Re: Problems with UML elements

[Lars Clausen <lars raeder dk>]

On Tue, 2004-04-13 at 18:29, Klavs Klavsen wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm working on UML documents, and find it great that Dia supports elements
> that visio doesn't :) - and the "create code from drawing"-feature is way
> cool.
>
> However, I've just run into a few annoyances, and figured I'd ask if it
> was a bug, missing feature or just me :)
>
> 1) a UML Activity - I can't figure out how to resize it. When I
> double-click on it I can set font size etc. but not the size of the actual
> activity box - this means that the text in the activity box extends out
> side the box :(

It cannot be resized manually.  It resizes itself when enough text is
added to it, and also when the font size is set etc.  However, there's
no reason it can't resize like the first four flowchart shapes.  Patches
would be welcome (and probably easy to make, given other objects do what
is wanted).

> 2) a Message does not seem to support being "divided" so it can (f.ex.) go
> straight left, break and go straight up. When I select it, theres shown 3
> "red blocks" - that I can pull. a left, a center and a right block. The
> center one does nothing if I move it up or down.. perhaps its a bug?

The center handle is the handle for the message text.  Unlike some other
connectors (like the FS flows), the message cannot be edited directly in
the diagram, which is an error.  As for why it's a straigt line rather
than a zig-zag line, that's a decision made by the UML sheet designers. 
Unfortunately, it isn't easy to switch a line from straight to zig-zag
at run-time.

-Lars