Configure an Item Type

Now you have experienced Contour, and have an idea about what Components, Sets, Folders and Items are, you are probably starting to think about how this will fit with your methodology or documentation. Here are some examples common to software development.

•	Agile Environment - Stories, Tasks, Tests

•	Rational - Product Features, Non-Functional Requirements, Use Cases, Test Cases

•	Traditional - Requirements, Defects, Change Requests

Our sample project has use cases, but lets say that your project needs stories. The Item Type (think of it as a Set template) used to create the use case Set is close to what you need for a Story but is not quite right. It needs its own Item Type.

1.	To alter or add an Item Type you'll first start by accessing the Administration mode and clicking on Item Types.

2.	The list of Item Types shown will be the same as those shown with the Project Configuration window. When adding an Item Type you must also make the Item Type available to a project within the Project Configuration.

3.	We could opt to add an Item Type, but in this case we will simply edit an existing one. Select the Idea Item Type so that we can change it to be a Story Set.

4.	Edit the name from Idea to Story.

5.	Now configure the fields. Change the fields display order up or down and change the Description label from "Description" to "Story".

6.	Add the new pick list field Priority and use the Use Case Status option as the pick list and save.

Let's go see what values are in the Use Case Status pick list.

1.	Click on the Pick Lists tab.

2.	Configure the Use Case Priority pick list. Change the values (High, Medium, Low) to (1, 2, 3).

3.	Delete the list option "Critical". To protect any Items that might be using this value Contour will ask you which pick list option you want to replace it with.

If you want to use this new Item Type in the sample project, go back and follow the steps to add a Set.

configure_an_item_type