Re: "crash due to a fatal error"

[Lars Clausen <lrclause cs uiuc edu>]

On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, Guennadi Liakhovetski wrote:
> Hello again
>
> Please bare with me, I am starting to use Dia and finding various places,
> where it behaves not quite as I would expect it to...
>
> So, on pressing File->Plugins it segfaults (CVS-snapshot of 23.04.02).

Huh?  Doesn't happen here.  Obviously you have plugins... have you made any
of your own that might cause this?  Could you configure with
--enable-debug, then export DEBUGGER=gdb, then run it and see where it
crashes? 

> Next, I am pretty sure there's a way to change Dia's default parameters,
> like line thickness, (basis) font size, text padding (common for all
> objects), but I couldn't find this in docs / mailing list...

There is no session-to-session setting, but line thickness can be set from
the tool box (the five parallel lines).  Global default font size and
padding is not settable, but it can be set per-object.

> Just tried - opened a new diagram, selected Flowchart, put a box, changed
> parameters to line width 0.2, text padding 0.2, font size 0.3. Suddenly
> the coursor is in a wrong position, and now when I move the box around
> the coursor leaves a black trace on the sheet...

There is a definite problem with some text-containing boxes that don't call
update the text info in foo_update_data.  

That's strange, I could have sworn I fixed this at least in *some*
objects.  But here's the main problem:  In foo_update_data, there should be
a call to text_calc_boundingbox(foo->text, NULL), so that the text width
and height is updated.  I have done this for the flowchart box in CVS
(including a fix in text.c that allows the NULL bbox passed in).  If
somebody wants to do some simple fixes, there's a bunch of these around,
and they're real easy.  (Also look for whether the container shrinks
correctly -- the flowchart box could only grow.).

> Another problem - if in a box I first type something, then change the
> parameters as above, and then try to shrink the box to the minimum - the
> box is far too wide again.

Same problem as above.

> (now I DO have a freetype support configured in
> - and yes, it does help to reduce the padding, but you should really in
> configure.in check not just for freetype-config, but for a version >
> x.y.z, where FT_Get_Postscript_Name is already supported:-))

That would be 2.0.5, which is the version we already check for.

> Sorry about this flood, I am trying to pursuade my company to use an
> "open-technology" (XML / UML - based) tool, rather than Visio, and Dia
> seems to be the best candidate for a replacement, but these small
> problems, most of which, I am sure, are simple to fix, make it
> difficult...

I hope you are successfull.  Some of the bugs, while seemingly simple, may
be deeper than you think.

-Lars

-- 
Lars Clausen (http://shasta.cs.uiuc.edu/~lrclause)| Hårdgrim of Numenor
"I do not agree with a word that you say, but I   |----------------------------
will defend to the death your right to say it."   | Where are we going, and
    --Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrasing Voltaire  | what's with the handbasket?