Establish what is happening
Identify one dependent pair
Choose controlled parent and dependent records with a known reference between them. Record their exact source identifiers, row positions, and intended final relationship. Compare the referenced identifier with the parent’s parsed identity before assuming that sequence is responsible for an unresolved link or a validation rejection.
Trace availability at lookup time
Record when the parent is accepted and when the dependent lookup runs. Compare these events with the final relationship state. A parent present after the import does not prove it was available earlier, and a pending write or unresolved validation can look similar to a simple row-order problem.
Compare the reversed sequence
Use a controlled copy with the same pair in the opposite order while preserving identities and mappings. Compare outcomes and any documented deferred-resolution behavior. If both sequences fail, keep missing scope, identifier conversion, or relationship rules in the investigation rather than treating ordering as established by the original file layout.
What to carry forward
End with the dependent pair, identity comparison, processing sequence, and lookup-time availability. State whether reversing order changes the outcome. The next owner should be able to distinguish an ordering dependency from a missing or mismatched reference without assuming that a final parent record proves the earlier lookup was valid.
Technical background: PostgreSQL documentation.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
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