Dear PlantUML Authors,
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to bring to your attention a limitation that I have encountered while using PlantUML for creating organizational charts and diagrams. Currently, there is no straightforward way to disable the automatic generation of arrows between components, nor is there an option to specify the side of a component from which the arrows should emanate.
The specific issue arises when attempting to create an organizational chart where the arrows should exit from the bottom of a component and connect to other components. The default behavior of PlantUML aligns the arrows differently, resulting in a layout that does not match the intended structure.
To illustrate the problem, consider the following example:
@startuml
rectangle P
rectangle A {
rectangle B1
rectangle B2
rectangle B3
rectangle B4
}
rectangle C
rectangle D
P --> A
A --> C
A --> D
@enduml
In this example, when I add child elements to component A, the arrows are not aligned as intended. The arrows do not exit from the bottom of A and the layout becomes distorted.
To work around this limitation, I have resorted to using the `[state]` elements instead of the `[rectangle]` elements, as shown below:
@startuml
hide empty description
state P
state A {
state B1
state B2
state B3
state B4
}
state C
state D
P --> A
A --> C
A --> D
@enduml
Although this workaround somewhat achieves the desired layout, it is not semantically accurate as the `[state]` elements are not specifically designed for organizational charts.
I kindly request you to consider this as a feature enhancement request and evaluate the possibility of implementing a solution that allows users to control the direction of arrows and specify the side from which they should emanate. This enhancement would greatly enhance the flexibility and usability of PlantUML for creating organizational charts and similar diagrams.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and your consideration of this feature request. Thank you for your ongoing efforts in developing and maintaining PlantUML.
Best regards
