Re: Two problems with grouped objects

[Hans Breuer <hans breuer org>]

At 27.05.2011 17:34, Blick Winkel wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for developing Dia, it's a nice piece of soft, unfortunatelly
> I found two major problems while using it (0.79.1 for windows). Both are
> connected with group function usage:
>
> 1. Text searching doesn't work when text is grouped with other objects.
> This defies usage of groups for me, at least because I need to be able
> find my objects (described by the text field in it). On the other hand,
> using groups is absolutely neccesary when I need to move my objects (and
> I need to do it quite often)
If your linked example is not too constructed it should be possible without 
groups. Instead of using a "Standard - Ellipse" and to group with "Standard 
- Text" you could use a "Flowchart - Ellipse" combining both elements in 
one object.

> 2. When I select more than one grouped objects, properties of the lines
> connections between them become distorted/are reseted.
Looks like the same issue as described in
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=534271
But the connection is not broken by selecting but already by grouping the 
objects AFAIK.
> Because one
> picture is worth more than 1000 words (especially in my mediocre
> english), then please check these pictures below:
>
> http://imgur.com/a/tNDZ6
>
> a) Two objects, A and B. Both grouped.
> b) c) We're joining them by simple line.
> d) Connection works correctly - i.e. we can change objects' position and
> line adapts accordingly.
> e) Now we select both objects (line included) and move them all
> somewhere else.
> f) After replacement, when we try to move any of the objects line no
> longer connects A and B.
Expected from the analysis in bug #534271

> g) Alternatively, sometimes line connects them but incorrectly
> (staticaly).
Probably you are fooled by Dia's auto-connect feature. If object handle and 
conection point are close enough they reattach (again).

> This is big problem to me. As I said before, I have to move my grouped
> objects quite often, and sometimes many of them together. Unfortunately
> after their movement, I have to redo all the line connections!
If there is no object type to overcome the necessity of grouping as 
outlined above there might be another way. Just consider to group more. 
Connections within groups are maintained flawlessly.

> Well, at
> least lines are there, but still re-connecting them manually again is,
> duh, painful and time wasting.
>
> Thank you for your time, I hope this helps solving the problem in
> (prefereably nearest) future :)
Probably not because it hits some design limitation in Dia, see:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=343074#c4

In the current development version all the unfinished "new group" stuff is 
ripped out and the behaviour of grouped objects not being direct part of 
the diagram is used for some initial transformation support.
With that maintaining connections to the outside of the group become much 
more complicated, so that all these connections are broken when a matrix 
transformation is active.

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