854: UI stops responding on large XMI imports

[Paolo F Cantoni]

If you import a large XMI file, the import dialog stops updating the XMI Import Progress text after a short time, giving the impression that EA has gone into an infinite loop (the so-called "Toilet bowl of Death").

It turns out that this is NOT the case.  The import will eventually proceed to completion, in my case after about 15-20mins.

Given that the so-called log file ISN'T produced until the end of the import process (can anybody show me any other application where the log file is produced a posteriori?) the user has no idea what's going on.

Anybody else seen this?  I've seen it on both EAP and SQL Sever repositories.

Reported,
Paolo

[Graham_Moir]

Hi Paolo - yes not very friendly,  but I have seen numerous applications where log files are not "visible" until after a process has
completed.   The 2 reasons given to me for this are:

- the updates to the log files are cached by the operating system while the file is open, so you don't get to see them until they are flushed, and that usually is when the file is closed, in other words when the process completes
- updates to the log file are being done in real time, but the file is opened exclusively so cached or not, no-one can see them anyway until the file is closed, which again is when the process completes !

G.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

To which my response is:  give the user the ability to force flushes.

I mean, I really DON'T see the point in providing a log file that doesn't have the ability to log in some suitable timeframe.

My standard instrumentor does that.

It isn't rocket science.

When everything works no problem (I'm actually not interested in the log - most EA logs are as useful as the proverbial...) - yet EA forces me to have one!

It's when things DON'T work that I'm interested and I'm prepared to put up with any slowness - so I can actually see what's going on (at an appropriate level of detail)

My AU$0.05

Paolo

[Graham_Moir]

I don't disagree Paolo - on the contrary I 100% agree that this isn't very helpful to the end-user and a solution should be found.  

Just wanted to point out that the issue does exist elsewhere and the reasons I've been given in the past why it occurs.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

I don't disagree Paolo - on the contrary I 100% agree that this isn't very helpful to the end-user and a solution should be found.  

Just wanted to point out that the issue does exist elsewhere and the reasons I've been given in the past why it occurs.

Yes, Graham, I understood you were merely illuminating the, somewhat rhetorical, question.  However, having just lost between 12-16 hours chasing down these errors that have effectively stopped me in my tracks I felt the need to vent.

Good to see that there's agreement!

Let keep the pressure on Sparx to improve this vital area.

Paolo

[Paolo F Cantoni]

From Sparx:

>>UI stops responding on large XMI imports
This issue will be fixed in the upcoming Build of EA.

Paolo