Re: process diagrams with dot and some glue using org

[Karl Voit <mail@Karl-Voit.at>]

Eric S Fraga (e.fraga@ucl.ac.uk) wrote:

> Dear Karl,

Hi Eric,

> a couple of weeks ago you developed some code to convert a pair of
> tables to a graphviz digraph and you wrote a very useful Worg page about
> it:
> 
>   http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/74280
>   http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/org-dot-diagrams.html

Glad you enjoyed it!

> I have today had a real need for this so I copied the code and used
> it.  Worked like a charm!  Thanks for doing this.

You are very welcome!

> I just wanted to say two things about it:
> 
> 1. if the typical use case is to use the code with #+call:, it would be
>      more helpful to delete the #+header: line in the source code in the
>      Worg page. 

I have to admit, that I did not come up with the technical solution
which is described in the tutorial.  My part was the
requirement/idea and a very basic attempt. Rick Frankel[1]
contributed the LISP code and the final structure of the tables. As
a matter of fact, I had never used #+call before by myself. Rick was
also the author of the call statement[2] to re-use the code with
several tables.

>      This header line presumes that the particular tables in
>      your first example exist.  Deleting this line means that the code
>      can only be used via a #+call statement but I think this is more
>      logical.

I see your point.

However, in the tutorial, I wanted to start with a full example
using two tables and the ELISP block only.

In a second step, I wanted to re-use the ELISP block. You are right,
the #+header line is not necessary if the ELISP block is used by
#+src only. Are you suggesting, that there should be a remark on
this in the tutorial? If so, feel free to improve the text, if you
do have good ideas!

> 2. I appended a column to my node table with a description of each
>      node.  You've written your code so that it doesn't care if there
>      are extra columns.  This is a bonus!  My table not only provides
>      the data for the graph but also explains the graph to a reader.

Yes, I also do like this "feature" to add additional things.

Once again: I had the requirement of creating simple work-flows
within Org-mode, Rick was so kind and contributed the solution, and
I summarized the method in the tutorial.

So the "thank you" definitely belongs to Rick. Therefore, I added
him to the Cc.

Nice greetings from sunny Graz, Austria!

  1. http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/73854
  2. http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/73972
-- 
Karl Voit