This article explains how you can use the Functional Requirements Repository Access Web Service in order to set up an application so that it can import requirements from the Jenz & Partner repository.

You can programmatically access the Jenz & Partner requirements repository via a web service. The following steps will probably prove helpful with the creation of the web service client.

Step 1: Access the WSDL

The WSDL provides a starting point for the creation of the web service client code

http://88.198.14.98:8084/BMO-Server-WS-RRAS-FUR-JAXWS-V01/getFunctionalRequirements?wsdl

Step 2: Create or generate the web service client

You may be able to have your IDE generate most of the web service client code. Your IDE may just leave you the task to create a single class that basically contains the method call ("getFunctionalRequirements") and handles exceptions.

The method call requires three String parameters: Product Code, License Key, and Result Format. We will be happy to provide you with suitable parameter values for testing purposes upon request.

Step 3: Convert the result into a tree structure

The web service returns data in tabular format to facilitate unmarshalling. The following snippet shows you how the tabular format is represented in the SOAP message.

We can provide you with Java classes with annotations in case you use JAXB (Java Architecture for XML Binding), version 2.1 or higher. From a developer's point of view, unmarshalling could not be easier.

You need to create a tree structure to represent the multi-level hierarchy, which, however, is much easier to do than it looks in the first place. Each table row contains an attribute value that indicates the hierarchy level (attribute "lvl"). Thus, conversion into a hierarchical structure is easy and straightforward. You may wish to create and populate a control that becomes part of the user interface. For example, in a Java Swing environment, that would be a "JTree" or a "JXTree". If you used the Apache Wicket web application framework, it would be a "LinkTree". There are a couple of frameworks that provide tree components.

Step 4: Display the tree structure

The previously populated control displays the tree structure. The user can use the control's functionality to browse the tree. If the user interface supports drag & drop, it will be easy for a developer to provide functionality that allows the user to drag requirements from the tree structure and drop them in a requirements specification window.

That's all it takes to use the Repository Access Web Service. An experienced developer will be able to perform all of the above steps within a day.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to "repo.api (AT) jenzundpartner.de".