How to establish traceability by using IBM Rational RequisitePro and IBM Rational Systems Developer

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Level: Intermediate

Scott Cowan (scowan@ca.ibm.com), Advisory Software Developer, IBM Japan

29 Apr 2008

This article demonstrates how to use traceability queries by using IBM® Rational® RequisitePro and IBM® Rational® Systems Developer, and explores an address book project as an example.

About this article

Traceability is the ability to trace artifacts through all levels of abstraction, from specification to implementation and vice versa. Impact analysis is the ability to analyze the potential impact of a change to a system through all levels of abstraction, as well as within each level of abstraction.

Given a context element, traceability offers these types of queries:

• Specifications
• Implementations

Given a context element, these types of queries affect analysis:

• Suppliers
• Clients

This article demonstrates how to use each of these queries by using an address book project as an example.

Prerequisites

You need the following software installed before beginning this article:

• Microsoft® Windows®
• IBM® Rational® RequisitePro®, Version 6.0.1.1
• Microsoft® Access®
• IBM® Rational® Systems Developer, Version 7.0.5, or IBM Rational Software Modeler, Version 7.0.5

Address book example

The example used here to demonstrate traceability and impact analysis is a system of requirements, models, and Java™ code that implement an address book.

• In Lesson 1, you build a RequisitePro project of requirements.

• For Lesson 2, you create a UML project and an analysis model of use cases from those requirements and establish traceability back to the requirements. You also create a design model further refining the use cases with collaborations and UML classes and establish traceability back to the use cases.

• In Lesson 3, you create a Java project, transforms the UML classes to Java classes, and establish traceability from the Java classes back to the UML classes. In each of these three lessons, there are two sections: The first section explains how to unzip and open or import the project. and the second section describes how to create the project.

• Lessons 4 and 5 demonstrate what the traceability and impact analysis queries are for, what is expected from each query and example results using the Address Book system. To quickly get through lessons 1, 2, and 3 follow the first section of each.

Address book requirements

The user needs to be able to store contact information in an address book. Each contact needs to be able to maintain a contact's name and phone number. The user should be able to change a contact's information and also add and remove contacts to and from the address book.

Lesson 1. Create the RequisitePro Address Book project

This lesson demonstrates how to unzip or create a Rational RequisitePro Address Book project and the requirements for the address book.

Unzip and open the Address Book RequisitePro Project file

1. Unzip the Address Book RequisitePro Project.zip file (from Downloads) to C:\RequisitePro Projects\.
2. Follow the Steps 11 through 17 in the next subsection to open the project.

Create the Address Book project

1. Start Rational RequisitePro (see Figure 1).

2. Click File > New > Project (Figure 2).

3. When the Create Project dialog opens (Figure 3), select Composite Template.

4. Click OK.
5. When the Rational RequisitePro Project Properties dialog opens (Figure 4), in the Name field, enter Address Book, and in the Directory field, use the Browse button to select C:\RequisitePro Projects\Address Book.
6. From the Database drop-down menu, select MS Access, and then click OK.

7. When a dialog opens and asks if you want to create the directory, click Yes, and wait for the project creation to finish.

8. Click Close.

9. When the Project Logon dialog opens, click Cancel.

10. Exit Rational RequisitePro.
11. Start Rational Systems Developer.
12. When the Workspace Launcher dialog opens, enter C:\workspace in the Workspace field, and then click OK.

13. Click Window > Open Perspective > Requirement to open the Requirement perspective.

14. In the Requirement Explorer (Figure 10), click the Open a RequisitePro Project icon:

15. When the Open a RequisitePro Project dialog appears (Figure 11), in the "File name" field, use the drop-down menu to select C:\RequisitePro Projects\Address Book\Address Book.rqs, and then click Open.

16. When the Project Logon dialog opens, click OK.

17. Expand the Address Book project folder and then the Use Cases folder under that (Figure 13).

18. From the Use Cases drop-down menu (Figure 14), click Create Requirement by type > UC requirement, and then enter this requirement name: Change contact.

