Document-style report generation with Engineering Publishing

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IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Publishing (PUB) generates document-style reports by retrieving data from reportable APIs. The document specification file (in Launcher) or report (in Document Builder) is used for configuring data sources, variables and output files.

If you are using the desktop client, document-style report generation runs on your local computer and consumes a license to generate the document-style report. If your organization chooses to use Publishing Document Builder, you can run document-style report generation on a server. When you are generating document-style reports with large amounts of data, the process is generally faster when you generate document-style reports on a server rather than locally.

Engineering Publishing offers the use of the IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS® (DOORS) add-in with the installation. With this add-in, you can publish document-style reports directly from the user interface in Engineering Requirements Management DOORS without opening the PUB client.

Choosing the correct document-style report generation option

To create or edit templates, you must use Document Studio.

For products that embed Engineering Document Generation (EDG) , you can generate document-style reports by using an embedded or imported template. To tweak it or create a new template, you must use Document Studio. EDG is embedded in the products that are listed in the last column of the second row of the table.

For other data sources, such as data from IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody® - Model Manager (RMM), JIRA, HP QC, and others, you can create the template in Document Studio and then generate the document-style report in Launcher. Another approach is to import your template into Publishing Document Builder, set up the data source connection, and generate the document-style report there. You can also create a traceability report in Jazz® Reporting Service (JRS) and then export the template and work with the document specification in Document Studio.

Table 1. Comparison of document-style report generation options with Engineering Publishing
  Document Studio + Launcher Engineering Document Generation Publishing Document Builder (web)
Where installed On the desktop Integrated with compatible products On the server
Products to use it with All products supported by PUB: IBM Engineering Workflow Management (EWM), IBM Engineering Test Management (ETM), IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next (DOORS Next), IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS), IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody, IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody - Model Manager (RMM), Jazz Reporting Service, JIRA, HP QC, and others All products that consume PUB: IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS), IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next (DOORS Next), IBM Engineering Workflow Management (EWM), IBM Engineering Test Management (ETM), IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody, IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody - Model Manager (RMM) All products supported by PUB: IBM Engineering Workflow Management (EWM), IBM Engineering Test Management (ETM), IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next (DOORS Next), IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS), IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody, IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody - Model Manager (RMM), Jazz Reporting Service, JIRA, HP QC, and others
Generate document-style reports A check mark icon A check mark icon A check mark icon
Create templates A check mark icon No, PUB is required to create or customize templates. No, PUB is required to create or customize templates.
Use templates A check mark icon A check mark icon A check mark icon
Sample templates A check mark icon DOORS Next only A check mark icon
Create document specification A check mark icon You can configure data sources and variables. You can use one, but not for configuring data sources and variables No, you use reports instead of document specifications.
Import a report exported from JRS A check mark icon Edit the template (by using Document Studio), edit the DSX file, and generate the document-style report in Launcher. Not supported. Custom templates created in PUB for use in EDG cannot include JRS queries. A check mark icon Import the template, create the report, and generate the document-style report.
Use template variables A check mark icon A check mark icon A check mark icon
Ease of use More complex, but maximum functionality A check mark icon A check mark icon
PUB licenses consumed (see License requirements) 1 local while open and while generating document-style reports None, but you need licenses for the data source applications 1 license consumed when logged into Publishing Document Builder.
Word/Excel installation Required only to process macros Required only to process macros (in DOORS Next reports) Required only to process macros
Report on traceability across multiple applications A check mark iconTraceability reports can include data from linked artifacts in other repositories. No, you can report only within one application. EDG reports can include traceability information, but they cannot include data from those linked artifacts in the other repositories, for example DOORS Next reports cannot include data on EWM artifacts such as work item owner or status. A check mark icon
Configuration context Choose the context. EDG reports always use the current configuration context. Choose the context.
Reporting across multiple project areas or components A check mark icon For EDG reports on configurations, you must select a single project area (opt-out) or component (enabled for global configurations). A check mark icon
Supported output formats Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, HTML, PDF, and XSL-FO Microsoft Word, HTML, PDF, and XSL-FO Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, HTML, PDF, and XSL-FO
Configuring outputs (Split HTML output, Changing Word output format ( to docx, docm, dotx, dotm or dot), PDF/A compliant output, Document password for Word and PDF outputs) A check mark icon Not supported A check mark icon
Running pre-commands and post-commands A check mark icon Not supported A check mark icon
Using multiple templates for a single document-style report generation A check mark icon Not supported A check mark icon
Note: *For current limitations in generating Microsoft Excel document-style reports, see Output properties.