Answer

RequisitePro does allow for a hierarchical numbering scheme with a CSV import.

If the CSV file was created from a database that has assigned a tag or a number, that number is not preserved. However, the hierarchical numbering scheme will be recognized by RequisitePro and the lower-level requirements will be imported as children of the higher-level requirement.

In the <TAG> column in the CSV file, the numbering scheme could be as follows:
1
1.1
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.1.1
1.2.1.1.1
1.2.1.1.2
1.3
2

This would create 2 root requirements, one having 3 child requirements (1.1, 1.2 and 1.3). The second of these child requirements (1.2) has also a child requirement (1.2.1). The child of this requirement (1.2.1.1) has 2 more child requirements (1.2.1.1.1 and 1.2.1.1.2).

The numbering will be changed when requirements of the chosen requirement type already exist.

For example, if you have chosen as the requirement type to import, requirement type "SW", and the highest prefix-number of requirement type "SW", that already exists in the RequisitePro project database (including numbers of deleted requirements) is SW10, the requirements created from the CSV file will be:

SW11

SW11.1

SW11.2

SW11.2.1

SW11.2.1.1

SW11.2.1.1.1

SW11.2.1.1.2

SW11.3

SW12

NOTE: You cannot influence the starting number - so you cannot force that the new requirements will start numbering at SW14, in the above example. Of course you can change the numbering of all requirements of a requirement type afterwards, by renumbering requirements.

NOTE: The requirement types and attributes to be imported must already exist in the project.

Attached is a sample CSV file that can be imported as Product requirements into the sample project 'Learning Project - Traditional'.

Importing this CSV file will create 5 new requirements:

PRx

PRx.1

PRy

PRy.1

PRy.2

Where "x" and "y" represent the first two unused PR prefix numbers, for example PR26 and PR27.

Some suggestions to try when the import does not give the expected hierarchy results:

1. Change the tag fieldname to just 'TAG'
2. Remove all spaces between the commas and before the first tag.
3. Remove the requirement-tag before the tag numbers. For example: Change the "UC1.1" etc. to just "1.1" etc. (You can choose the requirement type at import time).
4. Remove the quotes from the Requirement text header column. When all this is changed, it would look as the following example:

1,"Text from requirement a"
1.1,"Text from requirement a.1"
1.2,"Text from requirement a.2"
1.3,"text from requirement a.3"
2,"text from requirement b"