Definition of "Orphan" - and context

[Paolo F Cantoni]

The definition of Orphan in the Search and the definition in Project Integrity Check appear NOT to be the same.

I'm having some issues with automation (under v12) where PIC picks up elements with Package ID set to 0 as Orphans.  I'm still trying to track down why they exist, but my point is that PIC does NOT regard objects not on any diagrams as "orphans".

Can we please have a normative definition of the term "orphan" and the contexts in which that definition applies?  There seems to be at least two contexts:
*  Project Search
*  Project Integrity check
there may be others.

Reported,
Paolo

[VKN]

I'm not sure if I'm in the same context as you but as per the documentation the reference of 'orphan' is NOT the same for Search and Project Integrity Check.

Search talks about 'orphaned elements'

PIC talks about 'orphaned records in DB tables'. For example, when a package is created, there are minimum of two records added. One in t_package and another in t_object. Missing one of them would make the other as orphan.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

I'm not sure if I'm in the same context as you but as per the documentation the reference of 'orphan' is NOT the same for Search and Project Integrity Check.

Search talks about 'orphaned elements'

PIC talks about 'orphaned records in DB tables'. For example, when a package is created, there are minimum of two records added. One in t_package and another in t_object. Missing one of them would make the other as orphan.

PIC talks about Orphaned Objects...  NOT records.  I understand the difference between the resultant PIC and Search outcomes, my problem is that the language used doesn't concur.  If PIC meant records - then it should have said records.  PIC returns objects in the _Objects_  view of the _recovered_  root.  That is, it returns the same types of elements as are found in Search.

Paolo

[VKN]

What you are seeing in the _recovered_ package after running PIC are the affected/rectified objects due to the DB integrity errors.

The integrity check examines all database records and ensures there are no 'orphaned' records or inaccurate or unset identifiers.

For more information:
http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/12.0/projects_and_teams/checkingdataintegrity.html

WRT Search: An 'orphaned' element is an element that does not appear on any diagram in the model.

For more information:
http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/12.0/navigate_search_and_trace/pre_defined_search_definitions.html