How do you find where 'attribute data types' and 'link types' are used in a DOORS Next Project?
I thought it would be a good idea to import an existing Project from DOORS 9.4 to seed a training project we are developing in Next. However, what actually happened was that on import into Next, it automatically created many attribute data types, attribute types, and artifact types that were duplicates. For example, the Project I imported contained 10 modules, each containing an object attribute called "Context." Once imported into NG, I discovered it had created a separate and uniquely named "Context" attribute data type for each module like this:
Context -- the first module in the list had this attribute data type created Context 2 - the second module in the list had this attribute data type Context 3 - the third module in the list had this attribute data type created ... Context 10 - the tenth module in the list had this attribute data type created There was also a corresponding artifact attribute created for each attribute data type in each module. An artifact type was created for each module that was imported. I cleaned up the import by, for instance, having the 2-10th modules all refer to the 'Context' attribute, to the 'Context' artifact type, and creating a single type of module, called "Requirements" and changing the artifact type of all the imported modules to "Requirements." I *think* that I am not referencing any of the duplicate attribute data types, artifact attributes, and artifact types, and yet when I try to clean them up by deleting them, Next won't let me. For instance, it says that attribute data type that I am trying to delete is in use. This is the error message I get: 
1) Is there a way to export to REQIF or import to Next such that creation of duplicate types is avoided? For example, how do I get Next to understand that an attribute data type named "Context" in module 1 is the same as attribute data type named "Context" in modules 2 through N, and it should therefore create a single "Context" attribute data type and not 10 uniquely named ones? 2) Now that I have gotten myself into this mess, how can I delete the duplicate types in the Project I imported? Currently Next won't let me because it claims they are in use. Manually, I can't find any uses of the types I am trying to delete, but I can't be sure there aren't any lurking in the database out of my sight. And I don't see a search facility in Next that would allow me to find uses of types so that I can de-reference/eliminate them and then perform the deletes. |
2 answers
Glad to know you were able to find and remove the unwanted attributes.
Just wild speculation here ... one thing you could try is to see if you are able to remove the custom attributes from the unwanted/unused artifact type definitions. Perhaps if you can do that, the system will find it easier to delete the types.
Maybe someone else from the RM team can offer other suggestions.
|
|
I will answer in reverse order ...
2) How to search by attribute & type: There is a filter option to search by attribute. If you make sure that this is the only filter selected, you should be able to find all artifacts using that attribute ("Context_2").
1) This manual clean-up is necessary, because the DOORS 9 type system is scoped to the module, and the DOORS NG is scoped to the project. It's necessary for a person to confirm that indeed Context_2 and Context_3 *should be* the common Context attribute. I hope in the future we can make it easier for you to clarify this once up front rather than cleaning up afterwards.
FYI these related tips may be helpful: 13806: Some considerations when using ReqIF to import modules into DOORS NG from DOORS 9
Comments Daniel, Thank you for this answer. I was able to find some artifacts in my imported modules that are using the attribute data types I am trying to delete.
As Daniel suggested, can you try to delete any unneeded attributes that may be referenced by the Artifact Type, and then try to remove the type? Another trick you might try is to do a reverse filter: filter on Artifact Types where 'is not any of' and select all of the other types, except for the one you want to delete.
|
Your answer
Dashboards and work items are no longer publicly available, so some links may be invalid. We now provide similar information through other means. Learn more here.