How to create flowcharts with correct node shapes from Excel data?

Question

Software

 Windows 10 Home.  yEd Version 3.22

Attachments

ProblemSolving_Example yEd file

ProblemSolving_Spreadsheet

Question PDF Document

Previuos related questions

How do i import the excel containing flowchart steps(which includes rectangular boxes & diamond boxes)

How do I specify a node's shape when I import a Node List?

Intro

I’m a novice yEd user. I usually use the program to make simple flowcharts with a custom symbol palette that I created from the original program palette. I just changed shape appearance.

Normally, my flowcharts have a workflow with shapes as Start>Process>Decision>Process>Terminator. They may contain other shapes such as Display, Stored Data, Predefined Process, etc.

I attached my question in a pdf document because its content is greater than the number of characters allowed in the question form.

This was the best way to ask the question. I hope it is not annoying.

I would like someone to review the document and give me some useful answer. 

Thank you in advance.
Greetings.

Answer 1

While I do not think it is possible to automate your flowchart creation completely, it should be possible to improve the process nonetheless.

First off, let us improve your properties mapper configurations.

1. Create an empty document.
2. Create a custom property for nodes of type "Text" and call it "Node Type" (see "Edit" -> "Manage Custom Properties").
3. Create five nodes in your document.
4. Select each node in turn and set its "Node Type" property value such that you have one node for each of the values "START", "DECISION", "PROCESS", "DISPLAY", and "TERMINATOR".
5. Open the properties mapper.
6. Create a configuration for mapping "Node Type" to the appropriate shape. It should suffice if your change the "Data Source" in your "Source Node Type" configuration from "Source Node Type" to "Node Type".
7. Test your configuration.
8. Remove the "Target Node Type" and "Decision Response" configurations.

With that done, restructure your spreadsheet like this.

Now import the restructured spreadsheet, but this time specify data ranges for both "Edge List" and "Node List":

On the "Presentation" tab of the Excel Import Settings, go to the "Nodes" section, set "Label Text" to "Node" and enable "Fit Size to Label". In the "Edges" section, set "Label Text" to "Decision Response".
I suggest to set "Layout" to "Hierarchic" as well even though that is not strictly necessary since you want to run the Flowchart layout algorithm later on anyways.

Now, click "Ok".

The resulting diagram should again have noes with default shapes. However, if you select a node, there should be a custom property called "Node Type" with an appropriate value.

Now run the properties mapper. This should get you the correct Flowchart shapes for your nodes.

Adjust the size of the non-rectangular nodes such that they contain their label text.

Finally, run the Flowchart layout algorithm.