Controlling a CSV export

[Billy Christie]

When I try to export from R4J to CSV, the result is a mess.

Some columns are merged

Additional blank rows are added

A row might contain a requirement ID, and other fields, but then content for that requirement appears in rows above... this is not consistent.

All I want is a table which shows per row:

Object ID

Object type

Object text (description)

And I want that all in one row, not randomly spread around preceding or subsequent rows.

Any ideas? I'm ready to give up.

[Bernhard Doleschel (Ease Solutions) · Accepted solution]

Hello @Billy Christie ,

I´m Bernhard from Ease Solutions, the vendor of R4J - Requirements Management for Jira.

We would like to understand your problem with R4J and help you further, best is you contact us via our friendly service desk team. 

I guess you are using the standard CSV export of Jira issues and its content. R4J has no influence on it´s behavior.

We suggest you two options within R4J to create exports:

• For R4J on Jira Data Center: Use the integrated Excel export, which is also fully configurable. (The R4J Cloud version will get this feature beginning of 2024)
• Use our Excel Add-In to retrieve all kind of Jira/R4J data in the format you need.

Best Regards,
Bernhard from Ease Solutions

[Billy Christie]

Right there is one of my biggest problems with R4J. Pretty much anything I need to do requires add ins... which I then need to identify, find, install (which I can't because I don't have admin rights), wait for my company IT to justify the download and install... then find out it doesn't actually do what I need, then start again.

In terms of exporting to CSV... if R4J has an option to export to CSV, I expect it to work. If this is part of JIRA and not R4J, why does it appear when I use R4J? I don't have time to try and figure out what is JIRA and what is R4J.

I'm using the cloud version but can't wait till 2024. I have deadlines to meet, and every time I need to try and go through this addin process it eats into my time.

So... to be honest... I'm fed up... I would rather migrate everything to DOORS and work there. At least it is stable, it has all the functions I need, it's easy to read and use, I have scripting capabilities.

[Billy Christie]

PS. Here's a good example. I wanted to capture content from Excel to create requirements, one per cell... should be easy.

There was no Import from CSV function.

After hunting through the internet, I happened across an article that says I need an add-in... OK... download... can't install due to admin rights.

So, I ask the IT department... a few days later... OK... can't install it because it needs VSTO runtime 4... so I follow the link... can't install that. Ask IT. A few days later... OK, sorry... can't install that.

So... days wasted... no progress.

DOORS does this natively... and this is just one example.

[Billy Christie]

What does "Accepted Answer" mean? That I agree for other users to see it? Yes.

Does it solve my problem? No.