[Tex/LaTex] Chapter Dependency Diagram in Latex

chaptersgraphicstikz-pgf

Please look at the complex chapter dependency diagram EXAMPLE in the given image. It explains how each chapter is dependent on the previous one. I am sure diagrams of this type can be done (hard coded, I would say) in Tikz. I DON'T NEED THE HELP TO IMPLEMENT IT IN TIKZ. I was looking for more of a package kind of out-of-the-box solution, where you can mention the dependencies and the package will automatically generate the diagram for you. Is there any solution as such. I searched in TeX.SX for similar questions and found that in all cases, TikZ is the recommended option. This feature or package if implemented will be useful for people like me as we are required to include a chapter reading order or dependency diagram.

enter image description here

UPDATE: The ideal solution for the above diagram should be something like

\chapter{Chapter 1}
bla bla bla

\chapter{Chapter 2}
\RequiredDependency{chapter1_label}

\chapter{Chapter 3}

\chapter{Chapter 4}
\RequiredDependency{chapter1_label}
\RecommendedDependency{chapter2_label,chapter3_label}

and so on. Once I do this, the above diagram should be generated.

Best Answer

prerex package is intended to draw prerequisite charts like these ones It's based on TikZ and its README file starts with:

prerex, version 6.5.3: Macros for prerequisite charts, with associated editor and viewer applications.

This package consists of

prerex.sty: a LaTeX package for producing charts of course nodes linked by arrows representing pre- and co-requisites,

prerex: an interactive program for creating and editing chart descriptions, and

vprerex: ("visual prerex") a GUI and previewer for prerex.

I've never used before, but (without using its interactive program) I wrote next code to produce something similar to your example.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{noheadfoot, vmargin=1.0in, hmargin=0.5in}
\usepackage{prerex}
\usetikzlibrary{fit}


\begin{document}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\setcounter{diagheight}{50}


\begin{chart}%\grid
\reqhalfcourse 45,45:{}{Chapter 1}{}
\reqhalfcourse 35,36:{}{Chapter 2}{}
\reqhalfcourse 55,36:{}{Chapter 3}{}
\reqhalfcourse 35,27:{}{Chapter 4}{}
\reqhalfcourse 55,27:{}{Chapter 5}{}
\reqhalfcourse 68,27:{}{Chapter 6}{}
\reqhalfcourse 68,18:{}{Chapter 7}{}
\reqhalfcourse 45,9:{}{Chapter 8}{}

\prereq 45,45,35,36:
\prereq 68,27,68,18:

\prereqc 45,45,35,27;-30:
\prereqc 45,45,55,27;-30:
\prereqc 35,27,45,9;0:
\prereqc 68,18,45,9;0:
\prereqc 68,27,45,9;0:

\coreq 55,27,68,27:
\coreq 35,36,35,27: 
\coreq 35,36,55,27: 
\coreq 55,36,55,27: 
\coreq 55,36,35,27: 

\begin{pgfonlayer}{courses}
\draw[dashed] ([shift={(-1mm,-1mm)}]x55y27.south west) rectangle ([shift={(1mm,1mm)}]x68y27.north east);
\end{pgfonlayer}
\end{chart}

\end{document}

enter image description here

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Commutative diagram with rounded arrows

In Xy-pic:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[all,2cell]{xy}
\UseAllTwocells

\begin{document}
\xymatrixcolsep{3cm}
\xymatrix{
  A \ruppertwocell^f{\alpha}
    \rlowertwocell_h{\beta}
    \ar[r]|{g}
  &B\\
}

\end{document}

enter image description here

In TikZ:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning,arrows}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
  \node (a) {$A$};
  \node[right=4cm of a] (b) {$B$};
  \draw[->]
    (a) edge node[fill=white] (g) {$g$} (b)
    (a) edge[bend left] node (f) [above]{$f$} (b)
    (a) edge[bend right] node (h) [below]{$h$} (b);
  \draw[shorten <=2pt,shorten >=2pt,-implies]
    (f) edge[double] (g)
    (g) edge[double] (h);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] How to draw a poset Hasse Diagram using TikZ

Here is a brief tutorial to get you started: As in any other piece of software, break it down into its components.

First step is to draw the nodes and give them name. Lets start with the top node located at the origin and name it (top):
```
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \node (top) at (0,0) {$\{x,y\}$};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
```
So now you have:

which is not too exciting.

Note: I included the full code here, but subsequent steps I show only the additions to the above to make it easier to follow.
Next, add the left and right nodes. These should be located relative to the (top) node so that in case we decide to move the position of the top node, these two will move along with it:
```
\node [below left  of=top] (left)  {$x$};
\node [below right of=top] (right) {$y$};
```
So, now things a looking a bit more useful:

If these are not far enough apart, you could move them, again relatively, by using something like xshift=<length>, or xshift=<length>.
Next step is to draw the lines connecting these nodes via their node names (color used here to see the correspondence between the code and the output):
```
\draw [red,  thick] (top) -- (left);
\draw [blue, thick] (top) -- (right);
```
to get:

If the lines are not long enough you can shorten then via a negative amount. For the top we use shorten <=-2pt, and for the bottom shorten >=-2pt to get:

Using the to syntax as opposed to the -- allows you to get fancier and control the angle at the out point via out=<angle>, and the angle of the line coming in via in=<angle>:
```
\draw [red,  thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt, out=-120, in=90] (top) to (left);
\draw [blue, thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt, out=-60,  in=90] (top) to (right);
```
which if it had been used below would have produced:

As pointed out by Paul Gaborit, the out and in options are really only for the to directive so some might prefer a syntax that more explicitly places those options for the to as in:
```
\draw [red,  thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt] (top) to [out=-120, in=90] (left);
\draw [blue, thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt] (top) to [out=-60,  in=90] (right);
```

References:

Other tutorial like answers here which might be useful for new tikz users include:

how to add arrow between arrows, how to put an arrow on a second arrow.

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    % First, locate each of the nodes and name them
    \node (top) at (0,0) {$\{x,y\}$};
    \node [below left  of=top] (left)  {$x$};
    \node [below right of=top] (right) {$y$};

    % Now draw the lines:
    \draw [red,  thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt] (top) -- (left);
    \draw [blue, thick, shorten <=-2pt, shorten >=-2pt] (top) -- (right);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Commutative diagram with rounded arrows

[Tex/LaTex] How to draw a poset Hasse Diagram using TikZ

References:

Code:

Related Question