Freezing Checklists by Status

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When to Freeze

1

Disable Merge at a Specific Status

Open Polarion Administration > Configuration Properties and add a property using this pattern:

nextedy.checklist._TYPEID._FIELDID._STATUS.mergeTemplate=false

Replace the placeholders:

• _TYPEID — work item type ID (for example, requirement) or omit for all types
• _FIELDID — checklist custom field ID (for example, dod)
• _STATUS — workflow status ID where merging stops (for example, reviewed)

Example — freeze the “dod” checklist at the “reviewed” status:

nextedy.checklist.dod.reviewed.mergeTemplate=false

This tells Checklist to stop merging template items into the dod field when the work item has the reviewed status. The checklist displays only the data stored so far.

2

Disable Merge After Resolution

Alternatively, freeze the checklist when a work item receives any resolution (for example, “Done”, “Won’t Fix”, “Duplicate”):

nextedy.checklist._TYPEID._FIELDID.mergeTemplateResolved=false

Example:

nextedy.checklist.dod.mergeTemplateResolved=false

Property	Freeze Trigger	Scope
nextedy.checklist._TYPEID._FIELDID._STATUS.mergeTemplate	Specific workflow status	Per status
nextedy.checklist._TYPEID._FIELDID.mergeTemplateResolved	Any resolution set	All resolved states

You can use status-based and resolution-based freezing together. For example, freeze at the “reviewed” status to lock the checklist during review, and also disable merge after resolution to prevent changes on closed items.

3

Ensure the Checklist Is Initialized Before Freezing

A frozen checklist shows only the data that was stored at the time of freezing. If the template was never applied, the checklist may appear empty.To ensure the template is applied before the freeze takes effect, add the ChecklistApplyTemplate workflow function to the transition that moves the work item into the frozen status.

Configure the workflow function:

1. Open the workflow editor for the relevant work item type
2. Select the transition that leads to the frozen status (for example, “Approve”)
3. Add the workflow function ChecklistApplyTemplate
4. Set the checklist parameter to the field ID(s):

checklist = dod

This ensures the latest template content is synchronized into the checklist immediately before the status changes and the freeze takes effect.

4

Make the Checklist Read-Only (Optional)

Freezing stops template merging, but users can still edit checklist items manually. To fully lock the checklist, combine freezing with read-only mode:

• Use Polarion’s built-in read-only field configuration to make the custom field non-editable at certain statuses
• Use Polarion’s field-based permissions to restrict write access by role

See Read-Only Mode for complete configuration details.

The mergeTemplate=false property only disables automatic template merging. Users can still add, remove, or change checklist items manually. To fully protect the checklist, combine freezing with read-only mode or field permissions.

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Type-Specific Freeze Configuration

# Freeze DoD for requirements at "reviewed" status
nextedy.checklist.requirement.dod.reviewed.mergeTemplate=false

# Freeze DoD for tasks at "closed" status
nextedy.checklist.task.dod.closed.mergeTemplate=false

# Keep DoD unfrozen for defects (no property needed -- merge is on by default)

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Multiple Checklists Freeze

nextedy.checklist.dod.reviewed.mergeTemplate=false
nextedy.checklist.dor.reviewed.mergeTemplate=false
nextedy.checklist.reviewChecklist.approved.mergeTemplate=false

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Freeze and Baselines

1. Apply template at a workflow gate to ensure completeness
2. Freeze the checklist at the approval status to lock the template state
3. Create a baseline to capture a permanent record of the checklist at that point

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Verification

1. Open a work item that is in the frozen status (for example, “Reviewed”)
2. You should now see the checklist displaying only the items that were present when the status was reached
3. Modify the template work item by adding a new item
4. Reopen the frozen work item — the new template item should not appear
5. Move the work item back to an unfrozen status (for example, “Open”) — the template items should merge again

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See Also

• Workflow Gates and Validation — enforce checklist completion before transitions
• Read-Only Mode — fully lock checklists from editing
• Baselines and Comparison — capture frozen checklist states for audit
• Creating and Managing Templates — template setup fundamentals