This library is API compatible with original pydot so you can use it like this:
import pydot_ng as pydot
Of course, this hasn't been true for over three years; pydot-ng only adheres to the oldpydot API. The newpydot API is considerably different. Downstream consumers that actually try to import pydot_ng as pydot are gonna have a Bad Time™.
Just Shoot Me Now
Notably, most top-level pydot functions and methods (e.g., pydot.graph_from_dot_data()) now unconditionally return a list of one or more Graph objects rather than conditionally returning either a single Graph object or a list of two or more Graph objects. To quote @johnyf in an ancient pydot issue:
An earlier version of the API used to return a graph object when the dot file defined one graph, and a list of graphs otherwise (in the case of more graphs). However, I found that the inhomogeneous behavior is more complex (simple is better than complex, PEP 20), so I changed it to return a list in all cases (e.g., a list containing one graph). This simplifies also user code, because there no case distinction needs to be made.
These are useful changes – but they do break backward compatibility. For conformance with the modern pydot API, it's critical that the pydot-ng API be refactored to behave similarly.
But... Can It Be Done?
It can! With perseverance and hideous suffering, anything is possible.
Since these API changes are largely undocumented, the simplest solution might be to:
Best of luck, @prmtl. I'd submit a pull request resolving this, but we have our hands full just trying to survive the oncoming Canadian winter. Because in Canada, winter is always coming.
Perpetual snow and unyielding darkness. It isn't easy, folks. :snowflake: :snowman_with_snow: :mountain_snow:
README.rstboldly claims that:Of course, this hasn't been true for over three years;
pydot-ngonly adheres to the oldpydotAPI. The newpydotAPI is considerably different. Downstream consumers that actually try toimport pydot_ng as pydotare gonna have a Bad Time™.Just Shoot Me Now
Notably, most top-level
pydotfunctions and methods (e.g.,pydot.graph_from_dot_data()) now unconditionally return alistof one or moreGraphobjects rather than conditionally returning either a singleGraphobject or alistof two or moreGraphobjects. To quote @johnyf in an ancientpydotissue:These are useful changes – but they do break backward compatibility. For conformance with the modern
pydotAPI, it's critical that thepydot-ngAPI be refactored to behave similarly.But... Can It Be Done?
It can! With perseverance and hideous suffering, anything is possible.
Since these API changes are largely undocumented, the simplest solution might be to:
pydottest suite into the existingpydot-ngtest suite.For these purposes,
test/pydot_unittest.pyis the only useful file. Relevant unit tests include:test_attribute_with_implicit_value.test_unicode_ids.test_graph_with_shapefiles.test_multiple_graphs.Godspeed You Intrepid Coder!
Best of luck, @prmtl. I'd submit a pull request resolving this, but we have our hands full just trying to survive the oncoming Canadian winter. Because in Canada, winter is always coming.
Perpetual snow and unyielding darkness. It isn't easy, folks. :snowflake: :snowman_with_snow: :mountain_snow: