Number: 77
Title: Problems with -x flag to neato
Submitter: Emden Gansner
Date: Jan 21 2002
Subsys: neato
Version: 1.1.16
System: *-*-*
Severity: minor
Problem:
The following file causes neato to core dump. In general, I believe the -x option is not doing what is intended. As currently implemented, it checks one node at a time and if the node is a leaf, it deletes the longest chain starting at the leaf. As this process introduces new leaves, it has the potential of deleting the entire graph if it is a forest.
Input:
graph S {
  1 -- 6;
  2 -- 3 -- 6;
  4 -- 5 -- 6;
}
Fix:
[erg] The fix adopts the implied original semantics, essentially pruning any trees, with every node in the resulting graph having degree > 1. The fix does handle loops and multiedges, basically ignoring loops and multiedges in the topology. It would be good to provide other options, e.g., pruning 1 level of chains or keeping loops and multiedges in the degree count, but the might better be provided by an external tool such as gpr. Of course, one could make the same claim for this option.
Owner: erg
Status: Fixed (23 March 2002)