New & Noteworthy for Rational DOORS Next Generation 6.0.5


Description
Client extension API Find the URI for the selected artifact and current configuration context

The Client extension API for the Requirements Management (RM) application now supports access to the URIs associated with selected artifacts and the current configuration. This support enables extension developers to use the URIs to interact with external services by using the information gathered from the extension.
Compliance Electronically sign a baseline
 
You can now electronically sign a baseline by opening the baseline and clicking Sign. Depending on how the project administrator has configured the project area, after you re-enter your user name and password, you might need to select a reason for signing and enter a comment.
 
When you sign a baseline, the electronic signature is attached to the baseline and is displayed in the baseline editor, on the Electronic Signatures tab. You can view information about the signature, such as when it was signed, the reason for signing, and any associated comments.
Manage project-level settings for electronic signatures
 
On the Manage this Project Area page, you can now specify these project-level settings for electronic signatures:
  • Whether to display text that explains the significance of signing
  • Whether to provide a list of reasons for signing that users can select from, such as Approve, Reject, Approve with reservations, and so on
  • Whether users must provide a comment when signing
  • Whether users must select a reason for signing
Configuration management Compare proposed changes to the source version of an artifact

You can now compare proposed changes with the version of an artifact in the source configuration. Previously, you could compare only with the version in the target configuration.

While you work in a side-by-side comparison view of a modified artifact or while you resolve conflicts, click the down arrow beside the artifact name in the right pane, and select the artifact to compare with.

Image of the arrow:
Conflict resolution in side-by-side comparisons
 
You can now resolve conflicts in the side-by-side view of changed artifacts by using the same Deliver and Do not deliver controls that were previously available only in the single composite comparison view.
 
For primary text, use the new controls to copy a change from the target version to the proposed merged version.

A side-by-side comparison now opens as the default view for artifacts that have changed in both configurations.
 
Image of a merge conflict in the side-by-side view:
Navigate between changes when you compare or merge modules

You can now navigate through the changes in a module by using the Next change and Previous change buttons in module compare and merge views.
Understanding which conflicts are resolved

In earlier versions of Rational DOORS Next Generation, you could not keep track of which conflicts you resolved when you delivered change sets.

Now, conflicts are listed on the left side of the Deliver Change Sets page. You can use buttons to choose how to merge the changes with the version in the target stream. You can deliver all the changes from the source version, keep all the changes in the target version, or automatically merge them.

As you work, you see a comparison between the proposed version and the version in the target stream.

When you click Mark as Resolved, the conflicting change is moved to the Resolved list on the left side of the page.

Image of the new buttons:


Image of the Resolved list:
Links
Link direction and storage when you create cross-project or cross-component links
 
When you perform the following operations, if you create cross-project or cross-component links for artifacts, both outgoing and incoming links are created. When you create incoming links, they are stored in the project or component of the source, or outgoing, artifact, regardless of where you create the link.
  • Import CSV
  • Link By Attribute
  • Duplicate Artifact
When you perform the following operations, if you create cross-project or cross-component links for artifacts, only outgoing links are created.
  • Clone from Component
  • Copy from Component
  • Creating Projects, Components and Artifacts from Templates
Link direction when you edit cross-project or cross-component links
 
When you edit cross-project or cross-component links, only outgoing roles are available in the following situations:
  • A cross-component link to an artifact in a baseline component
  • A link to the web
  • A cross-component or cross-project link that uses a link type that is defined in only one of the projects or components involved in the link
If you are editing existing cross-project or cross-component links and you change the direction of the link type from outgoing to incoming, or from incoming to outgoing, the storage location for the link changes. This is because cross-project and cross-component links are stored in the project or component of the source, or outgoing, artifact. When you change the direction of a link, it is deleted from the project or component where it is currently stored and created in the project or component of the source, or outgoing, artifact.
Link types now indicate the link direction

The concept of link direction has been introduced for link types. Each link type now has an Outgoing role and an Incoming role. The Outgoing role represents the source of the link, and cross-project or cross-component links are stored in the project or component of the source artifact.

Image of a link type definition:


Note: For existing link types, the object-to-subject role (previously called the "A to B" role) is the Incoming link role, and the subject-to-object role (previously named "B to A" role) is the Outgoing link role.

When link types are displayed in the user interface, icons indicate the direction of the link type role.

Image of the link direction icons:


When you create cross-project or cross-component links, rules apply to link direction that are used to filter the available creation link types.

In the following cases, only Outgoing roles are available:
  • When you create a cross-component link to an artifact in a baseline component, the new link cannot be stored in the baseline component.
  • When you create a link to the web, the new link is stored in Rational DOORS Next Generation.
  • When you create a cross-component or cross-project link using a link type that is only defined in one of the projects or components involved in the link, the new link must be stored in the project or component that defines the link.
With these rules, you might need to adjust your current link constraints.

Image of linking to web. Only outgoing roles are allowed:


The Links sidebar now has a new filtering and grouping option:
  • The drop-down menu for filtering now has two new menu items under Link Type: Show Outgoing and Show Incoming:

     
  • The drop-down menu for grouping now contains a new Group by Link Direction option:
New behavior for creating and editing cross-component links with change sets
 
Links are always stored on the outgoing side of the link. When you create or edit cross-component links, depending on where the link is stored, change-set-related messages might be displayed, and the available link types might be filtered to show only the outgoing link types.
 
