shaape 1.0.0

Shaape - ascii art to image converter

README
======

About Shaape
------------
Shaape processes ascii drawings of diagrams and converts them to pixel or
vector graphics.
The word *Shaape* itself is a neologism from *shape* and *ascii art*.

Why to use Shaape
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Shaape is consistent between ascii source code and the produced image,
What-You-See-Is-What-You-Generate
- Shaape supports a very natural form of ascii drawing (see the examples below)
and attempts to keep the ascii source picture readable
- Shaape has an extensive feature set while maintaining a small and natural
syntax

What is supported
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- arbitrary shapes (e.g. polygons, paths, planar graphs)
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+-+ +-+ /\
\ \/ | + +-
\ | |
+---+ -+
----
- arrows (that even can snap to target points)
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+-->
/ /\
>---+---->+ +
\/
----
- extensive styles:
* color
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+---+ +---+ +---+
| a | | b | | c |
+---+ +---+ +---+
options:
- ".*" : {text : [[0,0,0,0]]}
- "a" : {fill : [[1,0,0,1]]}
- "b" : {fill : [[0,1,0,1]]}
- "c" : {fill : [[0,0,1,1]]}
----
* gradients
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+---+
| a |
+---+
options:
- ".*" : {text : [[0,0,0,0]]}
- "a" : {fill : [[1,0,0,1], [0.2,0.5,0.7,1]]}
----
* shadows
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+---+ +---+
| a | | b |
+---+ +---+
options:
- ".*" : {text : [[0,0,0,0]]}
- "a" : {fill : [shadow]}
- "b" : {fill : [no-shadow]}
----
* transparency
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+---+
| a |
+---+
options:
- ".*" : {text : [[0,0,0,0]]}
- "a" : {fill : [[1,0,0,0.5]]}
----
* line types: solid, dotted, dashed, dash-dotted
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
a------
b------
c------
d------
options:
- ".*" : {text : [[0,0,0,0]], fill: [3]}
- "a" : {fill : [solid]}
- "b" : {fill : [dotted]}
- "c" : {fill : [dashed]}
- "d" : {fill : [dash-dotted]}
----
- monospaced text in the whole drawing
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
+-----+
| abc |
+-----+
----
- all objects can be stacked or crossing, z-order is automatically determined
+
["shaape",scaling="0.5"]
----
+--+
| |
+-|--|---+
| | | |
+-|--|---+
| |
+--+
----
- corners can be either miter or round (the '*' character)
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
*---+
| | *** *
+---* * ***
----
- renders to png, svg, eps(experimental), pdf(experimental)
+
["shaape",scaling="0.6"]
----
+-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+
| |\ | |\ | |\ | |\
| +-+ | +-+ | +-+ | +-+
| PNG | | SVG | | EPS | | PDF |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | exp.| | exp.|
+---------+ +---------+ +---------+ +---------+
----
- md5sum generation/checking to prevent image generation on unchanged sources
+
["shaape",scaling="0.7"]
----
'[changed]'
+----------> regenerate >----+
/ \
source >--+ +---> result
\ /
+---> use old image >--------+
'[unchanged]'
----

What will be supported
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- advanced text styles without markup inside the drawing

What will *not* be supported
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- rotated text: (cannot be displayed in ascii art)
- circles: (cannot be displayed consistently in ascii art)

Dependencies
------------
- NetworkX python graph package
- pycairo
- scipy
- pyyaml
- networkx
- setuptools

- additionally for development:
* nose
* coverage
* mock

Download
--------
.Git
`$ git clone https://github.com/christiangoltz/shaape.git` clones into shaape

.PyPi
`$ easy_install shaape` downloads and installs shaape

Installation
------------
If checked out from Git:
To install shaape use:

`$ sudo make install`

To install the asciidoc filter use:

`$ make install-filter`

Usage
-----

To run shaape after the installation:

`$ shaape`

You can also run shaape without any installation by using following line inside the root directory of your git clone:

`$ shaape/run.py`

Asciidoc integration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shaape uses an asciidoc block listing definition to integrate into asciidoc:
....
[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+--------+ +-------------+
| | \ /
| Hello |---> \ Goodbye /
| ;) | / \
| | / \
+--------+ +-------------+
---------------------------------------------------------------------
....

Drawing
~~~~~~~
==== Lines
The most basic elements of shaape are lines. There are 4 different line elements:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
- | \ /

--------

| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
- | \ /

--------

| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
---------------------------------------------------------------------

==== Arrows
There are 4 types of arrows supported:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
< > ^ v
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
< > ^ v
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Arrows can also be used in connection with lines
---------------------------------------------------------------------
<-- --> ^ | >-- --< | v
| v ^ |
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
<-- --> ^ | >-- --< | v
| v ^ |
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Arrows snap to corners, that are near where they are pointing to:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+---+ v < v
-->| | \ / >+<
-->+ | \ / ^
| | ^ >
+---+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+---+ v < v
-->| | \ / >+<
-->+ | \ / ^
| | ^ >
+---+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

==== Connectors

The `+` character is used to connect lines:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
\|/ |
--+-- +-- +--- ---+---
/|\ / |
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
\|/ |
--+-- +-- +--- ---+---
/|\ / |
---------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to visually connect two lines, without actually connecting them
internally, to avoid closing a polygon, you can just directly connect
perpendicular lines without the `+`:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
+----+ +----+
| |-----| |
| |-----| |
+----+ +----+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+----+ +----+
| |-----| |
| |-----| |
+----+ +----+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

==== Bezier curves
Bezier curves are drawn using the `*` character. Shaape tries to match the
drawn curve smoothly. Bezier curves can be connected to lines and connectors.
The `*` itself is a similar connector as `+` and thus can be used to create
junctions in special cases too.
----
** ** ** ---+ ****
* ** \ *
* +--**
----

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
** ** ** ---+ ****
* ** \ *
* +--**
---------------------------------------------------------------------

==== Crossings
Crossings are used to let lines go over or under each other without creating
a junction between them.
You can use brackets and braces to explicitly indicate these junctions via
curved lines in the generated image or you can use normal line characters
to draw straight crossing lines.

e.g.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | |
+-]-[-(-)-|----+
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | +--|--
| | | | | +-------
| | | | | |
| +-+-+-+------~--
| |
+--------------+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

renders:

[shaape]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | |
+-]-[-(-)-|----+
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | +--|--
| | | | | +-------
| | | | | |
| +-+-+-+------~--
| |
+--------------+
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Styles
~~~~~~

