Options for importing plain text files

The plain text importer populates the module with objects that are created from the contents of a plain text file. The structure of the object hierarchy and the values of the object attributes are determined by the structure and content of the file. You can use the importer to populate an empty module, or to extend a populated module. If you extend a populated module, the imported file is placed after the current object.

Decomposition level

The decomposition level determines how the text file is imported. The text file can be imported into a single object, or an object can be created for each sentence in a paragraph or in a heading.

Table 1. Decomposition level
Decomposition level Description
None Creates one object and imports all the text into that object. The layout of the text in the file is maintained in the object.
Paragraph Creates an object for each paragraph of text in the file. Text that is preceded by a blank line is interpreted as a paragraph. A second blank line is interpreted as the end of the paragraph. An object is created below the previous heading object and the text is inserted in the Object Text attribute.
Sentence Creates an object for each sentence in the file. A block of text up to and including a period is interpreted as a sentence.
Sentence w/keyword(s) Creates an object after each sentence that contains a keyword.
  • When no keywords are parsed, a new object is created for each paragraph of text in the file.
  • When a keyword is parsed, the sentence containing the keyword becomes the last sentence in the object. A new object is created for the next sentence.
You can specify the keywords that you want the importer to use.

Headings

If you select a decomposition level of Paragraph, Sentence, or Sentence w/keyword(s), headings are imported into the Object Heading attribute of objects. Text that is preceded by a blank line, and that begins with a heading number is interpreted as a heading. A heading number is any combination of digits and periods that starts and ends with a digit. When the importer finds a heading, it creates a heading object at the level in the object hierarchy that corresponds to the heading number. The following characters act as delimiters:
  • period space [.]
  • semicolon space [;]
  • colon space[:]
  • space hyphen space [-]
  • carriage return
Text up to and including the first delimiter after the heading number is imported into the Object Heading attribute of the object. Any text that follows the first delimiter is inserted in the Object Text attribute. The Object Short Text attribute of heading objects is assigned the value of the Object Heading attribute, excluding the heading delimiter and security classification.

Controlling how list items are imported

Use the advanced options to control how enumerated lists and documents lists are imported.

Enumerated lists that use either uppercase or lowercase letters from the Roman alphabet, Arabic digits, or Roman digits are recognized by the importer. These characters must appear in one of the following formats:
  • character.
  • character)
  • (character)
Note: For the list to be recognized, the trailing period or parentheses must be followed by a white space character.

If you extract enumerated list items, an object is created for each item in the list. The object hierarchy reflects the structure of the list.

A document list item is a line of text that contains a user-specified delimiter. The text before the delimiter is imported into the object heading; the text that follows the delimiter is imported into the object text attribute. The new object is created as a child of the previous heading object.

Capturing embedded data

Use the advanced options to select an attribute to import embedded data to. If the attribute you enter does not exist in the module, it is created. The embedded data that the importer recognizes is:
  • Heading number

    The number of the paragraph in the text file that generated an object is captured. Capturing the paragraph number creates traceability from the object in Rational® DOORS® to the paragraph in the text file. The heading number is the paragraph number of the preceding heading followed by a section number.

  • Security classification

    Characters in parentheses ( ) that are preceded by white space and a heading number are imported as Security classifications. Plain text paragraphs are assigned the same classification as the heading that precedes them. If headings do not have a security classification, you can set a default value for the security classification attribute.

  • Reference

    Text in square brackets [ ] is treated as reference information. Multiple references in the same object are stored in the attribute you specify as a comma-separated list.

Controlling line breaks and numbering

Use the advanced options to control how line breaks and numbering in the text file are interpreted when the file is imported.
  • To select whether all the carriage returns in the file are imported, or only carriage returns that are preceded by a blank line.
  • When there are missing level 1 headings in the text file, automatically insert objects to maintain the hierarchy in the module. You can specify a default value for the Object Heading attributes of the objects that are inserted.

    This feature supports MIL-STD numbering for appendixes (for example, 10.0, 20.0, 30.0).

Related tasks:
Importing plain text files

Feedback