Idea
Comparison tool within skin rule
My idea is regarding having a comparison tool within the skin rule which compares the properties of a component style/format with others.
The issue is that as a project grows, different developers create different instances of the component style - E.g.: Creating multiple types of Dynamic Layouts or Containers with different names. This is done to handle different UI requirements throughout the life-cycle of a project.
Often, same format configurations exist with a different name but there is no way for a developer to know unless the developer painfully combs through all existing formats and opening and comparing each format property.
This causes skin rules to bloat. PEGA has given an option to disable formats but it is difficult to do the same without having a view of where a format is being used and the impact assessment is often difficult.
An easier way would be if PEGA had a comparison tool which would alert a developer with a warning if another format already existed within the skin rule containing the same properties (margins/borders/padding etc.) as the one the developer is trying to create.
This will lead to re-use of existing formats without the burden of finding the same.
Response to below snippet in the post:
PEGA has given an option to disable formats but it is difficult to do the same without having a view of where a format is being used and the impact assessment is often difficult.
For above issue mentioned in the post, pega provided the option to list the section rules where the format is used.
Navigation path: Open any layout format --> Actions --> List Sections (Pega Platform v 8.2.1)
Regarding the idea, it is very rare that developers creating duplicate format with exact styling like borders, padding etc.. Here the requirement might fit into the existing format. but there could be very minor differences in the format styling & that makes identification process difficult to find exact duplicate format. One way to avoid this, proper documentation with description & usage of format/mixins etc.. should be captured at skin level and knowledge should be shared with the team on regular basis.