list2need

New in version 1.2.0.

list2need allows to create need objects out ouf a given list, where each list entry is used to create a single need.

It allows to speed up the need-creation process for simple needs, which in most cases just have a title and limited meta-data.

The content area of the list2need directive must contain the list only. The list-structure syntax is Sphinx-Needs specific, but borrowed from markdown.

Meta-data can be set via inline text. See Set meta-data for details.

Need-IDs get generated automatically (hash value), if not given. IDs can be set by the prefix (ID) in the line. Example: (REQ-1)My first requirement. This mechanism is the same as the one used by need_part / np.

Options for the need-objects can be set by adding them like ((status="open")). For details please see Set meta-data.

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec, test
   :presentation: nested
   :delimiter: .

   * Need example on level 1
   * (NEED-002) Another Need example on level 1 with a given ID
     * Sub-Need on level 2 with status option set
     * Another Sub-Need on level 2. Where this sentence will be used
       as content, the first one as title.
       * Sub-Need on level 3. With some rst-syntax support for
         the **content** by :ref:`list2need`
Requirement: Need example on level 1 R_F1B63 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
Requirement: Another Need example on level 1 with a given ID NEED-002 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
child needs: S_B4B62, S_69FFD
Specification: Sub-Need on level 2 with status option set S_B4B62 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
status: open
parent needs: NEED-002
Specification: Another Sub-Need on level 2 S_69FFD ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: NEED-002
child needs: T_EA5AF

Where this sentence will be used as content, the first one as title.

Test Case: Sub-Need on level 3 T_EA5AF ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: S_69FFD

With some rst-syntax support for the content by list2need

Warning

There are currently known limitations in the list parser. For instance new content lines starting with * or : may get handled incorrectly.

List structure

The used list structure was defined to be as small as possible.

Each line starting with a * will create a new need object.

To define a child-need, add 2 additional whitespaces infront of *. This is called the indentation level and each level must have a need-type defined in the types option.

A line starting without a * will be added to the prior one. So it can be used to structure longer titles or content, and has no impact on the later representation.

Options

types

List of need-types, which are used for the different list-levels. As input name the directive entry from the configuration variable needs_types is used.

There is no default value and types must be set.

.. list2need::
   :types: feature, function, test

   * Login user
     * Provide login screen
     * Create password hash
       * Recalculate hash and compare

presentation

Defines how the single Sphinx-Needs objects shall be presented.

nested:

Needs of level 2 are defined in the content of the parent need (level 1) and so on.

standalone:

Each list element gets its own, independent need object. They are not nested.

Default: nested

delimiter

Character to be used as delimiter, to define which part of the list-element shall be used as title, which one as content.

The first split part is used as title, the rest as content.

Default: .

links-down set automatically links between the different levels of the list.

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec, test
   :presentation: standalone
   :links-down: triggers, tests

   * (NEED-A)Login user
     * (NEED-B)Provide login screen
     * (NEED-C)Create password hash
       * (NEED-D)Recalculate hash and compare

:links-down: triggers, tests will set a link from type triggers from NEED-A to NEED-B and NEED-C. NEED-C will get a link from type tests to NEED-D.

So links get set from the upper level down to all need-objects on the direct lower level (top-down approach).

The amount of given link-types must be the amount of used levels minus 1.

Result from the above example:

Requirement: Login user NEED-A ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
triggers: NEED-B, NEED-C
Specification: Provide login screen NEED-B ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
triggered by: NEED-A
Specification: Create password hash NEED-C ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
links outgoing: NEED-D
tests: NEED-D
triggered by: NEED-A
Test Case: Recalculate hash and compare NEED-D ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
links incoming: NEED-C
is tested by: NEED-C

List examples

List with need-ids

.. list2need::
   :types: feature

   * (LIST2NEED-001) Feature 1
   * (LIST2NEED-002) Feature 2
   * (FEATURE.3) Feature 3
Feature: Feature 1 LIST2NEED-001 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
Feature: Feature 2 LIST2NEED-002 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
Feature: (FEATURE F_74E48 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
  1. Feature 3

Nested lists

.. list2need::
   :types: feature, req, spec, test

   * Level 1
     * Level 2
       * Level 3
         * Level 4
Feature: Level 1 F_F25D3 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
child needs: R_EA5C4
Requirement: Level 2 R_EA5C4 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: F_F25D3
child needs: S_CE0AA
Specification: Level 3 S_CE0AA ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: R_EA5C4
child needs: T_0F2B7
Test Case: Level 4 T_0F2B7 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: S_CE0AA

List with newlines

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec

   * Level 1 need with newlines.
     With text in a newline to keep it readable

     Empty lines are okay as well.
Requirement: Level 1 need with newlines R_F199E ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg

With text in a newline to keep it readable

Empty lines are okay as well.

Simple rst in lists

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec

   * Level 1 need with rst. With **some** rst-content for :ref:`list2need`
Requirement: Level 1 need with rst R_53FBF ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg

With some rst-content for list2need

rst-directives in lists

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec

   * Level 1 need and more
     * And a complex sub-need on level 2 with an image-directive.

     .. image:: /_static/sphinx-needs-logo.png
        :align: center
        :width: 20%
Requirement: Level 1 need and more R_50FCC ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
child needs: S_38199
Specification: And a complex sub-need on level 2 with an image-directive S_38199 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: R_50FCC
../_images/sphinx-needs-logo.png

Lists with need-part support

.. list2need::
   :types: req, spec

   * (LIST2NEED-REQ-1)Requirement which shall get also need-parts.
     Some need-parts:

     First: :np:`(1)The first need-part`

     Second: :np:`(ANOTHER)ANOTHER need-part`

     * And a spec need.
       Lets reference a need-part frm above: :need:`LIST2NEED-REQ-1.1`
Requirement: Requirement which shall get also need-parts LIST2NEED-REQ-1 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
child needs: S_6A582

Some need-parts:

First: The first need-part 1

Second: ANOTHER need-part ANOTHER

Specification: And a spec need S_6A582 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
parent needs: LIST2NEED-REQ-1

Lets reference a need-part frm above: The first need-part (LIST2NEED-REQ-1.1)

Set meta-data

Meta-data can be set directly in the related line via: ((status="open")). Or if the amount of option/values is getting too complex, in a second step by using needextend.

The position of the option-string inside the line is not important. Multiple options need to be separated by ,. And instead of " also ' can be used.

.. list2need::
   :types: feature, req

   * (EXT-FEATURE-A)Feature A
     * (EXT-REQ-1)Requirement 1. It shall be fast. ((tags="A, fast", style="green_border"))
     * (EXT-REQ-2)Requirement 2. It shall be big. ((tags="A, big", style="red_border"))
   * (EXT-FEATURE-B)Feature B.
     Options are given in next line for readability
     ((status="done", tags="B", links="EXT-FEATURE-A"))

.. needextend:: EXT-FEATURE-B
   :style: yellow
Feature: Feature A EXT-FEATURE-A ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
links incoming: EXT-FEATURE-B
child needs: EXT-REQ-1, EXT-REQ-2
Requirement: Requirement 1 EXT-REQ-1 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
tags: A, fast
style: green_border
parent needs: EXT-FEATURE-A

It shall be fast.

Requirement: Requirement 2 EXT-REQ-2 ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
tags: A, big
style: red_border
parent needs: EXT-FEATURE-A

It shall be big.

Feature: Feature B EXT-FEATURE-B ../_images/arrow-right-circle.svg
status: done
tags: B
style: yellow
links outgoing: EXT-FEATURE-A

Options are given in next line for readability