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YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

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Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#11

Post by angleofrepose »

mcqueenjordan wrote: post #2

Anyone familiar with PlantUML[1]? That's been my goto for declarative text-based diagramming. I've always thought "there really could be a better tool," but I've never found anything better than PlantUML. I don't think YUML is going to be my answer, though -- it's paid and doesn't seem to be a local tool, but rather a SaaS model. This product feels like it should be a local compile-into-image workflow. But that's pro…

Any other ideas on what "could be the better tool"? I haven't really used plantuml or one of the couple of others like memraid or flowchart other than playing around with them, but my dream tool in that arena is something that has the same accessibility (`->` and other minimal notation) but to drive more of the note taking process like I have on paper. I think it would be great to be able to right justify or write on both sides of the same line or otherwise position text or wrap it in a box like can be easily done in a tool like OneNote(or my notebook) but driven entirely by the keyboard. If there were something like markdown but for text positioning rather than styling.

It seems to me that a keyboard driven OneNote would be fantastic. I already do a lot of writing in my vim/markdown setup because folding is so useful. I just want more mindmap style control, or the ability to define my own notations. On paper I often comment or converse with ideas on the right third of the page, and I should be able to do that with a ``.

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#12

Post by gegtik »

mcqueenjordan wrote: post #2

Anyone familiar with PlantUML[1]? That's been my goto for declarative text-based diagramming. I've always thought "there really could be a better tool," but I've never found anything better than PlantUML. I don't think YUML is going to be my answer, though -- it's paid and doesn't seem to be a local tool, but rather a SaaS model. This product feels like it should be a local compile-into-image workflow. But that's pro…

I keep coming back to it too. I would love for some more control on layout but it works for simpler diagrams

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#13

Post by tobinharris »

mcqueenjordan wrote: post #2

Anyone familiar with PlantUML[1]? That's been my goto for declarative text-based diagramming. I've always thought "there really could be a better tool," but I've never found anything better than PlantUML. I don't think YUML is going to be my answer, though -- it's paid and doesn't seem to be a local tool, but rather a SaaS model. This product feels like it should be a local compile-into-image workflow. But that's pro…

yUML creator here.

Think I know what you're saying. That said, there are many people using a command line wrapper to generate yUML diagrams as part of an automated workflow.

The paid features are more for people who want better management of diagrams.

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#14

Post by tobinharris »

weekay wrote: post #5

Class, activity and use case diagrams are not in vouge with the development teams. And if they do use them , they tend to be in Visio or with similar tools when they need to be created for requirements / design documentation etc., Somewhat related , https://bramp.github.io/js-sequence-diagrams/ could be used as well.

What diagrams do you see used in dev teams these days?

In our team (non enterprise), there's a lot of visual flow models for UX, and still some class/interaction/activity diagrams for explaining how stuff hangs together.

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#16

Post by lsiebert »

WestCoastJustin wrote: post #8
lsiebert wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've used this to help sketch out a DB schema several times.

Have you seen this one? I have been using that and it's pretty awesome. Exports nicely too. https://ondras.zarovi.cz/sql/demo/?keyword=default

I had not, but then I was using a DSL for sql generation.

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#17

Post by andreareina »

lnyng wrote: post #3

Not exactly for the same purpose, but anyone knows about Graphviz [1]? Super expressive and you can visualize online in viz.js [2]. [1] https://www.graphviz.org/ [2] http://viz-js.com/

Graphviz is one of the things that I make sure is installed when I get a new computer, along with PlatUML (also mentioned).

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#18

Post by tomc1985 »

mcqueenjordan wrote: post #2

Anyone familiar with PlantUML[1]? That's been my goto for declarative text-based diagramming. I've always thought "there really could be a better tool," but I've never found anything better than PlantUML. I don't think YUML is going to be my answer, though -- it's paid and doesn't seem to be a local tool, but rather a SaaS model. This product feels like it should be a local compile-into-image workflow. But that's pro…

Honestly you're right. I'm not inclined to give the time of day to yet another SaaS project that should have been a command-line tool

Re: YUML – Easy Embeddable Diagrams

#19

Post by TeMPOraL »

gegtik wrote: post #12
mcqueenjordan wrote: post #2

Anyone familiar with PlantUML[1]? That's been my goto for declarative text-based diagramming. I've always thought "there really could be a better tool," but I've never found anything better than PlantUML. I don't think YUML is going to be my answer, though -- it's paid and doesn't seem to be a local tool, but rather a SaaS model. This product feels like it should be a local compile-into-image workflow. But that's pro…

I keep coming back to it too. I would love for some more control on layout but it works for simpler diagrams

Layouting in plantuml is tricky, but I learned some tricks the hard way, which make larger diagrams more tenable. One core trick is:

  upper/left arrow lower/right
So e.g. you write:

  upperBlock
instead of:

  lowerBlock --> upperBlock
This alone drasticly cuts on the amount of hidden arrows with forced directions you need to use in larger diagrams.

That said, plantuml could use a more explicit way of providing layout hints. E.g. an extra declaration that some objects form a grid. Something like:

  grid
    Comp1 Comp2 Comp3
          Comp4
    Comp5       Comp6
  endgrid
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