Set padding for elements inside a boundary

[skngetich]

I would like to change the padding of the elements in a boundary. How can I do that?

[Potherca]

Hi! To make it easier to help, could you post a (simplified) diagram, so we have an example to work with?

[Potherca]

In the meantime, I've looked into this some more. Sadly, PlantUML does not offer an easy way to add spacing inside an element.

TL;DR (short version)

Use a dummy container inside the boundary as a workaround.

```plantuml @startuml !include skinparam { rectangle<> { borderColor transparent stereotypeFontSize 0 fontSize 0 } } Boundary(b, "Boundary") { rectangle padding <> { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } } @enduml ```



Full details

I'll use this diagram as the basis for further examples:

```plantuml @startuml !include Boundary(b, "Boundary") { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } @enduml ```



See full details

### No skinparam "margin" or "padding" Sadly, there is no skinparam for "margin" or "padding":

```plantuml @startuml !include skinparam rectangle<> { margin 100 100 100 100 padding 100 100 100 100 } Boundary(b, "Boundary") { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } @enduml ```



### Skinparam `nodesep` and `ranksep` There is skinparam `nodesep` and `ranksep` which can be used to increase the space _between_ elements but not _around_ them. That is to say: the space between an element and the boundary does not change.

```plantuml @startuml !include skinparam nodesep 100 /' horizontal margin '/ skinparam ranksep 100 /' vertical margin '/ Boundary(b, "Boundary") { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } @enduml ```



### Padding and Margin (new CSS-like style) not working There _are_ [padding and margin instruction](https://forum.plantuml.net/3118/introduce-padding-setting?show=11438#c11438) using the [new CSS-like style](http://alphadoc.plantuml.com/doc/asciidoc/en/style-evolution), but they do not seem to be implemented for the elements used by C4. This _could_ be a bug in PlantUML and might be worth reporting there.

```plantuml @startuml !include Boundary(b, "Boundary") { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } @enduml ```



### Workaround What _could_ work is a workaround, putting the elements in an invisible container. This does mean adding a container inside every boundary. Not ideal.

```plantuml @startuml !include skinparam { rectangle<> { borderColor transparent stereotypeFontSize 0 fontSize 0 } } Boundary(b, "Boundary") { rectangle padding <> { Container(c, "Container") Person(p, "Person") System(s, "System") Boundary(b1, "Boundary") } } @enduml ```



[skngetich]

Thank you very much for the descriptive description. From your explanations, I have realized that the issue was the margin between the elements and not the padding. I sorted it out using nodesep and ranksep.

[Potherca]

Glad to be of help. Happy diagramming!