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The four components

Every working powersheet setup involves four elements that collaborate at runtime: diagram

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Domain model

The domain model is a YAML file that defines the semantic layer between Siemens Polarion ALM’s native work item types and the structured entities Powersheet works with. It declares:
  • Entity types (domainModelTypes): named types that map to Polarion work item types via the polarionType property. Each entity type lists its available properties — fields that can be displayed and edited in the sheet.
  • Relationships: connections between entity types specifying from, to, cardinality, storage mechanism (typically linkedWorkItems), and the linkRole used in Polarion. Each relationship creates navigation properties (fromNavPropName, toNavPropName) that enable traversal between entities.
  • Constraints: optional rules for load (query filtering), create (default values for new entities), and pick (picker dialog filtering).
The domain model lives in Administration > Nextedy POWERSHEET > Domain Models and can exist at project or global scope.
Think of the domain model as a “lens” over Polarion’s data. It does not create new work item types — it maps existing ones into a structured hierarchy that Powersheet can navigate and enforce rules upon.

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Sheet configuration

The sheet configuration is a YAML file that controls what the user sees and how they interact with the data. It references entity types and navigation properties from the domain model and defines:
  • Columns: each column has a binding path (e.g., title, systemRequirements.systemRequirement.severity) that maps to a domain model property or navigates through a relationship. Columns control display headers, width, editability, and formatting.
  • Sources: data source definitions with a model reference, a query (specifying which entity type to start from), and an expand tree (which relationships to follow when loading data).
  • Views: named presets that can show different column sets for the same data, allowing different analysis perspectives without separate configurations.
Sheet configurations live in Administration > Nextedy POWERSHEET > Sheet Configurations and are also scoped to project or global level.

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Powersheet Drive

Powersheet Drive is a sidebar navigation topic that provides users with a central entry point to all configured powersheet documents in a project. It queries for documents that have the nextedySheetConfig custom field populated and lists them in a drive-like navigator. Powersheet Drive becomes visible once the powersheet topic is added to the project’s navigation views. See Setting Up Navigation for the tutorial.

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LiveDoc (document entry point)

Each powersheet is anchored to a Polarion LiveDoc. The LiveDoc has a nextedySheetConfig custom field that points to a sheet configuration file. When a user opens the document through Powersheet Drive, the sheet configuration and its referenced domain model are loaded, the data query executes, and the interactive sheet renders. Documents can also include an “Open with Nextedy POWERSHEET” button using a Velocity macro, enabling bidirectional navigation between the standard LiveDoc view and the sheet view.

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How the components connect

At runtime, the loading sequence follows a clear chain:
  1. The user clicks a document in Powersheet Drive
  2. The nextedySheetConfig custom field value identifies the sheet configuration YAML file
  3. The sheet configuration’s sources[].model property identifies the domain model
  4. The domain model’s entity types are translated into a metadata structure
  5. The sheet configuration’s columns are resolved against that metadata
  6. The data source query executes, expanding relationships as specified
  7. The sheet renders with the configured columns, populated with data
ComponentDefined inReferences
Domain modelAdministration > Nextedy POWERSHEET > Domain ModelsPolarion work item types, link roles
Sheet configurationAdministration > Nextedy POWERSHEET > Sheet ConfigurationsDomain model (by name)
LiveDocProject documentsSheet configuration (via nextedySheetConfig field)
Powersheet DriveAdministration > Portal > TopicsDocuments with nextedySheetConfig set
The exact query used by Powersheet Drive to discover documents is configurable via project properties. The default query finds all documents with the nextedySheetConfig field populated.

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Separation of concerns

The split between domain model and sheet configuration is deliberate. A single domain model can be shared by multiple sheet configurations, each presenting a different view of the same data. Conversely, a project can have multiple domain models for different use cases (e.g., requirements traceability vs. risk management). This separation means that changes to how data is displayed (columns, views) do not require changes to the data structure (entity types, relationships), and vice versa. For a deeper exploration of this design principle, see Data Model vs Sheet Configuration. For hands-on tutorials building each component, see the Getting Started section.
Source Code
  • model.yaml
  • prod-powersheet-src/com.nextedy.powersheet.client/src/modules/Powersheet/Powersheet.tsx
  • prod-powersheet-src/com.nextedy.powersheet.client/ltc-repo/packages/sheet/SheetComponent.tsx
  • todos_model.yaml
  • todosBig_model.yaml