Using teoz for multicast and par2 crashes the rendering

Question

I think I am using 2 inwork featutes, nevertheless, as it crashes the rendering i send the example.

@startuml
!pragma teoz true

participant a
participant b
participant c
participant d
participant e

par2

a -> b
& a -> c

else

d -> e

end
@enduml

http://www.plantuml.com/plantuml/png/LSun2W9H30JGVauH6piR3o1xbV7_80l_ho6R1V7qHgtIXBnYXbdseCSnX-YBquO29tC-9YNq-PRmGm6ZnzfMunR2edjHA-f5_vehGBdSCdUMtzC07Ri2_IjDRHrOykQe3m00

By the way, even if this parallel feature is not really the standard way to show parallelism, it is much more understandable than the usual parallel blocs, so I would like to know if it will become an official feature of plantuml.

Best regards

Comments

Note you can use "& group" to separate two parallel flows.

(click diagram for source)

(I first thought that "par2" drew boxes around the two paths, but I now see that it doesn't.  But I'll leave this here in case you like the idea all the same.  You could even put in a wanted feature request for a new 'hidden' type of grouping that omits the box and label).

Answer 1

Hello P.,

FYI, from an answer from the Wiki Documentation :

This·feature·[of par2] was·really·a·first·shot. We·will·remove·it·some·days·and·we·don't·want·user·to·depend·on·it.
The·proper·way·is·now·to·use:

@startuml
!pragma·teoz·true
Alice·->·Bob·:·hello
&·Bob·->·Charlie·:·hi
@enduml

Then, now the official feature is:

@startuml
!pragma teoz true
a -> b
& a -> c
& d -> e
@enduml

If that can help,
Regards,
Th.

Answer 2

The par2 syntax was really a test and will be removed shortly.

You should not use it.

But you can tell us if the & syntax does not feed your need.

Comments

I wrote a comment about the & syntax in this topic: https://forum.plantuml.net/2585/broadcast-or-a-multicast-message-in-a-sequence-diagram?show=2585#q2585

If the syntax is not the one I prefer, it is ok to display broadcast or multicast messages as well as simultaneous ones.

But I dont use par2 for this pupose.

It happens frequently that I have to discuss about systems where multiple devices are working in parallel. Each of the device has its own sequence, and the par2 syntax is super convenient to explore and rearrange the sequences only by tuning some delays. Without moving a line I can change the sequence order of 2 messages sent by 2 different devices.  The following example may show better what I mean:

http://www.plantuml.com/plantuml/png/jLHTQnix47sVNp7sDLmxE60xN2w4wqiI1zA2uuQaxLiVnjhPjQXMClfmuk8Vtn6EDrb2qlIXBmATS-QSaMQrPo6IZwask2PFnh012D-rpRiQlKksKCvRzZWU0KGT3GC_KBqsZAxCHHDCWIf1RO5x7ZfhxnGNoJFsAexdHU7xlNCRxjaFUzf6zXio0q3yS877_-Fr-GnF4QyuzezgKbcUoGmV2osYKtmi5tYtQonsE-X8R9FMJbwdGxAixTos1-BjipPkKjoN3DuoDwPOztjtBdd5mzvNCedR4OzSDhxDjlFvvKr_BnpywXGhNJ2MpiMbUm2G1RkNlD7YDkxYNtDThUA5-83SVjHAhyb6kIKeADAI0kDTT9ugHWhvK2tPRPuJll2T77olFBDjLSpQkyMJmNIATziGkPP0aGISJY6B9m3Ds4V3az7WrMrNsXjt_pms-JqCs0G6a2-ePJi--MVm4XoDtWDE1Fpt9RXNMXSPVRv-51G-8jMOWhPLyoXrg45RZ2iTKEKHHuU53Yg50BHqAGh56BPMhRop-WT5xInaPK2f8w7oe00-YooFA6iZFQ3uRTXlGJcxOQlPncpjcRmdMp5asvf3Vk41oHOvH-YGJ8JQ-KoIrLMPZ31aCmqXYf1yqNIFNwxdk3HEGUay7duVAvRohKkeoFujRZe4pEwab0IYT5GQhN8_ukZyuH-JBsi_eDrERazUpmp_E_w6HqTuYZVkdZr-ia0gwWr5nXditsftrXssflDUTF3et-ay-PSb5FmiekbayMOhYyP_aGEQ3-0r6FA10SvaJRNv2G00

Note that for a more complex version I would be happy to display LLDP as a broadcast message, which is currently not possible (or extremely time consuming using other parallel branches and tuning delays)

Maybe it exists another feature to do the same, if it ever disappear from Plantuml, I will have to go back to manual drawing for these cases.

Thank you for the answer.

---

It happens frequently that I have to discuss about systems where multiple devices are working in parallel. (...) Maybe it exists another feature to do the same, if it ever disappear from Plantuml, I will have to go back to manual drawing for these cases.

Ok, we better understand your need now :-)

So be sure that we are not going to abruptly remove par2 without providing a solution that would fit your need.

We are going to think about all this, and came back to you for a proposal... It will just take some time, so please be patient :-)

In the meantime, you can stick to par2.