Alternator/Starter motor issues

[DStanley1809]

While replacing it I disconnected the positive terminal on the battery rather than the negative so that no power was going to the starter motor while I was working on it.

Is this likely to have caused any problems?

No short was created by the wonky post, all the plastic was doing was holding the end of the bolt in place. I am taking the motor back to be replaced as it shouldn't have snapped so easily.

Also, I have been told that I did my alternator/battery continuity test wrong. I did it using the postive connection on the alternator and the negative on the battery. Someone else has said I should have used the positive on both the alternator and the battery. When I did this I got no continuity.