When you create a cross-component link, the following conditions apply:
  • If the other component involved in the link requires that all changes occur in changes sets, but a change set does not exist, the list of available link types is filtered to show only outgoing link types.
  • If the other component involved in the link is currently using a change set, a warning message is displayed that explains that you must deliver the other component's change set after the link is created.
  • If the link type specified is incoming, and you switch the component to one for which a change set is required but does not exist, an error is displayed and the list of available link types is filtered to show only the outgoing link types.
You will see this new behavior when you are specifying the link type in the following dialog boxes:
  • The Create Link dialog box
  • The dialog box that opens when you use Drag & Drop and Cut & Paste As Link
  • The dialog box that opens when you click Create Matching Trace Link on the context menu for an artifact link in an artifact that is in edit mode
  • The dialog box that opens when you use Insert Artifact and Insert Image in an artifact that is in edit mode
When you edit a cross-component link, the following conditions apply:
  • If the link is incoming from an artifact in a component for which change sets are required, and no change sets yet exist, an error message is displayed that explains why you cannot edit that link.
  • If the link is outgoing to an artifact in a component from which change sets are required, and no change sets yet exist, the list of available link types is filtered to show only outgoing links. A warning message is displayed that explains why you cannot specify an incoming link type.
  • If you change an outgoing link to an incoming link, and the link originates in a component that is in a change set, a warning message is displayed that explains that you must deliver the change set to see the changes to the link.
  • If you edit an incoming link, and the link originates in a component that is in a change set, a warning message is displayed that explains that you must deliver that change set to see the changes to the link.
New utilities to update link direction and storage

Two external utilities are available on the Rational DOORS Next Generation development wiki at Rational DOORS Next Generation 6.0.5 Link Tools:
  • Link swapper tool: Changes the direction of an existing custom link type into a new link type that you specify.
  • Link storage tool: Ensures that cross-component links are stored in the component with the outgoing endpoint of the link.
Modules Base artifact properties are now always displayed for modules

The Include links, tags and comments from base artifacts toggle button was removed.

Image of the removed button:


Now, modules always show the links, tags, and comments for base artifacts. Base artifact properties are indicated with a blue arrow.

Image of base artifact properties:


Base artifact properties are also displayed when you view an artifact in a module.
Navigating to base artifacts in a module

You can now navigate to the base artifact for an artifact in a module by using the new options on the Edit menu.

Image of the module Edit menu:


These options are also available on the More Actions menu when you view an artifact in a module.

Image of the More Actions menu:
Permissions Support for process sharing

Process sharing is now supported in Rational DOORS Next Generation. You can now share user role definitions, workflow definitions, and permissions between projects.
 
To enable process sharing:
  1. In the project that will share its permissions, user roles, and workflows, on the Administration menu, click Manage This Project Area.
  2. On the Overview page, under Process Sharing, select Allow other project areas to use the process configuration from this project area.
With this option enabled, you can create new projects or update existing ones to use the process configuration of the project that you modified.
 
If you update existing projects, you must go to the Workflows and the Roles pages and clear any overrides that are defined. Also, for permissions specific to individual types, such as Modify Actor Artifact, to function properly, you must import types into projects that are using the process configuration from another project area.
 
To import project properties, on the Administration menu, click Import Project Properties.
Projects
Project areas must be created by using the Application Administration user interface
 
You can no longer create project areas by using the Administration menu from the All Projects Page or from within an existing project area. To create project areas, you must use the Application Administration user interface.
 
You can now apply project templates by using the Administration menu in existing project areas.
REST API Support for module structure changes

The Requirements Management (RM) server now supports the retrieval and manipulation of module structure through a public API. The API supports the following actions:
  • Retrieving a module resource by using a GET operation to discover the module's structure
  • Retrieving the full module structure by using a GET operation
  • Updating the full module structure in one request by using a PUT operation
The module and structure resources are available in either RDF or in a simplified JSON format.

For the draft specification, see Rational DOORS Next Generation Module Resources.
Reporting Automatic and on-demand refreshing of TRS feeds
 
Automatic and on-demand TRS refresh operations are now supported in Rational DOORS Next Generation.The automatic refresh takes place each time a versioned resource that comes from an archived component is accessed.
 
To enable or disable this option:
  1. On the Administration menu, click Manage Application. In the navigation pane, under Configuration, click Advanced Properties.
  2. In the RM Core Component section, locate the GETs delete TRS 2.0 resources from archived components property and change the setting. By default, this property is enabled.
If enabled, the automatic refresh removes the affected resource from the TRS feed. In Lifecycle Query Engine (LQE), the automatic refresh results in the automatic repair and resolution of skipped resources that originated from archived Rational DOORS Next Generation components.
 
