Re: Simple line connections

[Lars Clausen <lrclause cs uiuc edu>]

On Sun, 5 May 2002, Arne Christian Hårseth wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I have just started using Dia and have some questions (which I have found
> no answer for in help, faq or maillist) and improvement-suggestions. I
> first installed 0.89pre1 (Windows) but it crashes to often to be usable
> because of a copy & paste bug (which I have reported and later found out
> already has been fixed). I now run 0.88-2. Generally I find Dia to be a
> very nice tool.
>
> Why is there no connection point at the end of a simple line?
>
> I find lines to behave rather strange when it comes to connections. If I
> draw a line between two boxes (or any other non line object I guess) I
> can move the boxes and the line will follow. If however I move the line
> it is no longer connected and moves separately from the connected
> objects. If I draw two connected lines in a T shape and then move the
> horizontal line the connected vertical line will follow. If however I
> move the vertical line it is no longer connected and moves separately.
>
> Would it not be more intuitive to let a line behave like any other
> object? If you need to detatch a connected line then do so explisitly
> (ie. with midle or right mouse click and choose detatch).

I think most of us find the current setup more intuitive.  There is a
difference between elements and connections, in that connections can bind
to elements, and moving elements moves their connections as well.  

Now note that there's two ways to move a connection:  Either grab the
middle of the connection and move the whole line (detaches both endpoints),
or grab one end of the connection and move that end (detaches one
endpoint).  It might be more intuitive if the first way, rather than
detaching both endpoints, moved the elements instead.  When you grab an
endpoint, you automatically 'loosen' the connection at that point.  I would
hate to have to use an extra mouse click to detach.

> If you have turned on "snap to grid" and draw a line from a an objects
> connection point which happens to be outside the grid then you can not
> make the line horizontal (or vertical) without turning off "snap to grid"
> or change the grid resolution. I find this to be to much work. Could it
> be an idea to allow the line (or an object) to snap to the extention of
> the connection point?

Yes, there are some things that could be done, like Set Horizontal/Set
Vertical.  

-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?