A bug on Wildcard search on alias in Dim Editor in 10.1.1

[macsir]

When you want to search on alias in Dim Editor in 10.1.1 by using wildcard, it will show nothing even the result is there obviously.
If you do same in Subset Editor, it is showing results correctly.

Anyone who is interested in it, just have a try.

[jim wood]

Why would you want to use wildcard search when editing a dimension? I'm not being funny but I would never do that as editing a dimension via that method is risky enough.

[Wim Gielis]

Why would you want to use wildcard search when editing a dimension? I'm not being funny but I would never do that as editing a dimension via that method is risky enough.

Hi Jim

Doing a wildcard search should give you 0, 1 or more elements; it's up to you to do the correct manipulation(s) on the file(s) returned.
I don't see why we should not be able to use that kind of search in the dimension editor.

[jim wood]

I wasn't saying you shouldn't. Historically the dimension editor has always been flaky. I avoid doing anything other than basic editing tasks, considering you can do the same searches in the subset editor I've always deemed it not worth the risk. If you read what I asked I was asking if it was worth the risk. If you want to say "hey I should be able to it" then knock yourself out but I will always avoid it.

[macsir]

Hey guys, could you help me to confirm it is a bug at your sides too first?
I don't use this function in Dim Editor often but just wanted to delete some elements which were inserted accidentally in Dev server.

[declanr]

I had noticed this before and from what I recall; even when you switch the "view by alias" on - wildcard searches are still against the principal name.

Therefore if an element's principal name was "element A" and its alias was "element 1", you could have the alias toggled to on - do a wildcard search for "*1" and nothing will appear, yet do a wildcard search for "*A" and "element 1" will appear.

I may be wrong but I think I noticed this long before version 10 came out, so most likely in 9.5.2 - I've never really needed to use it so it never bothered me but I can see why it would be a benefit for it to work like the subset editor. However if I was IBM I would actually go down the route of removing the alias option form the Dimension Editor altogether as to keep it purely metadata functionality - but that's only my preference as I like to be awkward.

[macsir]

I had noticed this before and from what I recall; even when you switch the "view by alias" on - wildcard searches are still against the principal name.

Therefore if an element's principal name was "element A" and its alias was "element 1", you could have the alias toggled to on - do a wildcard search for "*1" and nothing will appear, yet do a wildcard search for "*A" and "element 1" will appear.

I may be wrong but I think I noticed this long before version 10 came out, so most likely in 9.5.2 - I've never really needed to use it so it never bothered me but I can see why it would be a benefit for it to work like the subset editor. However if I was IBM I would actually go down the route of removing the alias option form the Dimension Editor altogether as to keep it purely metadata functionality - but that's only my preference as I like to be awkward.

Thanks, declanr. Yeah, the searching is just against the principal name in Dim Editor. I agree with you, either make it same as subset editor or keep it purely for metadata.

[Wim Gielis]

Hello

In my opinion, fix this bug, make it the same as the Subset Editor and do not remove this functionality.
Should we really need to paste - or search for - this alias in the Subset Editor, copy the returned principal name, then do a search in the Dimension Editor (on the principal name)?
I know that we can also paste the alias in the Dimension Editor and it should be recognized, but I don't like to explain to users that they can just paste things in the Dimension Editor: all kinds of new elements could end up in the dimension.

My 2ç?

[Steve Rowe]

I'm pretty sure the subset editor worked like this too at one time, was an age ago. Sounds like they fixed the subset editor but not the dimension editor. Makes sense that they both tools should have the facility.

[garry cook]

Yeah, I can confirm this was a bug way back in 9.0 SP2 (and I think but can't confirm even 8.1.4) - I had an enhancement request open for it back when Applix ran the show but it got lost in the transition of the takeover and never pursued it.