Cannot Delete Table Row - incomming link on an INVISIBLE object in the row

IBM_Gust - Wed Jun 03 07:55:58 EDT 2009
You say "Where is object b2. Oh no, there isn't one. "

Yet DOORS says "object(s) have 1 incoming link (via link module A-B to object b2 from module A:a3)".

Which do you think is most likely to be most knowledgeable?

IBM_Gust - Wed Jun 03 07:55:58 EDT 2009
You say "Where is object b2. Oh no, there isn't one. "

Yet DOORS says "object(s) have 1 incoming link (via link module A-B to object b2 from module A:a3)".

Which do you think is most likely to be most knowledgeable?

mcnairk - Wed Jun 03 08:05:33 EDT 2009
Have you tried purging deleted objects?

Ken.

kierant - Wed Jun 03 08:48:08 EDT 2009
Doors does use internal/hidden objects for each table and each row in each table, but I don't think you can build links to those objects or that that could be your problem. Instead, it sounds like your table row contains an object b2 that has been soft deleted but whose link it still present (as object on other side of the link, in module A, does still exist). Hence, if you haven't already done so, suggest you "view/ show/ deleted objects" in module B, then see if a deleted object b2 came up (or try to "goto" it). If not, maybe the link module contains details of the troublesome link.

SystemAdmin - Wed Jun 03 09:21:08 EDT 2009
I thought it might, because the object number for the first cell in each row increments by 3, but there are only 2 columns.
The point is that object b2 is one of the missing object ID's; and the error report states that this is where the incomming link is. So, it seems likely to be true; although as you say, there is no normal way to create a link on these objects.

I can't view deletions (as I have purged?). However, I have been back to the previous baseline. Unfortunatly, no deletions or other evidence of b2 was found there either.

Still a bit of a mystery.

SystemAdmin - Wed Jun 03 09:21:08 EDT 2009
I thought it might, because the object number for the first cell in each row increments by 3, but there are only 2 columns.
The point is that object b2 is one of the missing object ID's; and the error report states that this is where the incomming link is. So, it seems likely to be true; although as you say, there is no normal way to create a link on these objects.

I can't view deletions (as I have purged?). However, I have been back to the previous baseline. Unfortunatly, no deletions or other evidence of b2 was found there either.

Still a bit of a mystery.

mcnairk - Wed Jun 03 09:38:21 EDT 2009
How many cells in the table, how many links, and how many attributes would you have to set? If not many, maybe it is easier to rebuild the table from scratch, although you will obviously loose the history.

I don't like DOORS tables and try to avoid them if possible. If we don't require to link to rows or cells, we use an embedded Word table; if we do, we split the table into separate objects. DOORS is a table; to properly display a table within a table you really need a third dimension.

Ken.

llandale - Wed Jun 03 10:38:54 EDT 2009
Its possible you have a deleted cell with a link, showing deleted objects will help.

There is an invisible table header object for each table. There is an invisible row header object for each row. The row is 'below' the table; each cell is 'below' its row. You can see these objects as follows in DXL:

Object o 

for o in entire (current Module) 

do 
{  

if    (table(o)) print 
"Table\t\t\t" (identifier(o)) 
"\t l-" (level(o)) 
"\t" (number(o)) 
"\n" elseif(row(o))   print 
"\tRow\t\t"   (identifier(o)) 
"\t l-" (level(o)) 
"\t" (number(o)) 
"\n" elseif(cell(o))  print 
"\t\tCell\t"  (identifier(o)) 
"\t l-" (level(o)) 
"\t" (number(o)) 
"\n" 
}

• Louie

Peter_Albert - Wed Jun 03 10:11:20 EDT 2009
Tables are constructed hierarchically in three levels:

Level 1: The table object. It is visible when "Showing table cells" is turned off, the main column reads ">> Table" for those objects. If table cells are visible, the table object is hidden.

Level 2: Row objects. Row objects are never visible, but accessible by DXL via the "for rowObj in tabObj do" loop

Level 3: Cell objects. Visibility is exactly opposite to the table object.

When you have selected a table cell, you can use the code snippet below to loop through the table object and all row objects and delete incoming links when there are any.

Make sure that the source module in question (the one from your error message) is open in edit mode before you call the script.

