Re: Assisting Development

[Hans Breuer <hans breuer org>]

Hi Sjoerd,
At 31.01.2011 22:10, Sjoerd van Leent wrote:
> Dear reader,
>
> I have been using Dia quite a lot, and as a Software Engineer, I like to
> help with development.
Welcome to Dia development ;)

> As a user, I do have a number of wishes (including
> dynamic resizing in UML diagrams), but I understand there might be other
> more important issues.
Even as the maintainer I like to find my own personal itch to scratch and 
it is sometimes even related to UML ;) Unfortunately the objects/UML 
include the most complex object implementations Dia has (especially "UML - 
Class") and there are already some issues pending, which would require 
major restructuring.

 * group changing of attributes with side-effects
   https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=629620

   some logic required to manage undo/redo information is in GUI code
   and thus currently not available when using non UI calls like
   UML/class.c(umlclass_set_props)

 * missing of meta info property page in UML - Class property dialog

   The whole property GUI of 'UML - Class' is implemented especially for
   this specific object and thus can not benefir of generic propery UI
   implemented in lib/prop*

 * strange resizing of 'UML - Lifeline', see:
   https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=587319

   Basically contradictory requirements which need a good idea to be both
   implemented.

These three are all on my wishlist for Dia 0.98, but I doubt I'll find the 
time to properly implement them myself.

> If there is anything I can do, I am willing to help.
I hope there is some correlation between your own interests and the small 
selection given above. If you need more information to get you started 
please do not hesitate to ask.

> I have expertise in C and C++ as well as Python.
Fresh blood is very welcome and your language selection is a perfect match 
for Dia. There is some limited C++ code in bindings/ and plug-ins/wmf, the 
had-written python bindings including some plug-in samples in Python in 
plug-ins/python and a lot of C code everywhere else.

I've tried to document some of the Dia design with Dia in samples/Self.

HTH,
        Hans

-------- Hans "at" Breuer "dot" Org -----------
Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to
get along without it.                -- Dilbert