Links between Doors Modules in two different data bases

Hi,

I would like to know whether the following are possible in DOORS:

1. Is it possible to create traces (Links) between objects of a DOORS module present in one DOORS database to the objects of a DOORS module present another DOORS database ?

2. Can DXL scripts (or there any already available) be written to compare the text of the objects present in a DOORS module with an external input file (Say word or excel) objects and generate a report? If so can the selected objects of the comparison report be updated in to DOORS automatically?

  • Hanumantha Desu

hanumantha - Mon Sep 27 01:19:45 EDT 2010

Re: Links between Doors Modules in two different data bases
PDU - Mon Sep 27 01:45:28 EDT 2010

Hi,

for you first point, yes, using external links and url of each object. Not very easy if you have many links !
Pierre

Re: Links between Doors Modules in two different data bases
Mathias Mamsch - Tue Sep 28 04:07:31 EDT 2010

1. The "DOORS Way" (if there is such a thing) of handling multiple databases is, to use 'partitions'. Partition means, that you have modules from one database which you then 'checkout' (=lock) and bring to another database. In the other database people can make changes to the modules (like creating links, changing attributes), and the changes can be delivered regularly to the other database by a 'sync file'. This approach works only if the modules are to be edited on only ONE side at a time.

The next approach to having links to another database is: don't! Copy the modules you are interested in from the other database to your database. Then create links to the copies. Ok but what happens when the module at the other database changes?? Yeah, that is a common problem. One approach to it is to copy a new version of the module to your database and redirect all the links from the old version to the new version (as far as this is possible).

There are quite some commercial solutions for the data exchange problem, so try searching a bit for data exchange in the forum and you will probably get lucky.

2. In general ANY kind of script can be written in more or less tricky (awkward) DXL. First you have the built in update function of DOORS which will allow you to import excel spreadsheets, or create DOORS modules from word (rtf). Since DOORS 9.2 you have the RIF exchange format and I guess it would be a good idea to use it whenever possible. Despite the DOORS onboard means, the update of modules is a common problem and again there are commercial solutions available. Normally you can also write your own script, sufficient DXL knowledge provided, but getting an update right is always a challange, because you need to solve the problem of finding the right object in DOORS for your input data. This makes the update from word a very tricky subject (search for 'word update' in the forum, you fill find some discussion).

Hope that helps, Regards, Mathias
Mathias Mamsch, IT-QBase GmbH, Consultant for Requirement Engineering and D00RS