Show HN: GUI for editing Mermaid class diagrams • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: GUI for editing Mermaid class diagrams

#61

Post by Koffiepoeder » Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 4:14 PM UTC

Xmd5a wrote: post #22

I only use diagramming tools with automatic layout algos to generate visualizations programmatically to debug things. For documentation purpose, I largely prefer to draw them by hand using OmniGraffle, because making graphs look nice using tools like graphviz is very complex and you find yourself abusing features to hack your vision into reality What's dearly needed in my opinion is a graph layout algo based on a mac…

I am working on a diagramming tool that has the combination of a syntax for diagramming as code, extended with a syntax to define rendering constraints (e. g. this part of the diagram shoukd be left of this part, or this arrow must not cross this arrow). I hope this will greatly ease consistent diagram rendering and also getting the final mile pixel perfect.

Currently already have a very alpha version working of the renderer using Cassowary, and working on making a good GUI.

Re: Show HN: GUI for editing Mermaid class diagrams

#62

Post by yencabulator » Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 4:34 PM UTC

Xmd5a wrote: post #23

Xmd5a wrote: post #22

I only use diagramming tools with automatic layout algos to generate visualizations programmatically to debug things. For documentation purpose, I largely prefer to draw them by hand using OmniGraffle, because making graphs look nice using tools like graphviz is very complex and you find yourself abusing features to hack your vision into reality What's dearly needed in my opinion is a graph layout algo based on a mac…

Also, some interesting links I stumbled upon while exploring this space: Graphviz-like generic graph-drawing library. More options, more control. https://eclipse.dev/elk/ Experiments by the same team responsible for the development of ELK, at Kiel University https://github.com/kieler/KLighD Kieler project wiki https://rtsys.informatik.uni-kiel.de/confluence/display/KIEL... Constraint-based graph drawing libraries htt…

I think you'd like https://treevis.net

Re: Show HN: GUI for editing Mermaid class diagrams

#63

Post by specialist » Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 4:48 PM UTC

MarkMarine wrote: post #59

My front end to mermaid is usually claude. I can’t count how many times trying to convey a complicated idea (last week, a one time use token in a 3 party where my backend can’t talk to the client) has been made simple to explain with a quick diagram claude made. I am a paid mermaid account holder but claude is still my first front end, because it’s the tool I’m in most of the time anyway. What I’m excited for in the…

Very interesting. Any hiccups?

I just tried this last week for the first time. I asked claude to create a syntax diagram for a toy grammar. The resulting mermaid source had a syntax error (unescaped special character). Despite having its own mermaid widget thingie, I couldn't compel claude to fix its own code.

Re: Show HN: GUI for editing Mermaid class diagrams

#64

Post by MarkMarine » Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 5:08 PM UTC

specialist wrote: post #63

MarkMarine wrote: post #59

My front end to mermaid is usually claude. I can’t count how many times trying to convey a complicated idea (last week, a one time use token in a 3 party where my backend can’t talk to the client) has been made simple to explain with a quick diagram claude made. I am a paid mermaid account holder but claude is still my first front end, because it’s the tool I’m in most of the time anyway. What I’m excited for in the…

Very interesting. Any hiccups? I just tried this last week for the first time. I asked claude to create a syntax diagram for a toy grammar. The resulting mermaid source had a syntax error (unescaped special character). Despite having its own mermaid widget thingie, I couldn't compel claude to fix its own code.

I haven’t had issues with it enough to notice, but I do tolerate it making code mistakes as just part of the deal now. I fix the little errors (claude said it made a deps.edn file for a clojure project but it’s actually lien format) as just part of the deal. I might not have just papered over the issues in my brain