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

Chapter 5: Changing Themes and Making Mermaid Look Good

In reading this chapter, you will learn how to modify the coloring of diagrams in the theme that Mermaid uses when rendering. You will learn how to do this using directives for just one diagram and on a site-wide basis. You will learn about the pre-made themes available, as well as how to create a custom theme using the dynamic theming engine in Mermaid. You will learn about the general functionality of the theming engine and about a number of theme variables that are shared by all diagram types. Variables and settings that only affect one specific diagram are described in the theming section of the chapter for that specific diagram type.

You will learn more about how to change the way Mermaid looks in the following sections:

  • Selecting a theme
  • Customizing a theme using theme variables
  • Variables for modifying a theme