Configuration Error Handling

Level 1: Error

A required content element is missing. Without the missing element, the configuration is considered invalid or inconsistent. Must be fixed before the configuration can be published or exported.

Missing mandatory input. A Task references a work product as a mandatory input. A configuration can't include a Task that is missing its mandatory inputs.
Missing Output Work Product. A Task references a Work Product as an output. A configuration can't include a Task that is missing its outputs. Note: At this time, the concept of mandatory and optional output Work Products is not supported. Thus, all output Work Products are considered mandatory.

Level 2: Warning

Indicates that potentially important content such as a non-guidance content element is missing from the configuration. User needs to decide if the missing content is of interest to them. However, this is a case that the user will want to analyze carefully since the content that is missing is no just guidance and thus may affect other aspects of the configuration such as Capability Patterns. If it turns out that the user wants the missing content, they can include the missing element in the configuration.

Missing element to contribute to: A method element contributes to a method element that is not in the configuration and that method element contributes more than just guidance (e.g., a role that adds another Work Product to be responsible for, a task adds a new input/output artifact). The non-guidance content is not included in the configuration. Note: If a method element contributes text (e.g., the contributor includes text in main description field), that text is considered guidance.
Missing element to extend: A method element extends a method element that is not in the configuration. The resulting new element will include content that originally existed in an element that is not included in the configuration. That's OK since the content is included inline in the new element.
Missing element to replace: A method element (Role, Task, or Work Product) replaces a method element that has not been included in the configuration. The replacement element is not included in the configuration. This is considered a warning because eliminating the replacing element may have some unanticipated affects on the configuration. It may perform new tasks, be responsible for other work products, or produce more work products.
Missing Primary Task Performer: A Task refers to a role as it's primary performer, and that role is not included in the configuration. The task is still included in the configuration.

Level 3: Information

Indicates that a (generally) noncritical content element (e.g., guidance, content category, optional input artifact, additional performer) is missing from the configuration. The missing content is considered supplemental information that, if it was missing, would not have broad repercussions on other aspects of the configuration. In other words, not having the element in the configuration is generally not considered a problem, but it might be something that the user would be interested in knowing.

User needs to decide if the missing content is of interest to them. In most cases, content is considered supplementary material that adds detail to non-guidance content elements. Thus, it is not usually considered critical if that information is missing from the configuration (especially if the information supplements an element that is no longer in the configuration). It is envisioned that, in most cases, the user will ignore these messages. If it turns out that the user wants the missing content, they can include the missing element in the configuration.

Missing element to contribute to (Guidance Only). A method element contributes to a method element that is not in the configuration and that method element contributes just guidance (where guidance includes reference to Guidance method element, as well as additional text in the contributor's fields -- e.g., additional text to be contributed to the main description). The guidance content being contributed is not included in the configuration.
Missing Referenced Guidance: A method element references guidance that has not been included.
Missing Additional Performer for a Task: A Task refers to a role as an additional performer, and that role is not included in the configuration. Missing an additional performer is not deemed to be that critical. The task is still included in the configuration.
Missing Work Products for a Role: A Role is responsible (or can modify) a Work Product that is not included in the configuration. Not usually a problem; however, if the role is not responsible for (or can modify) any artifacts, one may question why it is in the configuration at all.
Missing Optional Input Work Product: A Task references a Work Product as an optional input Work Product. Since the Work Product is considered an optional input, this is generally not a problem.
Missing standard or custom category to replace: A content category replaces a content category that has not been included in the configuration. The replacement element is not included in the configuration. This is OK, since the element to be replaced was not included (and is assumed is not needed).
Missing guidance to replace. Guidance content replaces guidance content that has not been included in the configuration. The replacement element is not included in the configuration. This is OK, since the element to be replaced was not included (and is assumed is not needed).
Capability Pattern References Missing Element: A capability pattern references a content element that is not in the configuration. The content element is not included in the capability pattern.