diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 31ada7a..e5b74d1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@ This is easy to reproduce by simply decreasing the size of the buffers in the pr
 
 - numeric_convert() in cwNumericConvert.h could be made more efficient using type_traits.
 
+- numeric_convert() d_min is NOT zero, it's smallest positive number, this fails when src == 0.
+  min value is now set to zero.
+
+- The UI app id map should be validated after the UI is created.
+In otherwords the parent/child pairs shoud actually exists.
+
+- Add an ui::appIdToUuId() that returns the first matching appId, and then
+optionally looks for duplicates as an error checking scheme. 
+
 - thread needs setters and getters for internal variables
 
 - change cwMpScNbQueue so that it does not require 'new'.
diff --git a/cwNumericConvert.h b/cwNumericConvert.h
index d2153ea..d110040 100644
--- a/cwNumericConvert.h
+++ b/cwNumericConvert.h
@@ -38,12 +38,12 @@ namespace cw
   {
     // TODO: there is probably a way of using type_traits to make a more efficient comparison
     //       and avoid the double conversion
-    double d_min = std::numeric_limits<DST_t>::min();
+    double d_min = 0; // std::numeric_limits<DST_t>::min() return smallest positive number which then fails this test when 'src' is zero.
     double d_max = std::numeric_limits<DST_t>::max();
-    if( d_min <= src and src <= d_max )
+    if( d_min <= (double)src && (double)src <= d_max )
       dst = src;
     else
-      return cwLogError(kInvalidArgRC,"Numeric conversion failed. The source value is outside the range of the destination value." );
+      return cwLogError(kInvalidArgRC,"Numeric conversion failed. The source value is outside the range of the destination value. min:%f max:%f src:%f",d_min,d_max,(double)src );
    
 
     return kOkRC;
diff --git a/cwUi.cpp b/cwUi.cpp
index 390a4cf..8ee66a7 100644
--- a/cwUi.cpp
+++ b/cwUi.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,15 @@ namespace cw
     ele_t* _createEle( ui_t* p, ele_t* parent, unsigned appId, const char* eleName )
     {
       ele_t* e = mem::allocZ<ele_t>();
+
+      // got up the tree looking for a parent with a valid appId
+      ele_t* par = parent;
+      while( par != nullptr && par->appId == kInvalidId )
+        par = par->parent;
+
+      if( par != nullptr )
+        parent = par;
+      
       e->parent  = parent;
       e->uuId    = p->eleN;
       e->appId   = appId;
@@ -272,7 +281,7 @@ namespace cw
           e->appId = m->appId;
       }
 
-      printf("uuid:%i appId:%i %s\n", e->uuId,e->appId,cwStringNullGuard(e->eleName));
+      printf("uuid:%i appId:%i par-uuid:%i %s\n", e->uuId,e->appId,e->parent==nullptr ? -1 : e->parent->uuId, cwStringNullGuard(e->eleName));
        
       return e;
     }