  A very wide body of HERA diffractive electroproduction data is confronted
with the predictions of the colour dipole model. In doing so we focus upon
three different parameterisations of the dipole scattering cross-section, whose
parameters are fixed by analysis of DIS structure function data. This analysis
strongly suggests the presence of saturation effects, but is not definitive
because the conclusion requires the inclusion of data at low-$Q^2$ values.
Having fixed the parameters of the models from the DIS structure function data,
the resulting dipole cross sections can be used to make genuine predictions for
other reactions. Good agreement is obtained for all observables, as is
illustrated here for deeply virtual Compton scattering(DVCS) and diffractive
deep inelastic scattering(DDIS). There can be no doubting the success of the
dipole scattering approach and more precise observations are needed in order to
expose its limitations