Administrators can refresh various areas of Rational DOORS Next Generation in the TRS feed on demand. The controls are available in RM Administration, on the Debug page, at the end of the Tracked Resource Set section. These controls are for administrative maintenance only, and can be used to repair data gaps or incorrect resources that are found on the LQE server.
Display electronic signatures in Rational Publishing Engine custom templates

Rational DOORS Next Generation has a new Reportable REST API that enables users who create or modify templates with Rational Publishing Engine to report on electronic signature information. The new API only displays electronic signatures if the report is run against artifacts in a baseline that has been signed. For details about the API, see Rational DOORS Next Generation Reportable REST API.
ReqIF Import the same items into parallel streams and change sets, and re-import deleted or discarded items

In previous releases, unexpected results occurred when ReqIF packages were imported into multiple configuration streams.

You can now import the following items, and a new version of the resource is created if the resource already exists in a parallel configuration stream, or if it previously existed:
  • Data types
  • Attributes
  • Artifact types
  • Artifacts
  • Modules
  • Collections
  • Folders
Creating links and views is not supported with parallel configurations. Links and views are actively skipped when they are imported into a parallel stream, and are reported in the import report. Until importing links and views is supported, exclude links and view definitions from packages that are intended for parallel import. Excluding them from the package makes it clear that they will not be shared. For more information about links and views, see Workarounds and Limitations: Known issues in Rational DOORS Next Generation 6.0.5.
Values that make it harder to see meaningful changes to artifacts are not imported

Some ReqIF packages contain system properties, such as Created On. In situations where these values are not useful, they are ignored and not displayed in the comparison wizard.

This behavior applies to packages from Rational DOORS and Rational DOORS Next Generation, as well as other tools that follow the ProSTEP ReqIF Implementation Guide.

The following attribute values are only set when, as a result of an import, an artifact is created for the first time in a component:
  • ForeignID
  • ForeignCreatedOn
  • ForeignCreatedBy

When you import a new artifact, the ForeignModifiedOn and ForeignModifiedBy attribute values are set.

When you import an existing artifact, the ForeignModifiedOn and ForeignModifiedBy attribute values are only set when one or more values have changed. This action does not apply to Foreign
attribute values.
Types New API to copy types between projects or components

A new server API is available that enables advanced users to copy types between projects and components from scripts or integrations. For details about the API, see see Rational DOORS Next Generation Type Import Resources 1.0.
Usability improvements A light blue banner indicates when you open an artifact in a module

When you open an artifact in the context of a module, a light blue banner at the top of the page indicates that the view is associated with an artifact in a module, rather than a core artifact. The name and ID of the module is displayed in the blue banner.

Image of the blue banner that appears when you open an artifact in a module:
Bulk edit more items in views

In 6.0.4, the bulk editing feature was added for views, which enables you to update multiple attributes across all artifacts in a view. In 6.0.5, you can now also edit the artifact type, owning folder, and owning team area.

Image of the new bulk edit options:
More pages are cached and preloaded when you scroll through modules
 
When you scroll through a module, more pages are now cached in the browser. This caching helps increase performance when you scroll back to areas of the module that you recently viewed. Pages are also preloaded above and below the current scroll position so that content is displayed faster as you scroll.
 
An administrator can control the caching behavior for modules by specifying these properties:
  • Number of artifacts in a module page: The number of artifacts that are requested from the server per page in a module. The default value is 30 artifacts.
     
  • Number of pages to cache per module: The total number of pages to cache when scrolling through a module. The minimum value is 3 pages and the default value is 10 pages. Increasing the number of cached pages increases the amount of memory that the client's browser uses.
     
  • Number of pages to prefetch in a module: The number of pages to prefetch in either direction from the current scroll position. This value is limited to between 1 and 3 pages. The maximum is 2 pages if over 50 rows are loaded per page, and 1 page if over 100 artifacts are loaded per page.
Note: Increasing these properties to very large numbers can adversely affect load time. If modifications are required, increase the values slowly to determine the best results.
Quick Search feature maintains the More Options settings across projects and components

When you use the Quick Search feature and click More Options to include the Modified on, Modified by, Where to search, or Artifact type settings in your search, the setting you last used now persists across browser sessions. For example, if you click More Options for a project or component and specify Modified by: Current User, the next time you start your browser and click More Options, the Modified by: Current User filter is already defined.
Quick Search now returns artifacts in modules

By default, the Quick Search results now include artifacts in modules, along with the usual core artifacts. A new option also enables you to show only core artifacts or artifacts in modules.

In the search results, a vertical blue bar indicates that the artifact is in a module, and the module name is displayed in the result description.

Image of the new Quick Search options and results:
Select artifacts from all modules

When you select artifacts, the selection dialog box has a new All Modules option in the What to look in field. When you select This module > All Modules, the scope becomes all modules in the component or project. When you select this setting, the results show the same visual indicators and owning module information for artifacts in modules that the Quick Search feature shows.

Image of the All Modules option and example results:
When you duplicate artifacts, links can originate from the copied artifact to the original artifact

When you duplicate an artifact, or perform a  function, you can now choose to create a link from the copied artifact to the original artifact. Each link type has a defined direction, but when you create a link back to the original artifact, the direction of the link is the reverse of the typical direction for that link type.

Image of the new link option:
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