[reportlab-users] Problem with row&column spanning code not calculating table heights

[Dinu Gherman]

Andy Robinson:

> Seriously, a generic approach to layout constraint
> solving would be very interesting; I wonder if we
> could unify the problems of table layout, page
> layout, and shuffling around chart elements into
> suitable places, so that one generic constraint
> system could solve the lot?  If anyone in our user
> group is looking for PhD thesis ideas I reckon
> that's a good one...

Constraint satisfaction approches are no magic bullet, either,
from which you should expect instant gratification. Instead,
and much like with any other "magic solution", they shift the
problem to a different domain, in this case finding the most
appropriate complete set of constraints leading to a solution
which is "good enough".

Maybe if you combine this with evolutionary algorithms you have
a chance of getting somewhere, at least there is a very success-
ful ongoing experiment doing exactly this: life.

Dinu

--
Dinu C. Gherman - http://python.net/~gherman
......................................................................
"I once asked Ivan, 'How is it possible for you to have invented
computer graphics, done the first object oriented software system
and the first real time constraint solver all by yourself in one
year?' And he said 'I didn't know it was hard.'"
(Alan Kay on Ivan Sutherland)