19. Create two more use case requirements with these names: Add contact and Remove contact (see Figure 13).

Lesson 2. Create the UML Address Book project

This lesson demonstrates how to unzip or create an Address Book UML project, an Analysis and Design model, and sequence diagrams and classes, including traceability to the requirements.

Unzip and import the Address Book UML project

1. Unzip the Address Book UML Project.zip (from Downloads) file to the workspace: C:\workspace\
2. Click Window > Open Perspective > Modeling to open the Modeling perspective.
3. Click File > Import.
4. When the Import dialog opens, expand the General folder and select Existing Projects into Workspace.
5. Click Next.
6. In the "Select root directory" field, enter C:\workspace.
7. Press Enter and then click Finish.
8. In the Project Explorer, expand Address Book and then Models.
9. From the Design model drop-down menu, click Open.

Create the Address Book UML project

1. Click Window > Open Perspective > Modeling.

2. After the modeling perspective opens, click File > New > Project.

3. In the New Project wizard that opens, under Wizards, expand Modeling and select Model Project.
4. Click Next.

5. In the Project name field, enter Address Book.
6. Click Next.

7. Complete the required information:
• Categories list: Select General
• Templates list: Select Blank Model
• File name field: Enter Analysis
8. Click Finish.

A new Address Book project that contains and Analysis model will be created.

9. In the Project Explorer, expand Address Book and Models.
10. In the Main diagram of the Analysis model, expand the Use Case drawer in the Palette, and select Use Case.
11. Control-click in the Main diagram 3 times to create 3 use cases. Name them:
• Add contact
• Remove contact
• Change contact

12. Click Window > Show View > Requirement Explorer to open the Requirement Explorer.

13. From the Project Explorer, drag and drop the Change Contact use case onto the Change Contact use case requirement.
14. Drag the remaining two use cases onto the use case requirements with the same names. The use cases and the use case requirements icons are annotated with a small arrow to indicate they are linked.

Note:
These links trace the use cases to the use case requirements.

15. Click File > Save to save the Analysis model.
16. In the Project Explorer, select the Address Book project.
17. Click File > New > Other.

18. After the New wizard opens, expand Modeling and select Model in the Wizards tree.
19. Click Next.

20. Click Next again.

21. Complete the required information:
• Categories list: Select General
• Templates list: Select Blank Model
• File name field: Enter Design
22. Click Finish.

A new Design model is created in the Address Book project.

23. In the Design model drop-down menu, click Add Diagram > Sequence Diagram to create a new collaboration that contains a new sequence diagram.
24. In the Project Explorer, rename the Collaboration to Change contact.
25. Create an Unspecified lifeline on the diagram and name it user.
26. Create another lifeline, but for this one, click Create Class. Enter the class name, Contact and give the lifeline the name contact.
27. Create an Option Combined Fragment over the user and contact lifelines, and name it set name.
28. Within the set name option combined fragment, create a Synchronous Message from user to contact.
29. When the "Enter operation name and owner" dialog opens:
    1. In the "Operation name" field, enter setName.
    2. From the Operation owner drop-down menu, select Contact
    3. Click OK.
30. Create another Option Combined Fragment over the user and contact lifelines, and name it set phone number.
31. Within the set phone number option combined fragment, create a Synchronous Message from user to contact and select Create New Operation.
32. When the "Enter operation name and owner dialog" opens:
    1. In the "Operation name" field, enter setPhoneNumber.
    2. From the Operation Owner drop-down box, select Contact.
    3. Click OK.

33. In the Design model drop-down menu, click Add Diagram > Sequence Diagram.

A new collaboration is created that contains a new sequence diagram.

34. In the Project Explorer, rename the Collaboration to Add contact.
35. Create an Unspecified lifeline on the diagram and name it user.
36. Create another lifeline, but, for this one, click Create Class. Enter the class name AddressBook and give the lifeline the name addressBook.
37. Create a Synchronous Message from user to addressBook.
38. When the "Enter operation name and owner" dialog opens:
    1. In the "Operation name" field, enter addContact.
    2. From the Operation owner drop-down box, select AddressBook.
    3. Click OK.

39. In the Design model drop-down menu, click Add Diagram > Sequence Diagram.

A new collaboration is created that contains a new sequence diagram.

