A team expected to write requirements doesn't want to use DOORS for a variety of reasons I cannot agree with even one. So, I've arranged an intermediate solution where MS Word files storing requirements are systematically pushed into DOORS with a combination of Visual Basic and DXL macros.

This is the way the requirement database is updated each time a new and official document issue is produced and delivered. The database grants then for the completeness of requirements traceability and consistency, produces all the needed traceability matrices and makes everyone happy.

Document change management is addressed by the use of the DOORS baseline feature: each time an update is performed, a baseline is created, bound to the document issue; the DOORS' Compare baseline feature makes the rest.

Now we're at a crossroad, phase 2 is about to begin: requirements (more than 6,000) will live in the database and people will manage them inside the database exploiting then a specific tool-assisted procedure to generate readable exports of requirements in MS Word format suitable for delivery and archive.

We'are still far, but...
Regards.



-------------------------
Andrea.Cini(at)libero.it
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 28-Oct-2003 19:58
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Louie Landale

Posts: 2070
Joined: 12-Sep-2002

You will find that people who nominally agree that the source is in DOORS and the exports are pretty but obsolete copies, won't really mean it. You will STILL get MS-Word and Excel spread sheet modifications that these people expect you to put in DOORS.

You will need to be friendly, informative, supportive, instructive, and helpful to make this transition. And firm. Help a bunch, don't give an inch.

- Louie
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 18-Dec-2003 09:58
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Hazel Woodcock

Posts: 38
Joined: 4-Oct-2002

I have had a minor breakthrough this week. One customer who has seen the results of my use of DOORS has asked 'how much is this tool, and who supplies it?'.
He has only seen the Word versions of the modules, but has noticed the value because I have included useful attributes and informaiton linking requirements to tests. I still have the problem of receiving Word documents from the customer's customer, but I feel that some small amount of progress has been made.

-------------------------
Hazel Woodcock
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