WithoutPropertyHeader() leads to missing "Value" column if first Property is ""

[SHU-red]

Hi there,

not sure since when this problem exists but using:

• Plantuml 1.2024.8
• C4-Container diagram

The Property table seems broken when:

1. Using WithoutPropertyHeader()
2. First Property is empty

Leads to a missing Value Column

For fast tracing i added a example syntax ans example below. It can be seen that Value Column is missing even if 444 has a Value for Sender

@startuml
!include <C4/C4.puml>
!include <C4/C4_Container.puml>


left to right direction


' Base style
UpdateElementStyle(container, $fontColor="black", $borderColor="black", $bgColor="white", $borderStyle = SolidLine())
UpdateRelStyle(, $textColor="grey", $lineColor="grey")
UpdateBoundaryStyle(, $fontColor="grey", $borderColor="grey", $borderStyle = SolidLine())

' Base Query Boundary
AddBoundaryTag("BaseQuery", $fontColor="black", $borderColor="black")

' Item Styles

AddElementTag("Interface", $bgColor="#999999")

' Line Styles
AddRelTag("Versioned", $lineStyle = DashedLine())

' Boundaries/Containers

' WithoutPropertyHeader()
AddProperty("document_short_title", "")
AddProperty("sender", "Foo")
Container(22222, "22222", "Interface", $link="test", $tags="Interface+Queried")

WithoutPropertyHeader()
AddProperty("document_short_title", "")
AddProperty("sender", "Bar")
Container(444, "444", "Interface", $link="test", $tags="Interface+Queried")

' Show legend
SHOW_LEGEND()
@enduml

[kirchsth]

Hi @SHU-red,

If you use a space " " (in the first row) instead an empty string "" then it works.
(the first row defines the number of visible columns; and "" is the "no column-value marker")

BR Helmut

PS.: if you use LAYOUT_LANDSCAPE() instead of left to right direction then the orientation of the relations are fixed too (e.g. Rel_Up() is up and not rotated). Details see https://github.com/plantuml-stdlib/C4-PlantUML/blob/master/LayoutOptions.md#layout_top_down-or-layout_left_right-or-layout_landscape

PPS.: if you defined the $fontColor too then you have a cleaner legende

AddElementTag("Interface", $fontColor="black", $bgColor="#999999")

[SHU-red]

The values of the properties are fed by a datasource in my case. As far as i can tell you say that the behavior is intended and i should e.g. try to replace "" by " "

Is that correct?

[kirchsth]

"yes" (it was not indented from my side that the second column in the second row is ignored, but it is the current PlantUML implementation, and I cannot fix in C4-Stdlib itself)

[SHU-red]

Ok, so thank you very much for taking the time and highlighting further improvements to me ;-)

[kirchsth]

no problem.

I have another one, if your diagrams has no explicit containers:
If you define the container tage without $borderStyle (it is already solid), and the interface defines the $fontColor and $borderColor too then the UI representation of the interface is complete (it overwrites all "lower" definitions of the container) and the legend requires only the interface and the (practically not used container are avoided)

UpdateElementStyle(container, $fontColor="black", $borderColor="black", $bgColor="white")
AddElementTag("Interface",  $fontColor="black", $borderColor="black", $bgColor="#999999")

[kirchsth]

Other finding: missing columns are not correct displayed/filled

@startuml
!include <C4/C4.puml>
!include <C4/C4_Container.puml>

WithoutPropertyHeader()
AddProperty("1", "2", "3", "4")
AddProperty($col1="col1")
AddProperty("", $col2="col2")
AddProperty("", $col3="col3")
AddProperty("", $col4="col4")

Container(c, "Container", $descr="missing columns are not correct filled")

@enduml

AddProperty() has to be updated that empty columns has to be replaced with a space

[kirchsth]

Following fix has to be added

[kirchsth]

Based on a "interesting" newline split I found a solution for the missing columns header too:

[kirchsth]

@SHU-red: Today Arnaud did a bugfix in PlantUML itself too. If you download the latest snapshot from PlantUML the missing header columns work without my workaround. https://github.com/plantuml/plantuml/releases/tag/snapshot

Details see PlantUML commit: plantuml/plantuml@a77c034