Resolving "Missing Type Definitions" Errors in ReqIF Imports

Overview

This article explains how to troubleshoot and resolve missing type definitions in ReqIF imports, particularly the error:

rust

CopyEdit

FATAL ERROR: org.eclipse.emf.ecore.xml.type.impl.AnyTypeImpl cannot be cast to org.eclipse.rmf.reqif10.DatatypeDefinitionXHTML The file cannot be validated!

This issue typically occurs when an attribute value lacks a corresponding AttributeDefinition, often due to errors in preprocessing scripts.

1. What Causes Missing Type Definitions in ReqIF Files?

✔ Common Causes:

The ReqIF file was preprocessed incorrectly, altering or removing type definitions.
An attribute in the ReqIF file references a missing AttributeDefinition.
A script or tool that processed the file did not retain all necessary type definitions.
The ReqIF was exported incorrectly from the source system (e.g., Integrity, DOORS).

✔ Why Does This Happen?

ReqIF requires all attributes to have defined types (e.g., text, enumeration, XHTML).
If the DatatypeDefinitionXHTML is missing, any attribute expecting rich text cannot be validated.

2. How to Identify the Missing Type Definitions

A. Use a ReqIF Debugging Tool

✔ Tools like Consequent can analyze ReqIF files and report missing type definitions.
✔ Note: Consequent will only identify one missing type definition at a time, stopping at the first critical error.

B. Manually Inspect the ReqIF File

✔ Open the ReqIF file in a text editor (e.g., Notepad++, Visual Studio Code).
✔ Search for the following missing type reference:

php-template

CopyEdit

✔ Identify which AttributeValue element does not have a corresponding AttributeDefinition in the file.

C. Compare with a Valid ReqIF Export

✔ If possible, export a valid ReqIF file from the same tool and compare the structure.
✔ Check for missing <DatatypeDefinitionXHTML> elements that should be present.

3. How to Fix the Issue in the ReqIF File

A. Manually Add the Missing Attribute Definition

✔ If the ReqIF is editable, add the missing <DatatypeDefinitionXHTML> reference in the <SpecType> section.

B. Reprocess the ReqIF with a Corrected Script

✔ If the issue stems from a preprocessing script, work with the developer to fix how it handles type definitions.
✔ Ensure the script does not strip out necessary definitions during processing.

C. Re-export the ReqIF from the Source System

✔ If possible, redo the export from the original tool (Integrity, DOORS) with correct settings.
✔ Some tools have options to preserve all data types—these should be enabled.

4. Best Practices to Prevent ReqIF Type Definition Errors

✅ Test ReqIF exports in a validation tool before importing them into Jama.
✅ Avoid preprocessing ReqIF files unless necessary.
✅ Ensure scripts retain all required attribute definitions.
✅ Compare problematic ReqIF files with a known working version.

5. Conclusion

This error occurs when an attribute lacks a corresponding type definition in the ReqIF file.
It is often caused by preprocessing scripts that strip out necessary data.
Using a debugging tool or manually inspecting the ReqIF file can help locate missing definitions.
Fixing the issue requires either modifying the ReqIF file, updating the script, or re-exporting from the source tool.