Baselines

What a baseline captures

A baseline is a point-in-time snapshot of your project's requirements state. When you create a baseline, 4Spec records:

• Requirements: All requirement summaries, descriptions, statuses, and custom field values.
• Tree structure: The folder hierarchy and the position of each requirement within it.
• Linked test cases: Which test cases are linked to each requirement.
• Coverage: The coverage status (covered, partially covered, uncovered) of each requirement.
• Execution results: The latest execution result for each linked test case at the time of the snapshot.

Baselines are immutable. Once created, the data in a baseline cannot be modified.

Creating a baseline

To create a baseline that captures the current state of your project:

1. Open 4Spec from your project sidebar.
2. Switch to the Baselines tab (under Reporting & Compliance).
3. Click + Create Baseline.
4. Enter a name for the baseline (e.g., "v2.0 Release Candidate", "Sprint 14 End").
5. Optionally add a description.
6. Click Create.

The baseline is created immediately. Depending on the number of requirements, the snapshot may take a few seconds to complete.

Viewing a baseline

Click on any baseline in the list to open it. The baseline viewer presents a read-only view of the project as it was at the time of the snapshot. You can browse:

• Tree view: The requirement folder structure as it existed at baseline time.
• Document view: Requirements rendered as a structured document.
• Matrix view: The traceability matrix showing requirement-to-test-case links and coverage.

All views are read-only. You cannot edit requirements or links from within a baseline.

Comparing baselines

4Spec lets you compare two baselines side by side, or compare a baseline against the current live state of the project. To start a comparison:

1. Open the Baselines tab.
2. Select two baselines using the checkboxes, then click Compare. Alternatively, open a baseline and click Compare with... to choose the second baseline or "Current State".
3. The comparison view shows a diff of both snapshots.

Change indicators

The comparison view uses color-coded indicators to highlight differences between the two snapshots:

Color	Meaning
Green	Added — the requirement exists in the newer snapshot but not in the older one.
Red	Removed — the requirement exists in the older snapshot but not in the newer one.
Yellow	Modified — the requirement exists in both snapshots but its summary, description, status, or links changed.

Unchanged requirements are shown without any indicator.

Coverage delta tracking

When comparing baselines, 4Spec calculates and displays the coverage delta — how coverage has changed between the two snapshots. This includes:

• Overall coverage change: e.g., "Coverage improved from 72% to 89%".
• Newly covered requirements: Requirements that gained test case links since the older baseline.
• Newly uncovered requirements: Requirements that lost coverage (e.g., linked test cases were removed).
• Coverage by folder: Per-folder coverage percentages for both baselines, shown side by side.

The coverage delta is also used by the Requirements Trend report to chart coverage over time.

Deleting baselines

To delete a baseline, open the Baselines tab, click the kebab menu next to the baseline, and select Delete. A confirmation dialog will appear.

Deleting a baseline is permanent and cannot be undone. The deletion is recorded in the audit log. Consider whether you need the baseline for historical comparison or compliance purposes before deleting it.