import-filter for iptables ?

[=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Marc_Sch=F6chlin?= <marc schoechlin t-online de>]

Hi !

I'm often writing or modifying iptables-firewallscripts, but I miss a
good possibility
to make a graphical-documentation of these firewalls.

There is a command which allows me to dump the actual firewall-configuration
to a file. (iptables-save)

I thought about writing a small piece of code to create a first simple
.dia-file.

I'm used to program in perl, but I have also some little experience in
writing c-code.

Does it make sense to include such a filter to dia - or is it more easy to
write this in my used language ?

The diagrams should look like this:

There are rules which are grouped in chains. The rules should
represented as
text-boxes. These textboxes should be includes in a "named" chain.

Iptables supports to jump to other chains - so I have to be able to make
a magnetic
line from one of the rule-textboxes to an certain chain. (the magnetic
line should be
able to be placed on the left or on the right side of the text)

Are there some functonalities for automatic creation of such kind of
charts ?

Regards

Marc Schöchlin