Please allow to generate multiple images using a single PlantUML pipe execution

Question

I'm trying to use PlantUML "-pipe" parameter to start PlantUML only once for generation of many images.

But it seems that the generation only takes place if stdin is getting closed. This means I have to start PlantUML again which costs time.

Please provide a way to run PlantUML once and to put one picture description via stdin after another and get one picture after another via stdout (with apropriate separator).

Answer 1

We've just published a new beta https://www.dropbox.com/s/koo42q3d9gxw288/plantuml.jar?dl=0

This beta should better handle the -pipe option : you can now send several diagrams in stdin (please use appropriate @startXXX / @endXXX delimitor for those diagrams).

Right now, there are no delimitor between pictures in stdout : you have to detect PNG header start : is it possible for you ?

In the future, we may add some optional delimitor (using for example a -delimitor flag) in the command line.

This has not been widely tested, so please feedback if you find issues!

Thanks

PS: Note that you could also use the FTP option to generate several diagrams without having to restart java process. See http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/qa/?qa=5694/c%23-plantuml-jar-alternative

Comments

Hello, I tested a little bit. Works good. But in case of an error the given line number seems every time to have the doubled value.

With kind regards,
Stefan

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Could you give a simple example ? Not sure to understand the meaning of "doubled value". Thanks!!

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Sorry for not being precise enough.

Each lineending in the examples is given as 0xah.

@startuml
@enduml

gives:
ERROR
1
Empty description

@startuml
a
@enduml

gives:
ERROR
2
Syntax error: a

@startuml
a -> b
c
@enduml

gives:
ERROR
4
Syntax error: c

@startuml
a -> b
c -> d
e
@enduml

gives:
ERROR
6
Syntax error: e

With kind regards,
Stefan

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Ok, thanks for the detail report.
This should be fixed in last beta (beta21)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/koo42q3d9gxw288/plantuml.jar?dl=0

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Thank you, look good.
With kind regards,
Stefan