Document the Project Data Integrity better

[marcelloh]

When I do the Report Only option, I see there are some "problems".

There is no mention about what happens if you try to Recover/Clean them.

This is what I see:
Invalid attributename
Attribute:102
Propose: set to unknown
What did cause this. Can I avoid it in the future?
Why didn't EA report me the name, such as invalid attributename "Marcelloh" or something, so I could look for it?

Missing GUID's
Attribute GUID
Propose: update GUID's
Why are they missing? Is EA inconsistent? Is this my fault?
Can I avoid it in the future?

Invalid attribute ....
Propose: delete attribute
What does this mean? Is this my fault? Can I avoid it in the future?

Elements: Child package ID does not match parent
Propose: Reset child element parent id
What does this mean? Is this my fault? Can I avoid it in the future?

Object parent invalid
Propose: Reset parent to NULL
What does this mean? Is this my fault? Can I avoid it in the future?

[highlight]Overall:
It's like there is a strange warning light burning on the dashboard of my car, and I can't read anywhare what happend really when I press the "Magic Button" that says "All problems will be solved".[/highlight]

I really want more info, and not some sunny day scenario as help file....

[Eve]

There is no mention about what happens if you try to Recover/Clean them.

That's what the proposed action column is doing.  For all of your questions... EA can't tell what caused them, only that some data doesn't match up.  It was something you did, but it's not your fault, it's EA's fault.

Elements: Child package ID does not match parent
Propose: Reset child element parent id

Elements in EA have a parent id and a package id.  As the child is always in the same package as the parent these should match.  But they aren't.

Object parent invalid
Propose: Reset parent to NULL

The parent id I mentioned above is set, but no such object exists.  Either the parent was removed without deleting the children or the parent id should never have been set.

[Geert Bellekens]

Simon,

While we are discussing this Project Integrity feature; it would be usefull if a user could choose a single, or a set of problems to fix.
When I run this tool on my model it gives me literally thousands of errors.
I either have to choice to fix them all (per type of error) or not fix anything at all.
I already did a test with this feature on a copy of my model, but it does all kinds of strange things creating elements in a separate package.
The problem is that the sheer number of those elements and errors makes it impossible for me to get an idea of what the impact of repairing the integrity is on the model.
I have no idea what to do with all those new elements because I don't know why they are created and from where they are coming.

If I could fix error by error I would at least know what I'm doing and why a certain new element gets created.

Geert

[marcelloh]

I find this "behaviour" very strange. It can't be that if I make a new child, there isn't a check at that very moment if the element it actually a child of that parent. It could warn me at once if such an error occures and I would know what I did, and how I would like to fix it.

Now, it just comes as a suprise, and you know what? I don't like suprises like this. If EA misuses the database, what good is the tool then? Sparxians have to give this toppriority. The fact that it has a repair function, doesn't count. Because the repair function doesn't actually repairs athing, it just recreates parts of my model unlinked in another place. I don't know what it was, I don't know how to fix it, and I hate the idea that something is missing somewhere now. And this insecureness isn't created by me.