Add a Requirements Specification to a Requirements Specification

You can add a requirements specification to another requirements specification.

Here are two ways you can do this:

• Select Search and Copy from the Actions menu of a 'parent' requirements specification. In the Search dialog, select Requirements Specification.

• Select Create from the Actions menu of a 'parent' requirements specification, or use the Add icon, and select Requirements Specification in the Create dialog.

While both these methods of adding are easy to accomplish, there are some business rules and considerations that you must follow. The important thing is to know what you want to accomplish by adding a requirements specification to a requirements specification. For instance, it may be there's a set of requirements that must be reviewed and approved separately, or otherwise managed independently of the larger set of requirements contained in the parent requirements specification.

When a requirements specification is added to another structure, it doesn't lose any of its inherent attributes or qualities; it appears the same at the top level of its own structure. When the same requirements specification appears in the context of another structure, however, the attributes it displays are those of a requirement, such as the Priority or Fulfilled attributes.

The icon next to a requirements specification within a structure combines the icon for a requirements specification, an open book, and the icon for a requirement, a page or document.

Some other business rules to follow:

• When you pull a requirements specification into a structure, you can alter it only as a requirement.

• So, you can't change the Name of a requirements specification from a structure. However, the requirements specification's name is an active link in Details that you can click to open, and you can then modify the Name, Description, Product, and so forth.

• Once a requirements specification is added to a structure, you can't add requirements to it. But when you look at that requirements specification, it retains its own structure no matter what was modified in its context as a requirement.

• Regarding versions of a requirements specification, when it's at the top level and in Pending/Draft or Released/Approved status, the Action Save As New Version increments the Version number. If a top-level requirements specification is in the Draft/Pending status, and Save As New Version increments Version 1 to 2, note that its Version 1 remains in the Draft status as it automatically changes to Read-Only condition. In this way, a requirements specification can exist in multiple versions in Draft status.