What is Powersheet?
Nextedy POWERSHEET is a hierarchical sheet extension for Polarion that provides configurable tabular views over complex work item hierarchies. It enables Excel-like editing and traceability directly inside Polarion with domain-model-driven navigation, configurable columns, and expansion paths across related entities. For a full overview, see What is Powersheet?.
Who is Powersheet designed for?
Powersheet is designed for systems engineers, requirements managers, quality engineers, and safety engineers who work with Polarion. Skill levels range from end users who view and edit data in sheets to administrators who configure domain models and sheet configurations. It is particularly useful for teams managing structured hierarchical data — from requirements traceability matrices (RTM) in regulated industries to task management and custom workflows.
What is the difference between a domain model and a sheet configuration?
A domain model defines entity types, their properties, and the relationships between them. It maps Powersheet entity types to Polarion work item types and establishes navigable links via link roles. A sheet configuration defines how data from the domain model is displayed: column layout, widths, formatters, views, sorting, and expansion paths. Both are YAML files stored in the project SVN.
| Aspect | Domain Model | Sheet Configuration |
|---|
| Purpose | Entity types and relationships | Column layout and display |
| File type | YAML | YAML |
| Scope | Shared across multiple sheets | Specific to one sheet |
| Key sections | domainModelTypes, relationships | columns, sources, views |
How does Powersheet connect to Polarion data?
Powersheet maps domain model entity types to Polarion work item types via the polarionType property. Relationships between entity types are stored using Polarion link roles. When users load a sheet, Powersheet queries Polarion for work items matching the source configuration and displays them according to the column definitions. Save operations write changes back to Polarion work items.
Can I use Powersheet across multiple projects?
Yes. Domain models can be defined at the global scope (accessible from _global) and shared across projects. Sheet configurations can reference cross-project models using the projectId/modelName path format. Individual sheets can also query data from other projects using cross-project source configuration. See Creating Your First Data Model for setup details.
What standards does Powersheet support?
Powersheet supports ISO 15288 (systems engineering), Automotive SPICE, ISO 26262 (via RTM traceability), and general requirements management processes. One common example, the RTM model, uses the entity hierarchy UserNeed > SystemRequirement > DesignRequirement > Hazard > RiskControl to demonstrate traceability across these domains.
How should I start configuring Powersheet?
Begin with the simplest possible configuration and extend incrementally. Create a domain model with one or two entity types and a basic sheet configuration with a few columns. Verify each step works before adding complexity. See Incremental Configuration Approach and the Getting Started tutorials for a guided walkthrough.
New users who attempt multi-level hierarchies with many-to-many relationships on their first setup frequently encounter hard-to-diagnose errors. Start simple and build up incrementally.
Where can I get help if I encounter issues?
Check the Troubleshooting Guides for step-by-step error resolution. For issues not covered in the documentation, submit a support ticket through the Nextedy support portal.
