Re: [Re-posting] Adding object-specific properties to custom objects

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003, Marco Contenti wrote:

> Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 17:47:00 +0100
> From: Marco Contenti <m.contenti@libero.it>
> Reply-To: dia-list@gnome.org
> To: dia-list@gnome.org
> Subject: Re: [Re-posting] Adding object-specific properties to custom
>     objects
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marco Contenti" <m.contenti@libero.it>
> To: <dia-list@gnome.org>
> Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 11:45 PM
> Subject: [Re-posting] Adding object-specific properties to custom objects
>
>
> > So, I'm going to implement this right away, but I'd like to:

...

> > of the Dia project;

yay!

> > 2. do it the most standard way possible;

wohoo.

I've got two dealines, Monday and Tuesday.
Sorry for not commenting sooner but I really should be studying.

> > 3. know if someone has already thought or made something, not to waste
> > effort.

I'd really like to see some sort of generalised name value pairs, which is
pretty close to what you seem to be doing.
I'd like for it to be possible for uses to select an object and add as
many of these name/value pairs as possible.  properties is probably a
sensible choice, if you can take a look at SVG and or the markup from
OpenOffice.org and borrow if practical because we will likely want to be
able to convert Dia to those formats more than any other so keeping new
stuff similar will help future developers.

I had vaguely intended to add some very specific properties such as
author, date and other using the Dublin Core standard (and there is a bug
report that if i recall correctly suggests at this) but I never quite got
around to it.  If and when I completed that I planned to include the name
value pairs.

> > My ideas are:
> > - use standard properties (of course);
> > - use the existing dia:attribute tag in .dia files;
> > - create a new tag in .shape files to describe attributes, supporting all
> > standard types including composite;

I'm in a hurry, and I'm probably wrong but I have doubts about where
best this information should be put.  I'm sorry but I'll try and figure
out and say something constructive later in the week.

Very roughly I'm thinking user/developer types should be able to specify
metadata like descriptions when creating origninal shape files but that no
modifications should be happening to shape files by end users and the
extra information would be stored in the .dia file.  (hope that makes
sense and if it doesn't I'm sure I'll get a swift beating with the
cluestick from the developers).

> Again, Please let me know your comments and suggestions.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, and I hope my English was clear enough.

Must dash, late again!

- Alan