Object currObj = current Object 

if (!cell currObj)
{infoBox 
"Select a table cell"; halt
} Object tabObj = getTable currObj Object rowObj, cellObj Link l 

for l in tabObj <- 
"*" 

do 
{ 

if (confirm(
"Delete link to table object?"))
{delete l
} 
} 

for rowObj in tabObj 

do 
{ obj -> rowObj 

for l in rowObj <- 
"*" 

do 
{ 

if (confirm(
"Delete link to row object?"))
{delete l
} 
} 

for cellObj in rowObj 

do 
{ 
// This is just to illustrate how you  
// would loop through the cells in one row 
} 
}

SystemAdmin - Thu Jun 04 04:59:30 EDT 2009
Name mix up apology. Anyway, Peter...
I just used this DXL hybrid...

Object currObj = current Object 

if (!cell currObj)
{infoBox 
"Select a table cell"; halt
} Object tabObj = getTable currObj print 
"Table\t\t\t" (identifier(tabObj )) 
"\t l-" (level(tabObj )) 
"\t" (number(tabObj )) 
"\n"   Object rowObj, cellObj Link l 

for l in tabObj <- 
"*" 

do 
{ 

if (confirm(
"Delete link to table object?"))
{delete l
} 
} 

for rowObj in tabObj 

do 
{ 
// obj -> rowObj  This gave an error, so I commented it out, and rowObj seems to be set up ok without it. print 
"\tRow\t\t" (identifier(rowObj)) 
"\t l-" (level(rowObj)) 
"\t" (number(rowObj)) 
"\n" 

for l in rowObj <- 
"*" 

do 
{ print 
"link found on row object" 

if (confirm(
"Delete link to row object?"))
{delete l
} 
} 

for cellObj in rowObj 

do 
{ 
// This is just to illustrate how you  
// would loop through the cells in one row 
} 
}

Peter_Albert - Thu Jun 04 05:36:58 EDT 2009
Apologies for the bad mistake in my code. The line

// obj -> rowObj

was in to create links from an earlier defined object (obj) to each row object. That was of course only necessary to create my test case and would have completely spoiled your task. Glad it gave an error message ...

Anyway, the rest looks o.k to me.

Was Module A open when you ran the script?

Does Object a1 exist in Module A?

Does Object a1 in Module A show a link arrow?

If so, where does it point to?
Peter

SystemAdmin - Thu Jun 04 05:51:24 EDT 2009
OK,

a1=654 btw, which does not seem to exist in module a. (tried view deletions, going to earlier baseline).
Module A was not open las time. I now open module A, and run it again.

look at this...

Table SMS_PFS_638 l-5 2.2.1.3.0-1
Row SMS_PFS_639 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-1
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_642 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-2
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_645 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-3
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_648 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-4
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_651 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-5
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_654 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-6
link found on row object
OK, great we found lots of links (and one on the table object too, btw). I next tried answering yes to confirm deletion on row 651.

I deleted the row, purged the module. And behold the row disappears! You've done it - great and THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Have you got any thoughts on why we might be creating these links to table/row objects I would like to put a stop to the practice if possible??

SystemAdmin - Thu Jun 04 05:51:24 EDT 2009
OK,

a1=654 btw, which does not seem to exist in module a. (tried view deletions, going to earlier baseline).
Module A was not open las time. I now open module A, and run it again.

look at this...

Table SMS_PFS_638 l-5 2.2.1.3.0-1
Row SMS_PFS_639 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-1
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_642 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-2
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_645 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-3
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_648 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-4
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_651 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-5
link found on row object
Row SMS_PFS_654 l-6 2.2.1.3.0-1.0-6
link found on row object
OK, great we found lots of links (and one on the table object too, btw). I next tried answering yes to confirm deletion on row 651.

I deleted the row, purged the module. And behold the row disappears! You've done it - great and THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Have you got any thoughts on why we might be creating these links to table/row objects I would like to put a stop to the practice if possible??

Peter_Albert - Thu Jun 04 06:11:03 EDT 2009
>> Have you got any thoughts on why we might be creating these links to table/row objects I would like to put a stop to the practice if possible??

AFAIK, Links to row object can't be created by the DOORS GUI, so they must have been created by a DXL script. Whether this was on purpose or accidentally is hard to say, but at least using links to row objects is highly unusual. So I'd guess it was an accident. If they continue to be created, you have to find the DXL script which creates the links.

Peter

SystemAdmin - Thu Jun 04 06:19:59 EDT 2009
Conclusion: Look out for the "Module Comparison Wizard" creating links that can only be removed by dxl.