Modules

A module is a structured document that is composed of multiple artifacts. You can create structure in a module by modifying the order and hierarchy of its artifacts. The artifacts that are created for modules are stored as module content in a folder. Base artifacts can be used to manage the module artifacts independent of the module.

You can create a module in different ways. For example, you can create an empty module and add artifacts to it, or, you can create a module by importing a Microsoft Word document or rich-text file. When you import a file, a wizard identifies and creates artifacts from the document content. The artifacts are identified and created based on structure, keyword, or text delimiter, such as a semicolon or a square bracket. To see recently viewed artifacts, click the Recently Viewed Artifacts icon recently viewed icon.

. To compare capabilities and potential uses for collections and modules, see Differences between collections and modules.

Tip: You can associate modules with preferred artifact types so that when team members add artifacts to modules, the preferred artifact types are shown by default. For more information, see Creating requirement artifact types.

Module capabilities

In the web client, you can perform the following activities in a module:
  • View and edit the content of artifacts. When you open a module, the Selected Artifact tab is shown by default. However, the tab that you select is preserved across browser sessions. If you select the Module tab, the next time you open that module, the Module tab is selected.
  • Add, delete, move, and indent artifacts to create order and a hierarchy with numbered headings.
  • Add a new or existing artifact before, after, or as a child of the selected artifact. When you create a new module, the Open Artifact option opens the newly created module in view mode.
    Note: When you create an artifact before or after the selected artifact, the new artifact is created with the same artifact type as the selected artifact.
  • Remove artifacts from a module. If the artifacts have child artifacts, the Confirm Removal dialog box indicates the number the child artifacts that are removed. To permanently delete artifacts that are not used in other modules, select the If the artifacts are not in other modules, permanently delete them check box.
  • Set attribute values at the module level and on artifacts in the module.
  • Edit the attributes of artifacts in the module and change the artifact type of the artifacts.
    Note: When you create an artifact type, you can show artifacts of that type as a heading by default. For more information, see Creating requirement artifact types.
  • Set an attribute value for multiple artifacts in the module.
  • Create links, comments, tags, and reviews for the module or for artifacts in the module.
  • Change the default display settings to include links, comments, tags, and comments from base artifacts. For more information, see Reusing artifacts in modules.
  • Filter your view of the module content by tag, artifact type, and other attributes.
  • Create, save, and reuse views that are based on filters and display properties.
  • Generate a document-style report in PDF, Microsoft Word, HTML, or XSL-FO format.
The Administrator can control the caching for modules by specifying the following properties in the module:
  • Number of artifacts in a module page: The number of artifacts requested from the server per page in a module. The default value is 30 artifacts.
  • Number of pages to cache per module: The total number of pages to cache when scrolling through a module. The minimum value is three pages and the default value is 10 pages.
  • Number of pages to prefetch in a module: The number of pages to prefetch in either direction from the current scroll position. This value is limited to in the range 1 - 3 pages. The maximum is two pages if over 50 rows are loaded per page, and 1 page if over 100 artifacts are loaded per page.

Modules and base artifacts

Artifacts can be created and managed in a project independently from a module. These are called base artifacts. Base artifacts can also be used in one or more modules. You can link base artifacts with other base artifacts or with artifacts in the context of a module. Links to and from base artifacts are available in all modules in which those artifacts are used. See Base artifacts.

Modules and module content

The artifacts that are created for modules are stored by default in the same folder as the module. However, you can change this default setting and specify another module content folder to store all the artifacts that are created for new modules. When a common module content folder is used, any user that has permission to create a module also has permission to create a module content folder in the common module folder regardless of any existing permissions or team area ownership settings. If a common Module Content Folder is being used, it can be copied or cloned, but the project or component property of the Module Content Folder is not copied or cloned. If you import project properties or component properties, the module content folder is not imported.

Modules and Engineering Lifecycle Management artifacts

From modules and module views, you can link to artifacts in other IBM® Engineering Lifecycle Management applications. For example, you can link from a module to development plans and test plans. You can also link to artifacts in other modules. In the Engineering Workflow Management and Quality Management applications, you can generate plan items and test cases that correspond to the artifacts in the module. For more information, see Linking collections, modules, and module views to development and test plans.

Viewing module history

To view the changes in the module, on the More actions menu more actions icon, click Open History > Audit History tab. This tab shows a complete history of changes that goes back to the creation of the module. To return to the module, click Close History. You can also access the artifact history by clicking Open Artifact > Open Artifact History.