Creating Software with Modern Diagramming Techniques • Ashley Peacock & Stefan Hofer
May 24, 2024
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Software engineer Ashley Peacock and DDD expert Stefan Hofer discuss creating software with modern diagramming techniques. They explore using text-based markup for diagrams, the advantages of tools like Mermaid, and the evolution of diagram techniques in engineering. The podcast highlights how diagrams can enhance communication and simplify complex ideas in software development.
Diagramming as code enables machine-readable diagrams with version control, simplifying creation and layout control.
Book covers sequence diagrams, C4 model, and domain world diagrams for practical software documentation and visualization.
Deep dives
Overview of Diagramming as Code
Diagramming as code allows users to write diagrams similar to writing HTML, making it machine-readable and enabling version control. Tools like mermaid simplify diagram creation by converting markup into images, providing some control over layout. Despite potential limitations in layout precision, the trade-off favors ease of creation and version control.
Key Diagram Types in the Book
The book covers three main diagram types: sequence diagrams for modeling interactions, the C4 model for software architecture representation offering different views, and domain world diagrams for describing the problem domain entities and relations, emphasizing practical applications and activities.
Functionality and Usage of Mermaid
Mermaid, a tool for creating diagrams from code, primarily uses JavaScript and TypeScript, offering widespread compatibility and ease of use. Its documentation and various diagram types support live editing and image export, with active GitHub contribution suggesting a strong community and ongoing development.
Future Prospects of Diagramming Tools
The potential integration of diagram-to-software functionality and advancements in AI may revolutionize diagram-driven development, offering the possibility of translating diagrams into running software. This could mark a resurgence in model-driven architecture or development, potentially unlocking new capabilities and efficiencies in software engineering processes.
DESCRIPTION Diagrams communicate relationships more directly and clearly than words ever can. Using only text-based markup, create meaningful and attractive diagrams to document your domain, visualize user flows, reveal system architecture at any desired level, or refactor your code. With the tools and techniques this book will give you, you’ll create a wide variety of diagrams in minutes, share them with others, and revise and update them immediately on the basis of feedback. Adding diagrams to your professional vocabulary will enable you to work through your ideas quickly when working on your own code or discussing a proposal with colleagues.
Expand your professional vocabulary by learning to communicate with diagrams as easily and naturally as speaking or writing. This book will provide you with the skills and tools to turn ideas into clear, meaningful, and attractive diagrams in mere minutes, using nothing more complicated than text-based markup. You’ll learn what kinds of diagrams are suited to each of a variety of use cases, from documenting your domain to understanding how complex code pieces together. Model your software’s architecture, creating diagrams focused broadly or narrowly, depending on the audience. Visualize application and user flows, design database schemas, and use diagrams iteratively to design and refactor your application. [...]