v12 Features deletion security mis-alignment

[Paolo F Cantoni]

It has always bothered me that one could purge a UML feature (Attribute or Operation) from the repository merely by selecting it on the diagram and hitting the [Del] key.  Furthermore, it would delete silently so you might not notice the "accidental" deletion for days or weeks later!

So imagine my surprise when in the Features dialog (after selecting to edit the feature lists) finding that I CAN'T delete the attribute just by hitting the  [Del] key.  I HAVE to use [Ctrl+Del]!  (which also, BTW, works directly on the diagram!)

This is NOT the way to build software!

Please remove the ability to delete a feature using [Del] on its own (or AT THE LEAST, request confirmation).  Make it necessary to use [Ctrl+Del] consistently!

Reported,
Paolo

[qwerty]

+1 for the consistent use of Del. But asking for consistency is like - well, I miss a perfect analogy in English, but futile is the word that fits.

q.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

+1 for the consistent use of Del. But asking for consistency is like - well, I miss a perfect analogy in English, but futile is the word that fits.

q.

Maybe because I have only been associated with EA for just over a decade (I checked yesterday for other reasons and it seems I joined up on April Fool's day... 2005), I'm less pessimistic.

In jumping from v9 to v12, I felt a small, but noticeable, increase in consistency.

Besides, consistency is like a snowball rolling downhill in the cartoon.  It gathers momentum and grows.  

Paolo

[qwerty]

Getting off the boat for a while is likely a good idea if you have the opportunity. To me it still feels like the snowball rolling down but grabbing all garbage instead of snow. skiwi's lists are still growing....

q.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Getting off the boat for a while is likely a good idea if you have the opportunity. To me it still feels like the snowball rolling down but grabbing all garbage instead of snow. skiwi's lists are still growing....

q.

Well you know the saying:  "New code, new bugs..."

Paolo

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Arrgh!!!!   I got caught twice yesterday - and  I'm careful!  

Sparx advise the current behaviour is by design.

In the case of Objects, you get to decide via that dialog as to whether you will allow [Del] to purge an object  or merely remove from diagram AND regardless of that, you get a confirmation dialog.  I think that a similar behaviour the first time you hit the [Del] key on a feature would be good!

Please pester Sparx so they're aware that if you ACTUALLY use the product ("in anger" - pun intended), this is a MOST Annoying outcome.

Personally, as an Architect, UX Designer, Developer, I can't see ANY justification for the current behaviour!

Paolo

[skiwi]

It has always bothered me that one could purge a UML feature (Attribute or Operation) from the repository merely by selecting it on the diagram and hitting the [Del] key.  Furthermore, it would delete silently so you might not notice the "accidental" deletion for days or weeks later!

I agree, this has bitten me, both the silent disappearance, and observed disappearance - for which there is no undo.

I consider this to be a bug, when the philosophy of a diagram appears to be that deleting anything simply removed is display on the diagram, NOT from the model.

<sub>PS note that for a <<model document>> class displayed in a diagram deleting the attribute does not delete the corresponding entity in the model(probably a good thing)

PPS: "mis-alignment" is a well phrased alternative for something that is arguably actually much worse - deletion without notification or ability to undo</sub>