40. In the Project Explorer, rename the Collaboration to Remove contact.
41. Create an Unspecified lifeline on the diagram and name it user.
42. Create another lifeline, but, for this one, click Select Existing Element. Select AddressBook and give the lifeline the name addressBook.
43. Create a Synchronous Message from user to addressBook and select Create New Operation.
44. When the "Enter operation name and owner" dialog opens:
    1. In the "Operation name" field, enter removeContact.
    2. From the "Operation owner" drop-down menu, select AddressBook
    3. Click OK.

45. Close and save the sequence diagrams.
46. On the Design model, open the Main diagram and complete these steps:
    1. Drag the three use cases from the Analysis model onto this diagram.
    2. Drag the three collaborations onto this diagram.
    3. In the drop-down menu of each collaboration view on the Main diagram, uncheck Filters > Show/Hide Compartment > Structure Compartment.
    4. Create a Realization relationship from each collaboration to each use case with the same name.

Note:
These realizations trace from the collaborations to the use cases.

47. In the Design model drop-down menu, click Add UML > Package. Name it addressbook.

48. Move the new classes, AddressBook and Contact, into the addressbook package.

Note:
As types of lifelines on a sequence diagram in a collaboration, these UML classes trace from each UML class to each corresponding collaboration.

49. In the addressbook package, open the Main diagram.
50. Drag AddressBook and Contact onto the diagram.
51. Create a one-to-many Composition Association from AddressBook to Contact. This creates a dependency, with AddressBook dependent on Contact. This relationship is relevant for Impact Analysis, but is not relevant for traceability.

52. Click File > Save to save the model.

Lesson 3. Create the Java Address Book project

This lesson demonstrates how to unzip or create an Address Book Java project the Java classes for the address book and traceability to the UML classes.

Unzip and Import the Address Book Java project

1. Unzip Address Book Java Project.zip file (from Downloads) to: C:\workspace\
2. Click File > Import.
3. When the Import dialog opens, expand the General folder and select Existing Projects into Workspace.
4. Click Next.
5. In the "Select root directory" field, type C:\workspace and then press Enter.
6. Click Finish.

Create the Address Book Java Project

1. Click File > New > Project to open the New Project wizard (Figure 34).

2. Under Wizards (Figure 35), select Java Project and then click Next.

3. In the Project Name field, type addressbook (see Figure 36) and then click Finish.
4. When the "Open Associated Perspective?" dialog opens, click No.

5. In the Project Explorer, select addressbook and then click File > New > Other (Figure 37).

6. Under Wizards, expand Transformations and select Transformation Configuration (Figure 38).
7. Click Next.

8. When the New Transformation Configuration wizard opens, type addressbook in the Name field.
9. Under Forward transformations, select UML to Java (Figure 39).
10. Click Next.

11. Under Selected source, expand Address Book and Models, and then select Design.
12. Under Selected target, select addressbook.
13. Click Next on this screen and the three screens that follow (thus, click Next four times).

14. Under Transformation options (Figure 41), select Create trace relationships, and click Finish.

Note:
This transformation option traces from each created Java class to each corresponding UML class, thereby completing the traceability from RequisitePro requirement specifications down to Java class implementations.

15. In the Project Explorer, expand addressbook.
16. In the addressbook.tc drop-down menu (Figure 42), select Transform > UML to Java. The addressbook package is created in the source folder of the Address Book project, and both AddressBook.java and Contact.java files are created in that package.

17. Open the AddressBook.java and Contact.java files (Figure 43).

Notice this Java™doc tool annotation: @uml.annotations derived_abstraction= (Figure 44). The value of this annotation is the URI that refers back to the UML class, AddressBook. This is what the transformation created to persist the trace relationship from the Java AddressBook class to the UML AddressBook class. The same is true for Contact.java.

Lesson 4. Traceability queries

Traceability queries, instructions,and examples follow.

Query: Specifications of AddressBook

This query starts at a context element and follows immediate trace relationships in the forward direction to discover elements that are one level of abstraction higher. Another way to phrase this query is: "From which specifications is this element immediately derived?"

1. In the "AddressBook UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Traceability > Specifications. The Save As dialog will open (see Figure 45).