Although I basically want to disencourage you using fancy colors and styles,
there may be some use cases when you need it.

A style defines how an object is drawn. Styles can be defined in a special
area below the diagram. This area starts with the identifier 'options:'.
On the next line the style description starts. The general syntax for the style
description is http://www.yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html[YAML].

==== Shaape Identification
To apply a style to an element in the drawing, you need to give it a name.
Polygons are named by writing the name into the polygon. Lines are named by
writing the name next to them:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
+---->
+------+ /
| box1 | -----+
+------+ line1
---------------------------------------------------------------------

==== Style definition
The actual style definition is a yaml list element consisting itself
of a dictionary with one element. The key of this element represents the names
of the shapes that it should be applied to.
The key should always be quoted. It is interpreted as a regular expression and
matched against the names of all polygons. Polygons with matching names get
this style applied.

----
options:
- "boxname[0-9]": {fill: [red, flat], frame: [blue, dashed], no-shadow}
----
==== Multiple style application & Style order
If a polygon matches multiple style definitions, then all matching styles are
applied sequentially from top to bottom of the style definition. That way you
can use a default style for some attributes and change specific attributes for
some polygons:

----
options:
- ".*": {fill: [red, flat], frame: [blue, dashed], no-shadow}
- "boxname[0-9]": {fill: [blue]}
----

==== Default Styles
Every drawn element matches the regular expression ".*". Thus you can use this
expression for the default style.
To set the default style for arrows, use "_arrow_" as key and to set the
default style for lines, use "_line_".

==== Possible style attributes
The style definition itself contains a yaml dictionary, that may have 3 keys:

+fill+:: defines style properties for filling a polygon, arrow or line
+frame+:: defines the style properties for the frame of a polygon or arrow
+text+:: defines the style properties for text

===== Fill
Fill may contain:

* +shadow+ / +no-shadow+: selects wether the object drops a shadow
(default is shadow)
+
.Example: All shapes without shadow
----
- ".*" : {fill : [no-shadow]}
----
* +solid+ / +dashed+ / +dotted+ / +dash-dotted+: selects the line style (only
applied to lines, default is
solid)
+
.Example: All lines dotted
----
- "_line_" : {fill : [dotted]}
----
* multiple color definitions, where a color is:
- +red+ / +green+ / +blue+
- a list with three floats from +0.0+ to +1.0+, representing RGB
(e.g. +[0.5, 0.5, 0.5]+)
- a list with four floats from +0.0+ to +1.0+, representing RGBA
NOTE: If you provide more than one color, then the polygon will use a
gradient for it's fill.
+
.Example: Yellow flat fill color
----
- ".*" : {fill : [[1, 1, 0]]}
----
+
.Example: Gradient from red to green
----
- ".*" : {fill : [red, [0, 1, 0]]}
----

* a number defining the width of the line, if the fill applies to a line
+
.Example: Apply width 3.5 to all lines
----
- "_line_" : {fill : [3.5]}
----

===== Frame
Frame may contain:

* +solid+ / +dashed+ / +dotted+ / +dash-dotted+: selects the line style
+
.Example: All frames dotted
----
- ".*" : {frame : [dotted]}
----
* a color definition, where a color is:
- +red+ / +green+ / +blue+
- a list with three floats from +0.0+ to +1.0+, representing RGB
(e.g. +[0.5, 0.5, 0.5]+)
+
.Example: All frames blue
----
- ".*" : {frame : [blue]}
----
* a number defining the width of the frame line, if the fill applies to a polygon
+
.Example: Apply width 3.5 to all frames
----
- ".*" : {frame : [3.5]}
----

===== Text
Text may contain:

* a color definition, where a color is:
- +red+ / +green+ / +blue+
- a list with three floats from +0.0+ to +1.0+, representing RGB
(e.g. +[0.5, 0.5, 0.5]+)
+
.Example: All text red
----
- ".*" : {text : [red]}
----

===== Advanced Examples

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/example_1.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/example_1.shaape[]
----

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/example_2.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/example_2.shaape[]
----

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/example_3.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/example_3.shaape[]
----

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/feature_z_order2.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/feature_z_order2.shaape[]
----

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/feature_gradients.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/feature_gradients.shaape[]
----

image:shaape/tests/expected_images/example_5.shaape.png[]
----
include::shaape/tests/input/example_5.shaape[]
----

Copyright
---------
include::LICENSE[]