Handling Embedded Image References in ReqIF Imports from IBM DOORS Next Generation

Overview

When importing ReqIFz files from IBM DOORS Next Generation (v6.0.6) into Jama Connect, users may encounter an issue where:

• Embedded images appear as broken images rather than properly linked attachments.

• The ReqIF file references the image filenames but does not provide the correct URL for attachment retrieval.

• ReqIF images are stored inside <img> tags instead of the expected <object> tag format.

This leads to a broken image reference issue, requiring manual correction or automation to fix the formatting.

Issue Diagnosis

✔ IBM DOORS Next outputs images as <img> tags referencing filenames, rather than object-based references.
✔ Data Exchange does not process <img> tags, as they are assumed to reference external web resources rather than locally stored attachments.
✔ Correct ReqIF formatting uses <object> tags to store and retrieve images as attachments.
✔ Manually updating all broken references is impractical for large-scale migrations.

Solution and Workaround

1. Correcting Image References in ReqIF Files

✔ Manually update the <img> references to the correct attachment URLs in the ReqIF file before import.

• Example of incorrect reference:

  xml

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  <img alt="" src="_a476d336-df37-41e4-967c-6478514f321d.png"/>

• Corrected reference pointing to Jama attachments:

  xml

  CopyEdit

  <img alt="" src="https://dbeerens-auto2.jamacloud.com/attachment/876/v/_a476d336-df37-41e4-967c-6478514f321d.png"/>

✔ Use a script to batch-update these references if handling large volumes of images.

2. Encoding Images as Objects Instead of <img> Tags

✔ Modify the ReqIF export settings in DOORS Next Generation (if possible) to store images as embedded objects rather than image tags.
✔ Ensure that exported ReqIF images use <object> tags, which Data Exchange can correctly process.

Example of correct ReqIF encoding:

xml

CopyEdit

<object type="image/png" id="1570541769733" data="f890adb6-085a-44d2-b939-f2bc6522c20b"/>

✔ If DOORS Next does not support this format change, consider pre-processing the ReqIF file before import.

3. Possible Automation and Tools

✔ Develop a custom script to convert <img> tags to <object> tags for better compatibility.
✔ Check if Data Exchange can support an enhancement request to process <img> tags as valid attachments.

Best Practices

✅ Before Exporting from DOORS Next Generation: Check if the tool allows configuring image storage format to use embedded objects instead of <img> tags.
✅ During ReqIF Import into Jama Connect: Modify the ReqIF file using a script to correct broken image paths.
✅ For Large-Scale Migrations: Automate tag conversion and URL correction to reduce manual effort.

Conclusion

✔ ReqIF files from IBM DOORS Next Generation v6.0.6 store images in <img> tags, which Jama does not process correctly.
✔ Manual correction or script-based fixes are needed to ensure images appear correctly as attachments in Jama Connect.
✔ Future migrations should explore modifying ReqIF export settings in DOORS Next.