Round-Trip Importing and Exporting for ReqIF Files

Many third-party requirements management applications can export and import requirements using the ReqIF™ format. If you manage your requirements in a third-party tool, you can import the requirements to Requirements Toolbox™, edit the requirements, and export the requirements back to your third-party tool by using ReqIF files. This procedure is called a ReqIF round trip.

Considerations for Importing Requirements

Before you import requirements for a ReqIF round trip, you must decide how to map the input data. Additionally, if your ReqIF file has multiple specifications, you must decide how to import the specifications.

Considerations for Import Mapping

When you import requirements from ReqIF files, you can choose which import mapping to use. For more information, see Choose an Import Mapping.

Alternatively, you can map ReqIF data to stereotypes in Requirements Toolbox. For more information, see Use Stereotypes when Importing from ReqIF Files.

Considerations for ReqIF Files with Multiple Specifications

ReqIF files can have multiple specifications. When you export requirements to a ReqIF file, you can only export one requirement set at a time. Consequently, if you plan to perform a ReqIF round trip with a ReqIF file that has multiple source specifications, you must decide which of these approaches to importing specifications fits your use case:

• Select a single ReqIF source specification to import into a requirement set.

• Combine ReqIF source specifications into one requirement set.

• Import each ReqIF source specification into a separate requirement set.

For more information, see Import Requirements from ReqIF Files with Multiple Specifications.

Edit Imported Content

You can edit the content of the imported requirements by using the Requirements Editor. Depending on the import mode that you use, the requirements import as referenced requirements or requirements, which are slreq.Reference or slreq.Requirement objects, respectively. For more information, see Select an Import Mode.

Note

When you perform a ReqIF round trip, you cannot add requirements to the imported requirement set or change the parent-child relationships of the imported requirements. For more information on ReqIF round trip best practices, see Best Practices and Guidelines for ReqIF Round-Trip Workflows.

Edit the Attribute Mapping

When you import requirements and links from ReqIF files, you must choose an import mapping that maps the ReqIF requirement and link types and attributes to Requirements Toolbox requirement and link types, properties, and custom attributes. For more information, see Choose an Import Mapping.

After you import the requirements, you can edit the type and attribute mapping. For more information, see Map ReqIF Types and Attributes.

Edit Imported Requirements

You can edit a requirement or referenced requirement and change the requirement properties such as the Summary or Description. You can also define custom attributes for the requirement set and set values for those custom attributes. For more information, see Add Custom Attributes to Requirements.

Before you edit an imported referenced requirement, you must unlock it. To unlock all requirements in the requirement set, select the top-level Import node of the requirement set and, in the right pane, under Requirement Interchange, click Unlock all.

To unlock individual requirements, navigate to the requirement and, in the right pane, under Properties, click Unlock.

To add, remove, and edit custom attributes associated with the requirement set, select the requirement set and use the interface in the right pane under Custom Attribute Registries. For more information about managing custom attributes for requirements, see Add Custom Attributes to Requirements. Select an individual referenced requirement and unlock it to set custom attribute values.

Update Imported Requirements Content

If you select Allow updates from external source during the import operation, you can make changes in the ReqIF file, then update the requirements in the Requirements Editor.

To update the requirements, select the Import node of the requirement set and, in the right pane, under Requirement Interchange, click Update. The update operation overwrites all local modifications, such as edits to unlocked referenced requirements. The update operation preserves comments and local attributes. For more information, see Manage Imported Requirements with External Applications.

Link Requirements to Items in MATLAB and Simulink

If you link a requirement in Requirements Toolbox to an item that is not contained in the requirement set, such as a Simulink^® block or a requirement in a different requirement set, and then export the requirement and associated links to a ReqIF file, Requirements Toolbox inserts a link proxy object into the ReqIF file for the linked item. For more information, see Export Links.

If you re-import a ReqIF file to Requirements Toolbox that has link proxy objects, the software reconstructs the links that relate the proxy objects and requirements for proxy objects that have types other than Requirement. For more information, see Import Links from ReqIF Files Generated by Requirements Toolbox.