Deleting custom references... too easy

[sellig]

I am using custom references to link my BPMN diagrams backward. This allows anyone in the project to open a BPMN diagram and being able to locate its parent easily. I have set out a modeling rule where the custom reference is set up on the start event of the child diagram to its parent. It works fine for my project...

However, there is a snag: it is too easy to delete a custom reference:
- The custom reference can be deleted even if the user doesn't have a lock on either of the diagrams
- There is no confirmation message shown to the user before the delete is performed!

Surprisingly, to set-up a custom reference, you need to have a lock on the diagrams!

Is there a way to better protect the custom references from unintentional deletions?

[Geert Bellekens]

Try using version control.
I've noticed that the "read-only"-ness of items works a lot better when using version control.

Geert

[sellig]

I am using SVN for version control. When my colleague deleted the cross-reference by error, he didn't have any package checked out. I am amazed that he was allowed to delete a custom reference in this condition!

I think that the custom reference function that you provide is very important: there should be a way to navigate your models in the hierarchy up or down. CTRL+K provides this function for navigating down and custom references can provide it to navigate your models up in the hierarchy provided that you take the time to set them up. When people access models in a support function rather than a design function, they can access a model anywhere in the hierarchy. It should be easy for them to navigate up of down the model hierarchy without being as familiar with the categorization of the models as the designers are.

Furthermore, I should add that the "Delete" button on this feature is placed between often used actions and could easily be pressed by error.

[Geert Bellekens]

definitely a bug then.
Please report it to Sparx (using the link on the bottom of the page) if you haven't already.

Geert