Re: Found the answer [Was: Custom properties?]

[Barrie Slaymaker <barries slaysys com>]

On Tue, Nov 06, 2001 at 12:44:44AM +0100,  wrote:
> Le lun, nov 05, 2001, à 04:59:11 -0500, Barrie Slaymaker a écrit:
> > On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 11:14:09AM -0500, Barrie Slaymaker wrote:
> > > Is there any support for adding custom attributes or properties to Dia
> > > shapes?
>
> > Based on current CVS code, looks like there isn't.  Is this  a perhaps a
> > TODO item?  Not enough time to patch it myself at the moment,
> > unfortunately, but this sort of thing could make Dia in to a very nice
> > graphical configuration/programming front end for certain types of
> > systems.
>
> There could be a way to cobble this into the StdProp code ; however: how
> would you reflect these properties into the shape's appearance ? 

Wasn't looking to, at least not initally.  Just being able to add
arbitrary name/string_value pairs to shapes and edges is all I'd like.
This could be as simple as a single, multiline string for each shape and
each line/edge:

   C:entry-handler=update_display();
   Java:entry-handler=display->update();

or a separate list of multi-line strings.  I've been thinking of using
layers and attaching text objects on a second layer to the states and
edges on the first layer, but shapes and edges on different layers don't
interact.  If I could connect an edge on layer 2 to a connection port on
a layer 1 shape or line segment, I'd already be parsing Dia files and
producing C code :).

Showing the things I have in mind (source code snippets, logical
attributes) on the main diagram is too cluttersome; I have graphviz
outputting diagrams now from the XML with and without these textual
entities, and the diagrams with the textual entities are far to
complicated for non-geeks.  I could code some object libraries up in C
if I get desparate enough, probably by cribbing code from a few existing
objects and adding a hidden set of properties to them.

> OTOH, the UrShapes project may be heading towards what you want to do;
> unfortunately, for both mainline dia and UrShapes, things look extremely
> quiet nowadays.

Sounds (in light of John's later reply) like I should just be patient.

> On my side, I currently have barely enough spare cycles left
> to tag invalid bugs as invalid, but I can't keep up with the flow of valid
> new bugs, let alone finish (at last !) the first phase of the UTF-8
> transition :(
>
> So, in short, the usual answer stands: patches heartily welcome.

Well, I completely understand how it is, I also have too many open
source wannados for the number of free hours in the week, so thanks for
even having the time to respond to my queries.

- Barrie