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

Question

Software

Windows 10 Home. yEd Version 3.22

Attachments

Empty Document file  with node configuration and template node shapes

ProblemSolving_Example_restructured yEd file

Comment

Hello,

Thank you for giving me an answer.

Well, I don’t know what can be done to solve these problems.

Thank you.

Greetings.

Issues

In a first attempt, I tried several times to create the flowchart following the indications but I had problems in some points. Therefore, I have uninstalled the program, restarted the PC, downloaded a yEd executable file from the website, reinstalled it and restarted the PC before trying again.

Unfortunately, in a second attempt I have obtained the same result. That time I selected default flowchart palette.

I attach pictures of the result after MS Excel Settings step. Indeed, nodes are the same and have a node property that matches their shape.

Then, I open Properties Mapper, I click on "Apply" and finally “Ok”. I get this result:

As you can see, some nodes change their shape and other nodes do not (Start node shape is wrong). Label texts also do not appear on most nodes even though they are in the Data "Node" section. In "Text" seccion is empty. Edges appear to have lost nodes junctions.

After that, I run flowchart layout and I get a flowchart with edges that are attached to nodes but node label texts are not visible.

Answer 1

Your start node does not change its shape, because the text in the properties mapper configuration and the text of the node's "Node Type" property value do not match exactly. There is probably a leading and/or trailing whitespace in one of the two texts but not in the other.

Your label texts get lost, because properties mapper's template mapping will apply label texts from the chosen templates and the flowchart templates all have one label with empty text.
You can fix this problem by adding an additional mapping to your configuration that sets the label text to the value of the "Node" property:

Sorry for missing this pitfall in my first answer.

All edges in yEd have dedicated coordinates for their start and end points (see the "Source Port X", "Source Port Y", "Target Port X", "Target Port Y" properties of a selected edge). Since all imported nodes were initially rectangular in shape, the hierarchic layout algorithm that you run with the Excel import places the edge endpoints on the border of the rectangular node bounds.
However, when you use properties mapper to change the shapes of your nodes, the edge endpoints are not changed and stay at their locations. (The edges are still logically connected to their respective nodes, though. You can test this by moving one of the non-rectangular nodes.)
Anyways, it does not matter much, because the subsequent run of the flowchart layout algorithm will correct the edge endpoints again.

Comments

Hello,

I managed to solve the problems with the new indications and created the flowchart correctly.

First,  in Excel spreadsheet I have named the node shape as default Palette, "Start 1". Then, in  "Node type" Data section  and node configuration "Node Type" I have named the same way too, "Start 1". Also, I think if it has another name it would work but I haven’t tried it. The important thing is that they’re all the same.

Secondly, I added an additional mapping Data source in Properties Mapper  "Node" as you taught me.

Indeed, the edges are fine and there is no problem. When I run the flowchart layout they stay joined.

Finally, I followed all the steps of the previous answer that you told me to create the flowchart and this time it worked everything right.


I haven’t had any problems so far. I will use this procedure to create all my flowcharts. If I need to add other node shapes for flowcharts, I already know how to do it correctly but I haven’t tried it yet.

I’m very grateful for your help.

Thank you for everything.

Greetings.