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List:       graphviz-interest
Subject:    Re: [graphviz-interest] UI/optimization question
From:       "Emden R. Gansner" <erg () research ! att ! com>
Date:       2007-09-04 18:28:07
Message-ID: 46DDA3B7.80803 () research ! att ! com
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Rich Morin wrote:
> In order to get the relation nodes to show up on the desired
> columns, my dot code had to:
>
>   *  figure out which column each relation node "should" use
>
>   *  control the layout, indirectly, by specifying an artificial
>      direction for each relationship
>
> The latter part is trivial for a program to do, once the first
> part has been done.  However, the first part looks like it may
> need some tricky optimization coding.
>
>   
To answer the first question, you need to define what you mean by a 
"nice-looking" graph,
as you requested in your original posting. I'm guessing you want 
planarity if you can get
it, and that you want to take advantage of the bipartite nature of the 
graph to have entities
and relations in alternating columns. Given a planar embedding, the 
columns come from
a breadth-first search. I'm also guessing that trying to minimize the 
number of columns in
the planar case, or minimizing what you decide to minimize in the 
non-planar case will lead to some
serious code.
> FWIW, I tried using neato(1), but it had layout problems with
> the long record nodes.  When I switched to small nodes for the
> relations, it laid out the diagram in a dense fashion that I
> didn't find appealing.  Sigh.
>
>
>   
neato worked okay for me. Please file a bug report, or send me mail 
showing what you feel is wrong.
Thanks.

    Emden


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