F Prime visualizer output is difficult to navigate
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Description
| F´ Version | fprime-tools 4.0.2a2 |
| Affected Component | visualizer |
Feature Description
The full topology rendering provided by the F Prime visualizer is difficult to navigate. Here's a small snippet of a real world topology:
There are three keys problems I've observed:
- There is no way to "jump" to a particular component. Ctrl-F does not work, so even if I know the name of a component, I can't search for it.
- Once I find a component, it can be difficult to navigate to the adjacent components efficiently. There is no way to follow a port without manually tracing it, turn by turn, to its destination. This is not a good use of time.
- The component blocks are sometimes rendered with text falling off the edge of the component. Even if that isn't the case, the information provided (just the instance name) isn't always enough. More detail on the components (component name and path, instance name and path, port types) and proper rendering of text would make this much more usable.
Rationale
While individual connection graphs are often small enough that these features are unnecessary, it's often not possible to rely on them if you're trying to use the tools to learn something you don't already know. That means relying on the full topology rendering. Improving full topology rendering would make it easier to navigate and understand F Prime codebases.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by locating the visualizer entry point and the full-topology rendering; the issue names no files or tests. Review how navigation, component blocks, and port connections are represented, then define completion as searchable components, efficient adjacent-component navigation, and readable blocks with the requested details.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- data-visualization
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100