Automatically sort class items in PlantUML

Question

Sometimes it is very tiresome to sort keys alphabetically, especially in larger tables, which grow over time.

Let's look at this diagram:

@startuml
!define Table(name,desc) class name as "desc" << (T,white) >>
!define primary_key(x) <b><color:b8861b><&key></color> x</b>
!define column(x) <color:black><&media-record></color> x

Table(testTable, "demoTable") {
column(zzz)
column(aaaa)
column(gggg)
}
@enduml

Is there any option for PlantUML that would sort my column entries based on their names? I want to display the diagram as if I'd have written it as

@startuml
!define Table(name,desc) class name as "desc" << (T,white) >>
!define primary_key(x) <b><color:b8861b><&key></color> x</b>
!define column(x) <color:black><&media-record></color> x

Table(testTable, "demoTable") {
column(aaaa)
column(gggg)
column(zzz)
}
@enduml

Is it possible with built-in tools, or do you have any idea how to accomplish this?

Answer 1

You could suggest the feature to the PlantUML Q&A Forum.

In the mean time, why not use an !include and sort the items in your operating system. Here's a sample:

@startuml
!define Table(name,desc) class name as "desc" << (T,white) >>
!define primary_key(x) <b><color:b8861b><&key></color> x</b>
!define column(x) <color:black><&media-record></color> x

Table(testTable, "demoTable") {
!include items.include
}

Table(testTableSorted, "demoTable(sorted)") {
!include sorted_items.include
}
@enduml

You could always keep the file sorted, or sort a copy of it:

sort items.include > sorted_items.include