Reuse Requirements with easeRequirements for Azure DevOps 1.4 Release

We are thrilled to announce the release of easeRequirements for Azure DevOps 1.4, packed with new features and enhancements aimed at improving your experience with Azure DevOps. This release focuses on usability and efficiency, providing users with more options and better control over their requirements management. A standout feature in this release is the enhanced reuse functionality, which brings significant improvements to the way users can manage and duplicate their requirements.

Understanding Reuse in Requirements Engineering

In the context of requirements engineering, reuse refers to the ability to efficiently duplicate and repurpose existing requirements and their related data across different projects or within the same project. This practice not only saves time but also ensures consistency and accuracy in requirement specifications. By reusing requirements, teams can leverage previously validated and approved requirements, reducing the risk of errors and accelerating the development process.

Requirements Reuse in easeRequirements for Azure DevOps

To reuse a set of requirements, simply right-click on the folder or requirement you want to use and press Copy. Go to the target tree you want to paste the requirements and select Paste. The requirement or folder with all its children will be copied recursively.

Reuse Dialog

The reuse dialog in easeRequirements 1.4 is designed to give users greater flexibility and control when duplicating items within a tree. The new features allow users to:

• Copy Folders Only: This option enables users to copy only the folder-type items and their children, without including other item types. This is particularly useful when users need to replicate the structure of a project without duplicating all the contents.

• Copy Attachments: With this option, users can include all attachments associated with the copied items. This ensures that all relevant documentation and files are carried over to the new items, maintaining a complete and functional duplicate.

• Create Link to New Issues: This feature introduces a dropdown menu where users can select the type of link that will connect the original items with their copies. This is beneficial for maintaining traceability and relationships between original and duplicated requirements.

When copying work items between projects, please make sure that the work item types from the source project also exists in the target project.

Benefits of the New Reuse Functionality

The enhanced reuse functionality offers several benefits:

• Time Efficiency: By allowing users to duplicate entire sections of their requirements with attachments and links, the new reuse features significantly reduce the time spent on manually recreating requirements.

• Consistency and Accuracy: Reusing requirements ensures that the same standards and specifications are applied across different projects, reducing the likelihood of discrepancies and errors.

• Improved Traceability: The ability to create links between original and copied requirements enhances traceability, making it easier to track changes and dependencies throughout the project lifecycle.

Additional Enhancements in easeRequirements 1.4

While the new reuse functionality is a highlight of this release, easeRequirements 1.4 also includes other notable improvements:

• Improved Tree Table Display: The layout has been refined to prevent fields from crowding together, ensuring a clear and proportional view of all required information. Long titles and descriptions are now wrapped appropriately, enhancing readability.

• Baseline Tree Table Mode Adjustments: Adjustments in baseline mode ensure that long titles and descriptions are displayed correctly, with field titles properly aligned. This provides a more organized and accessible view of baseline data.

• Streamlined Fields Dialog: The fields dialog has been updated to eliminate non-functional hyperlinks, ensuring that all links and fields have specific, meaningful functions. This improves the overall workflow and reduces interruptions.

Conclusion

The easeRequirements 1.4 release is a significant advancement in providing a more intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly experience for Azure DevOps users. The enhanced reuse functionality stands out as a powerful tool for managing and duplicating requirements, offering time savings, consistency, and improved traceability. Upgrade to easeRequirements 1.4 today and experience the enhanced reuse features and other improvements that will transform your requirements management process.