glam/QUICK_START_DAGRE_TESTING.md

Quick Start: Testing Dagre Grid Layout

Status: ✅ Ready for Testing
URL: http://localhost:5173/uml-viewer

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How to Test (60 Seconds)

1. Open UML Viewer

# Dev server should already be running
# If not: cd frontend && npm run dev

# Open browser to:
http://localhost:5173/uml-viewer

2. Select a Diagram

• Click any diagram in the left sidebar
• Example: "Custodian Multi-Aspect (Mermaid Class)"

3. Try Force Layout (Default)

• You'll see scattered nodes (organic, physics-based)
• Nodes bounce around initially, then settle
• This is the original behavior

4. Switch to Grid Layout

• Click [Grid] button in toolbar (top-right area)
• Watch nodes snap into hierarchical grid
• Notice tight, organized arrangement

5. Switch Back to Force

• Click [Force] button in toolbar
• Watch nodes scatter organically
• Notice active button highlight (blue)

6. Test Persistence

• Refresh page (Cmd+R / Ctrl+R)
• Your layout preference should be remembered

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What to Look For

✅ Grid Layout Should:

• Arrange nodes in hierarchical rows/columns
• Point inheritance arrows top-to-bottom
• Use consistent spacing (80px horizontal, 120px vertical)
• Render instantly (no animation delay)
• Look similar to Mermaid diagrams

✅ Force Layout Should:

• Scatter nodes organically
• Animate for ~5 seconds before settling
• Keep nodes spread out (physics repulsion)
• Look like original D3 force simulation

✅ Both Layouts Should:

• Support zoom (mouse wheel / pinch)
• Support pan (click + drag background)
• Support node dragging (click + drag node)
• Export to PNG/SVG correctly
• Show active button highlight

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Troubleshooting

Grid layout not showing?

• Check browser console for errors
• Try force layout first, then switch to grid
• Refresh page

Buttons not working?

• Check that dagre is installed: npm list dagre
• Should show dagre@0.8.5 or similar

Layout preference not saving?

• Check localStorage in DevTools:
  • Key: uml-layout-type
  • Value: "force" or "dagre"

TypeScript errors?

cd frontend
npx tsc --noEmit

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Quick Visual Test

Expected Grid Layout (Top-to-Bottom):

     HeritageCustodian
            ↓
    ┌───────┴───────┐
    ↓               ↓
DutchHeritage    Collection
Custodian

Expected Force Layout (Scattered):

  HeritageCustodian
         
    DutchHeritage    Collection
      Custodian

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Performance Benchmark

Diagram Size	Force Layout	Dagre Grid
5 nodes	~2 sec anim	Instant
10 nodes	~3 sec anim	Instant
20 nodes	~5 sec anim	Instant
50+ nodes	~10 sec anim	<1 sec

Recommendation: Use Grid for most diagrams (faster, cleaner).

---

Files to Check If Issues

frontend/src/
├── components/uml/
│   └── UMLVisualization.tsx   ← Main layout logic (line 250-550)
│
├── pages/
│   ├── UMLViewerPage.tsx      ← Toggle buttons (line 460-502)
│   └── UMLViewerPage.css      ← Button styles (line 631-650)
│
└── package.json               ← dagre dependency

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Need Help?

Documentation:

• DAGRE_GRID_LAYOUT_IMPLEMENTATION.md - Full technical docs
• SESSION_SUMMARY_DAGRE_IMPLEMENTATION.md - Session overview
• UML_VIEWER_VS_MERMAID_ANALYSIS.md - Root cause analysis

Browser Console:

// Check if dagre loaded
console.log(typeof dagre)  // Should log "object"

// Check layout type
localStorage.getItem('uml-layout-type')  // "force" or "dagre"

// Force layout switch
localStorage.setItem('uml-layout-type', 'dagre')
location.reload()

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Report Issues

When reporting issues, include:

1. Layout type: Force or Grid?
2. Diagram name: Which diagram from sidebar?
3. Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari?
4. Console errors: Any red errors in DevTools?
5. Screenshot: Visual of the issue

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Success Criteria

✅ Implementation Complete When:

• Grid layout renders hierarchical arrangement
• Force layout still works (default)
• Toggle buttons switch between layouts
• Active button highlights correctly
• Preference saves to localStorage
• Preference loads on reload
• No TypeScript errors
• No browser console errors

🎯 User Testing Complete When:

• 3+ users test layout toggle
• 5+ different diagrams tested
• Zoom/pan/drag tested in both layouts
• Export tested in both layouts
• Performance measured (5-50 node diagrams)
• Preference persistence verified

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Ready to Test? → Open http://localhost:5173/uml-viewer

Need Context? → Read SESSION_SUMMARY_DAGRE_IMPLEMENTATION.md

Found a Bug? → Check browser console → Report with details above