Imagine the following scenario: You have a well structured requirement module already imported into DOORS, you would like to make links from certain requirements to different Word (or .pdf) documents. In what ways can this be achieved? I already know of the following (unsatisfactory in my opinion) methods: A) You can import Word and Excel files into DOORS, but in my experience, unless you are in a position to impose strict requirements on the structure of the content of Word and Excel files, the results tend to look messy and not very easy to read. B) You can create external links from a DOORS module to for example a web page or a location on a server containing the document in question. However, URLs suffer from link rot, i.e. the name of the document may change, it may be moved someplace else etc., and as a result, the URL does not work anymore. I can think of one, possible solution: Create a location on a server where I would save documents that i need to make a reference to, make it so that everyone has access, but read-only access. It would still have to be maintained, but this would then be done be "me", and I could probably guarantee no broken URL to my users. Still I would like your input on this. Feel free to come up with different solutions or comment on the solutions/methods above. Appreciate all input :)
kip820 - Mon Jul 15 07:30:12 EDT 2013 |
Re: Alternatives to importing Word into DOORS Your "possible solution" is heading in the right direction but will rely heavily on someone to make sure that the read-only copies are synchronised with the latest official versions. If these external documents are important documents then they should be under some form of document version control. Are you performing version control of these documents manually or using a version control tool such as MS SharePoint, IBM ClearCase, Subversion, CVS, Serena Dimensions etc??? If are using a tool, many of these tools have web enabled interfaces and each document will usually have a unique URL that points to the document. For some of these tools the URL syntax is more sophisticated and can include query commands that can fine tune the link. So for example, users are given a URL that links to the latest version which could be the latest checked-in draft version, or maybe a link to a specific version, or maybe a link to only the latest major version and ignore any draft minor versions that are yet to be approved.
Paul Miller |
Re: Alternatives to importing Word into DOORS PRM - Mon Jul 15 20:07:37 EDT 2013 Your "possible solution" is heading in the right direction but will rely heavily on someone to make sure that the read-only copies are synchronised with the latest official versions. If these external documents are important documents then they should be under some form of document version control. Are you performing version control of these documents manually or using a version control tool such as MS SharePoint, IBM ClearCase, Subversion, CVS, Serena Dimensions etc??? If are using a tool, many of these tools have web enabled interfaces and each document will usually have a unique URL that points to the document. For some of these tools the URL syntax is more sophisticated and can include query commands that can fine tune the link. So for example, users are given a URL that links to the latest version which could be the latest checked-in draft version, or maybe a link to a specific version, or maybe a link to only the latest major version and ignore any draft minor versions that are yet to be approved.
Paul Miller Hmmm, i was afraid of that, was hoping that DOORS had some "magical" container, for documents of all sorts, version control will probably be done manually, but I think i should look more into subversion, tools are always nice :) |
Re: Alternatives to importing Word into DOORS kip820 - Thu Jul 18 02:36:53 EDT 2013 Hmmm, i was afraid of that, was hoping that DOORS had some "magical" container, for documents of all sorts, version control will probably be done manually, but I think i should look more into subversion, tools are always nice :) > look into subversion Just out of curiosity: doesn't your company already produce some kind of artefacts which already have to be version controlled, like source code, technical specifications or other documents? If so, you should not reinvent the wheel for this specific purpose but attach yourself to the (well defined???) CM process.. |
Re: Alternatives to importing Word into DOORS Mike.Scharnow - Thu Jul 18 03:23:15 EDT 2013 > look into subversion Just out of curiosity: doesn't your company already produce some kind of artefacts which already have to be version controlled, like source code, technical specifications or other documents? If so, you should not reinvent the wheel for this specific purpose but attach yourself to the (well defined???) CM process.. Actually I'm not sure, alas I'm just a lowly summer intern ;) But in might be the case that we do, in that case i will attach myself as you suggested :) |
Re: Alternatives to importing Word into DOORS kip820 - Thu Jul 18 02:36:53 EDT 2013 Hmmm, i was afraid of that, was hoping that DOORS had some "magical" container, for documents of all sorts, version control will probably be done manually, but I think i should look more into subversion, tools are always nice :) Worst case, create a DOORS module and add the documents as OLE objects.
|