the UML ClassDialog v/s the generic Dia properties dialog

["Sameer Sahasrabuddhe" <sameerds gmail com>]

Hi,

It seems the UMLClass is the only DiaObject that has its own special
dialog. The confusion here is that the UMLClassDialog deals with the
/content/ of the UML Class, and not its "properties" that are relevant
in the context of Dia. Take a look at the dialog that is presented
when a UML Class is double-clicked. Of all the things available on the
dialog, only three things are relevant to Dia, the diagram app:

Text Color
Foreground Color
Background Color

The rest is just UML content, and rightfully deserves its own separate
dialog. Making it separate also removes a lot of problems with various
property-related functions. Note that an analogy can be made with the
Flowchart Box. Double-clicking the box provides a dialog where you can
modify various properties of the box, except one: the contents of the
box! There is a separate interface for doing this, which is by
clicking in the box and directly editing the text present.

I think the correct to do with the UML Class dialog is to give it a
separate interface:
1) An "Edit" option in the context menu, that invokes the dialog.

2) umlclass_apply_props_from_dialog() should be removed from the
vtable for the UMLClass object. It should be renamed as a callback for
the class dialog. The vtable should instead have a generic function
like other objects.

3) The three properties mentioned above should be editable from the
UMLClass dialog as well as the generic property_dialog used by the
rest of Dia.

Sameer.
-- 
http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/~sameerds/