2. Click OK.

A new diagram is created and the query results are added (Figure 47).

Query: All Specifications of AddressBook

This query starts at a context element and follows all trace relationships in the forward direction to discover all elements in higher levels of abstraction. Another way to phrase this query is: "From which specifications is this element derived?"

1. In the "AddressBook UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Traceability > All Specifications.
2. Wen the the Save As dialog is open, click OK.

Query: Implementations of Contact

This query starts at a context element and follows immediate trace relationships in the reverse direction to discover elements one level of abstraction lower. Another way to phrase this query is, "Which implementations are immediately derived from this element?"

1. In the "Contact UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Traceability > Implementations.
2. When the Save As dialog is open, click OK. (See Figure 49.)

Query: All Implementations of Change contact

This query starts at a context element and follows all trace relationships in the reverse direction to discover all elements in lower levels of abstraction. Another way to phrase this query is: "Which implementations are derived from this element?"

1. In the "Change contact UML use case" drop-down menu, select Query > Traceability > All Implementations.(Figure 50).
2. When the Save As dialog is open, click OK.

Lesson 5. Impact analysis queries

Impact analysis queries, instructions,and examples follow.

Query: Suppliers of AddressBook

This query starts at a context element and follows immediate dependencies in the forward direction to discover elements that are immediate suppliers of this element. Another way to phrase this query is:"On which elements is this element immediately dependent?" or "Which elements, if changed or removed, could immediately impact this element?"

1. In the "AddressBook UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Impact Analysis > Suppliers (Figure 51).
2. When the Save As dialog opens, click OK.

Query: All Suppliers of AddressBook

This query starts at a context element and follows all dependencies in the forward direction to discover all elements that are suppliers of this element. Another way to phrase this query is: "On which elements is this element dependent?" or "Which elements, if changed or removed, could impact this element?"

1. In the "AddressBook UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Impact Analysis > All Suppliers.(Figure 52).
2. When the Save As dialog opens, click OK.

Note:
The results of the All Specifications Traceability query are a subset of the results of the All Suppliers Impact Analysis query. This is because all trace relationships are dependencies. On the other hand, the results of the All Suppliers Impact Analysis query are a superset of the results of the All Specifications Traceability query, because not all dependencies are trace relationships.

Query: Clients of Contact

This query starts at a context element and follows immediate dependencies in the reverse direction to discover all elements that are immediate clients of this element. Another way to phrase this query is: "Which elements immediately depend on this element?" or "If this element is changed or removed, which elements could be immediately impacted?"

1. In the "Contact UML class" drop-down menu, select Query > Impact Analysis > Clients (Figure 53).
2. When the Save As dialog is open, click OK.

Query: All Clients of Change contact

This query starts at a context element and follows all dependencies in the reverse direction to discover all elements that are clients of this element. Another way to phrase this query is: "Which elements depend on this element?" or "If this element is changed or removed, which elements could be impacted?"

1. In the "Change contact UML use case" drop-down menu, select Query > Impact Analysis > All Clients (Figure 54).
2. When the Save As dialog is open, click OK.

Note:
The results of the All Implementations Traceability query are a subset of the results of the All Clients Impact Analysis query. This is because all trace relationships are dependencies. On the other hand, the results of the All Clients Impact Analysis query are a superset of the results of the All Implementations Traceability query, because not all dependencies are trace relationships.

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Summary of lessons and benefits

In Lessons 1 through 3, you learned how to create requirements in Rational RequisitePro, elaborate on the requirements in analysis and design UML models, and transform the design model into a Java project while maintaining traceability between artifacts and through the different levels of abstraction.

In Lesson 4, you learned about the different specification and implementation traceability queries, and Lesson 5 demonstrated and explained the different supplier and client impact analysis queries, comparing and contrasting them to the traceability queries.

With a traceable system of requirements, models, and a Java implementation, you can use the traceability queries to find out what requirements a context UML element exist to satisfy or what Java elements exist to implement a context UML element. You can also use the impact analysis queries to find out what elements require a context UML element or what elements are required by a context UML element.

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About the author

		Scott is an Advisory Software Developer supporting IBM Rational software.

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