DNG - Use modules for everything or just for requirement specifications
In DOORS Classic everything was in a module.
In DNG there were no modules to start with and then along came modules as an option.
So now we use modules for requirement specifications.
But what about all the other artifacts in a project.
Take for example a simple Issues register. It is just a set of Issues artifacts which are linked to any artifact in the project which is impacted by the issue.
Being a DOORS Classic user I would tend to put them in an Issues module.
Are there any drawbacks or overheads to putting artifacts in modules when they could be just loose artifacts in a folder?
3 answers
That's one of the nicest things about DNG (ex RRC). IMHO You aren't forced into using a particular method. Modules are very formal, just as they are in DOORS. DNG allows us more flexibility and there are less formal approaches that have much less overhead. Obviously, folders or collections are more lightweight ways to manage a group of artifacts; even tags. For something like an issues list, I would even be inclined to simply use a single rich-text artifact with perhaps a table listing the issues. You can embed non-tracing links to the impacted artifacts and its very lightweight. Just a thought.
For me (but realise I learned DOORS Classic a long time ago, version 4.1 I think it was), the main use-case for not creating/organising artifacts in modules is when I want to reuse an artifact in two or more modules, so for non-reused artifacts I would automatically put them in a module - easy to organise/re-organise, easy to report and extract.
^^
Thanks for the thoughts Joe.
I guess one of the key overheads with modules is the confusing distinction that users have to be aware of between module context and base artifact linking.
It would be great of we could have a module or project level switch that says all links will be base artifact links so users don't have to get confused with this stuff.
^
That is true Ian but with the advent of proper Configuration Management how useful is this ad hoc ability to have an artifact appear in more than one module?