[Ganttproject-news] ganttProject->xfig converter

[A S H. <ho...@ie...>]

I am new to ganttProject, but have found the program very useful.  One=20=

issue that caused me problems is that the graphical output of=20
ganttProjectis not scalable - it's converted directly to .png files and=20=

does not copy well.

In an attempt to start to fix this problem, I've written an octave=20
m-file script, myfig.m (should probably call it
"gan2fig" instead), that reads ganttProject xml .gan files and=20
translates the Gantt chart to xfig format.

xfig is a drawing tool that is used under Linux, Mac OS X, and allows=20
its output to be translated to
	- LaTeX  (scalable)
	- postscript (scalable)
	- .eps	(scalable)
	- .pdf (scalable)
	- many other things.

The m-file and an example of its use are at
	http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/hodelas/LaTeX/LaTeX_tf.html
under the link "On using Gantt charts in LaTeX."  There are also links=20=

to xfig, etc., which I installed under Mac OS X using fink (I've also=20
used it under Linux, but I'm now using only Mac OS X.)

I'd like to see these functions incorporated into GanttProject itself,=20=

but there are two problems:
(1) I don't know JAVA, and
(2) Alexandre Thomas doesn't know octave/MATLAB.

So, we would like to ask this mailing list if anyone can take my few=20
days worth of work and help to incorporate
the features into ganttProject.  I'd prefer to see the functions=20
directly incorporated into ganttProject in order to maintain maximum=20
portability.

Below is an english translation of my (badly written) french=20
description of mychart.m to Mr. Thomas:

On Friday, May 7, 2004, at 02:12 AM, Alexandre THOMAS wrote:
> Ok
> I've never heard about the octave language.
> Perhaps you can pass a mail to the mailing list of the developers
> (gan...@li...)
> and can explain what you've done..Perhaps someone know java/octave=20
> both...

That's a good idea.

> I'll try to look at your programm and try to convert it into Java..
> By the way, could you explain the goal of the program.
>
> If I understand, it convert the xml project file directly into a eps=20=

> of fig
> file?? isn't it

You are correct.

The subroutines  "getProject", "getProjectTextWidth,"=20
"concatenateTasks", and "fixTaskDates"
make a data structure that contains all tasks.  Your Java program has=20
no need of these subroutines since it begins with such a data structure.

The subroutine "xfigheader" begins to write an xfig file with color=20
definitions, etc.

The subroutine "set ProjectPlotTimes" converts the start dates and=20
durations into data structures of boxes and lines  for xfig by calling=20=

the subroutine "task2box."  Notice that the word "box" is incorrect; =20
in xfig anything that is made with lines is a "polyline" object, type=20
2, and so perhaps I should write "task2polyline."  setProjectPlotTimes=20=

also calls "task2text," which makes a text data structure object for=20
xfig.

Finally, the subroutine "drawtask" writes the parameters in the xfig=20
file that come from the data structures that were made in=20
setProjectPlotTimes.  This is done by calling subroutines "drawtask"=20
and "drawtext."  Following this, drawtask writes the lines and arrows=20
for the dependencies.

All of these subroutines use a data structure notation that is very=20
similar to C++ et C, except that there is no need to write the class=20
definitions.

One important difference is cell arrays, which are written with braces=20=

{} instead of parenthesis ().  A cell is an object that can be anything=20=

- it's perhaps similar to a "union" in C/C++.  Thus, if I write
	task =3D tasklist{ii};
that means to "put a copy of object ii in task list into variable task."

>
> I've another idea...Why not create another external tool (external =
from
> ganttproject) that can take the xml file and convert it into a pdf=20
> document..
> Can be another solution....

Oui!  Je peut le faire apr=E8s je suis satisfi=E9 avec myfig (je dois=20
changer le nom =E0 "gan2fig").

>
> in fact I like your work
merci! - ce n'est pas tr=E8s =E9l=E9gant, mais il marche assez bien pour=20=

maintenant.

> kind regards
> alexandre
>
> Selon A S Hodel <ho...@ie...>:
>
>> Je ne connais pas le JAVA, alors j'ai =E9crit les fonctionnes en =
Octave=20
>> -
>> c'est un peu semblable =E0 MATLAB/C++.
>> Pour maintenant, peut-=EAtre c'est assez de mettre un "link" a mon
>> web-page de LaTeX =E0
>> 	http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/hodelas/LaTeX
>> J'ai mit un exemple l=E0 aujourd'hui.  Puis, s'il y aurais quelqu'un =
qui
>> connais tous les deux d' Octave et Java,
>> il/elle peut ajouter les fonctionnes directment dans ganttProject.
>>
>> La source pour mychart.m est attach=E9 au desous.
>>
>> =C7a va avec vous?
>>
>> merci beaucoup pour ganttProject - c'est tr=E8s utile!
>>
>> Scotte
>>
>>
>
>

A. S. Hodel Dept. ECE, 200 Broun Hall, Auburn University AL 36849-5201
(334) 844-1854/fax(334) 844-1809,=20
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/hodelas , ho...@au...