Verify model ERs

On the Model Verification dialog, after selectiing the desired options and pressing the verify button on a large-ish model (>125 entities), the lag time between start and finish of the verify is long enough that the mouse cursor should change to a watch cursor. There is approximately 5 seconds between pressing the verify button and the first notification in the log and then another 10+ seconds to completion with no errors, warning or hints found. Turning off hints and warnings still takes the same amount of time. That’s long enough to turn the cursor to an hourglass so the user doesn’t keep clicking the verify button. That is really important feedback if the log is hidden. It keeps the user from steadily pushing on the Verify button waiting for something to happen. Personally, the first time I used it, I pushed the verify button 3 times waiting for some feeback.

This dialog (and several others that I don’t recall right now) has some odd resizing properties. Grabbing the bottom of the dialog, you can drag the bottom all the up to the to edge of the dialog, but when you release the bottom of the dialog, the bottom of the “Selection:” text is displayed. IMHO, you should be able to make the dialog smaller than the area required for the option check boxes, in this case just below the “Empty Entity” check box. Then you can do away with the right hand slider if the window becomes smaller than the check box text.

Speaking of the “Selection” buttons. There is a button to turn all on, one for turn all off and one for invert selections. In my mind, the all on/off could be one button with an up or down position. I think there are other dialogs where this is the case as well, but once again I don’t recall of the the top of my head.

Hello Bruce,

Thanks for your feedback.

  1. Cursor issue - Thanks for your suggestions. We will definitely deal with this issue. CR # 36 795.

This dialog (and several others that I don't recall right now) has some odd resizing properties....

You're right we need to make some modifications concerning the dialogs. In any case, we will deal with this issue - resize, buttons etc.

To your example on Verify Model dialog: To be honest, I'm not quite sure if I understand well. I'm sorry.
Do I understand well that:
You do not want to resize the dialog to be smaller than the Selection area with all check boxes. All of them should be visible. So you can see comfortably the "Empty Entity" checbox and are not allowed to make the dialog smaller. In this case, you don't need the right hand slider.

  • Is that right? This is what I guess you mean. (However, you write "you should be able to make the dialog smaller than the area required for the option check boxes..", so I'm not sure.)

Please let me know if I'm right or wrong. Thanks.

  1. Selection buttons. - We will consider your request. CR # 36 796.

Thanks!

Vladka

Hello Bruce again,

To problem 2 - Resize dialog/wizard problem: We have just discussed this issue and will definitely deal with it trying to find the best solution and make it consistent for all dialogs/forms/frames. CR # 36 808.

Thanks.

Vladka + TDM Team

However, you write “you should be able to make the dialog smaller than the area required for the option check boxes…”,

Sorry, that definitely should have been “you should not…” That missing word definitely changes the meaning. In the attachment, I’ve included what, in my mind, is the minimal fit for the dialog.

While we’re on this dialog, here are a few more things.

ER) I’m a stickler for consistency. The first two options are “Duplicate Names of…” while the third option is “Duplicity of …”. I think the wording should be the same for all options; “Duplicate XXX names” instead of “Duplicate Names of XXX.” The same holds true for the two options on right hand side of the dialog, “Check for …”. You could just go with “Duplicate Constraint Names” and “Disallowed Duplicate Key and Index Names”. With all of the options having the same basic text, you could then balance the left and right hand check boxes to take up less vertical space. As for the word “duplicity”, it has another meaning that I don’t think you intended: the primary definition is deceitfulness. Ouch!

ER) The dialog has a general tab and no other tabs. I can see using multiple tabs for grouping similar objects, but since you only have one tab, you don’t really need any.

ER) The dialog has minimize, maximize, and close button on the upper right corner (URC). I’m not sure you would want to maximize this dialog, but if you do you should be consistent across the other dialogs. The report wizard dialog, for example only has a close button on the URC.

ER) If you aren’t going to change to cursor to an hour glass while the verify is taking place, you should gray out the verify button while it’s happening. It keeps the user from continuously pushing the button because there is not visible evidence that anything is happening.

ER) If you lock the size of the check box options, then resizing the dialog to make it taller should only expand the message log portion of the dialog if it’s displayed. While we’re on the log, I don’t know what the purpose of the ID column is. Probably just an internal debug thing that doesn’t need to be displayed. Also, the Show/Hide log is a button on this dialog while on the Report Wizard it is a check box.

ER) The text in the log just continues to grow as long as the dialog is open. Maybe it should be cleared with each push of the verify button. Either that or provide a “clear log” button. This way the user can make changes to the model and re-verify it without having to close the verify dialog.

ER) The save settings button is grayed out. There should be several different settings available for verify, not just one when it becomes available.

Enough here for now. Now over to the report wizard.
model_verify_dialog.doc (54.5 KB)

Hello Bruce,

Yes, I thought the “not” was missing. So, it’s definitely clear now.
In any case, we’ll deal with this issue.

  1. Consistency - Thank you VERY much for correcting our English and your suggestions. We will fix it. (Learning English every day…)
    CR # 36 843.

  2. One tab - More tabs will be added to this dialog in the future.

  3. Minimize, maximize, close… - This dialog is not a wizard. This dialog is like Comparator, Convertor, DDL Script Generation dialog…

  4. Hour glass or disable Verify button - Yes, we will fix this. Already entered as CR # 36 802. Hour glass issue - CR # 36 800.

  5. Resizing dialog - user resize is available now. Feel free to enlarge/make smaller the log area as you need.
    ID column - identifying number of a record in Message Explorer/Log. - For better orientation in the messages. E.g. if two messages are returned in the same time (same second), each of them will have a different number. Also, you can sort them by IDs.

  6. Clear button - right-click the log area and select “Clear Messages”.

  7. Possibility to save different settings - CR # 36 844.

Thanks for your co-operation!

Vladka