# Understand results

Read coverage before interpreting findings. A report can contain a useful finding and unresolved observations at the same time.

## Start with the report status

| Status | Meaning in source-scan | Next action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| complete | The selected operation has no reported completeness reasons | Inspect each condition and observation; do not extend the result beyond the selected world |
| degraded | Some analysis ran, but limitations or empty families remain | Review findings together with reasons and unknown observations |
| unavailable | The requested acquisition or analysis could not be admitted | Fix or narrow the input; do not interpret zero findings |

Exit 3 is expected for the three tutorial cases. It reports incomplete capability, not the number of findings. The edited control still exits 3. See [JSON and exit codes](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/reference/output/) for all process outcomes.

## Read each condition

`requested` means the condition was selected. `executed` means its family evaluator ran. Neither field guarantees that the input produced supported observations for that particular condition.

- `not-run`: the condition did not execute.
- `no-observations`: its evaluator ran but found no relevant observations.
- `degraded`: at least one observation is unknown.
- `completed`: relevant observations were evaluated without an unknown result in that condition's coverage record.

A `completed` row is not a portfolio-wide guarantee. Preserve `observationCount`, `unknownObservationCount`, `findingCount` and the observation identities when reviewing it.

## Follow the evidence

A finding has a condition identity, evidence and source anchors. Inspect the affected source and the rule's assumptions. A source anchor identifies where evidence came from; it does not establish that the rest of the program is covered.

In the tutorial, V-EXEC-03 finds lost required context through detachment. V-ASYNC-14 finds a guard across suspension while another guard trace remains incomplete. A finding and unknown can therefore coexist even within one requested family.

## Follow one recorded finding

Open the [positive report](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/examples/positive/observed.json). The following is a field-by-field walkthrough of that recorded file; the hash is specific to this example.

1. In `conditions`, find the object whose `conditionID` is `V-EXEC-03`. It reports `findingCount: 1` and one entry in `observationIDs`.
2. In `families`, select the object whose `family` is `execution`. Its `report.rows` contains pairs of observation identity and decision. Match the first member to the condition's observation ID.
3. In that same family's `report.proofs`, match `conditionID` to the **observation ID**, not to `V-EXEC-03`. This nested field reuses the name `conditionID` but contains the observation hash in this report format.
4. Read the matched proof's explanation, evidence IDs and `anchors`. Each anchor is a source path and UTF-8 byte offset, not a line number. Inspect those locations in the matching [example source](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/examples/positive/Sources/Example/Execution.swift).

Selected fields from the recorded condition:

```json
{
  "conditionID": "V-EXEC-03",
  "findingCount": 1,
  "observationIDs": [
    "dc834195d051e2852871c5673581baf9b2dee8c0876877b8fd9e7d3cca5131fc"
  ]
}
```

The matching execution `report.rows` entry:

```json
[
  "dc834195d051e2852871c5673581baf9b2dee8c0876877b8fd9e7d3cca5131fc",
  "finding"
]
```

The proof with that same identity includes anchors such as `["Sources/Example/Execution.swift", 67]`. These excerpts omit other fields; keep the full report when filing an issue.

The `guard` family uses a different shape. For `V-ASYNC-14`, take its condition-level `observationIDs` and match each against `families[family=guard].report.rows[].id`. Each matching object has its own `decision`, `witness`, `evidence` and `sites`; source locations are in `sites`. The positive case has both a `finding` row for Guard.swift and an `unknown:incomplete-guard-trace` row. Do not apply the execution family's pair/proof layout to this family.

## Read one unknown in the control

The [control report](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/examples/control/observed.json) has an execution row with `unknown:assumed-isolation-context-unresolved`. The available facts do not resolve the isolation context needed for that observation. It is neither a finding nor proof of safe isolation. Review the corresponding condition's observation IDs and the [control source](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/examples/control/Sources/Example/Execution.swift), retain that limitation and avoid turning zero findings into a clean result. In the guard family, the edited guard observation becomes `not-applicable`, while a separate incomplete guard trace remains unknown.

## Act within the scope

Review the proposed edit in its actual lifecycle, isolation, error and ownership context. No automatic fix is offered. Re-run after changing code and compare both findings and coverage. If a finding disappears because the new form is unsupported, the result has not established a successful correction.

[Coverage and unknown](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/concepts/coverage/) explains negative evidence. [Troubleshooting](https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/guides/troubleshooting/) explains common acquisition reasons.


---

Language: en
Canonical: https://docs.swift-analyzer.com/guides/results/
Product revision: 524fa07e0ae4153c84ac12ae9eb6559df89ec2be
Catalog revision: 4558458d
Documentation digest: 1f17ba58ab08627e0de898f1442067b09e960b48cd5605d6529e9275f8930d68
Channel: pre-prod; maturity: experimental; access: owner-provided checkout.