Book Image

The Official Guide to Mermaid.js

By : Knut Sveidqvist, Ashish Jain
Book Image

The Official Guide to Mermaid.js

By: Knut Sveidqvist, Ashish Jain

Overview of this book

Mermaid is a JavaScript-based charting and diagramming tool that lets you represent diagrams using text and code, which simplifies the maintenance of complex diagrams. This is a great option for developers as they’re more familiar with code, rather than using special tools for generating diagrams. Besides, diagrams in code simplify maintenance and ensure that the code is supported by version control systems. In some cases, Mermaid makes refactoring support for name changes possible while also enabling team collaboration for review distribution and updates. Developers working with any system will be able to put their knowledge to work with this practical guide to using Mermaid for documentation. The book is also a great reference for looking up the syntax for specific diagrams when authoring diagrams. You’ll start by learning the importance of accurate and visual documentation. Next, the book introduces Mermaid and establishes how to use it to create effective documentation. By using different tools, editors, or a custom documentation platform, you’ll also understand how to use Mermaid syntax for various diagrams. Later chapters cover advanced configuration settings and theme options to manipulate your diagram as per your needs. By the end of this book, you’ll be well-versed with Mermaid diagrams and how they can be used in your workflows.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Section 1: Getting Started with Mermaid
7
Section 2: The Most Popular Diagrams
12
Section 3: Powerful Diagrams for the Advanced User

Rendering your first diagram using the Live Editor

In the previous section, you learned that the Live Editor uses the latest version of Mermaid and makes all the new features and bug fixes available here. You know by now enough about the Live Editor in theory, so now it's time to get some quick, hands-on practice.

In this hands-on exercise, we will take an example of a flowchart diagram for making tea. We will start off with a sample flowchart template, then modify the flowchart code to suit the needs of our use case, and then also change the default theme option to a different theme using the configuration options.

Follow these instructions to render your first Mermaid diagram using the Live Editor:

  1. Start by opening a new window of a web browser of your choice. You may choose from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
  2. Next, open a new session of the Mermaid Live Editor in the browser.
  3. Now, click on the Flowchart button under the Sample Diagram widget to load...