What is mermaid?
Mermaid is a JavaScript-based diagramming and charting tool that renders Markdown-inspired text definitions to create and dynamically modify diagrams. It is particularly useful for creating flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, state diagrams, Gantt charts, and more.
What are mermaid's main functionalities?
Flowcharts
Mermaid allows you to create flowcharts using a simple syntax. The above code creates a flowchart with decision points and different paths.
```mermaid
flowchart TD
A[Start] --> B{Is it?}
B -->|Yes| C[OK]
B -->|No| D[Not OK]
C --> E[End]
D --> E[End]
```
Sequence Diagrams
Sequence diagrams can be created to represent interactions between different participants over time. The code sample shows a simple interaction between Alice and Bob.
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant Alice
participant Bob
Alice->>Bob: Hello Bob, how are you?
Bob-->>Alice: I am good thanks!
```
Gantt Charts
Mermaid supports Gantt charts for project planning and scheduling. The code sample demonstrates how to define tasks and their durations.
```mermaid
gantt
title A Gantt Diagram
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
section Section
A task :a1, 2023-01-01, 30d
Another task :after a1 , 20d
section Another
Task in sec :2023-01-12 , 12d
another task : 24d
```
Class Diagrams
Class diagrams can be used to represent the structure of a system by showing its classes, attributes, and methods. The code sample shows a simple class diagram with inheritance.
```mermaid
classDiagram
class Animal
Animal : +String name
Animal : +int age
Animal : +void eat()
Animal : +void sleep()
class Dog
Dog : +String breed
Dog : +void bark()
Animal <|-- Dog
```
State Diagrams
State diagrams represent the states of an object and transitions between those states. The code sample shows a simple state diagram with different states and transitions.
```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
[*] --> Still
Still --> [*]
Still --> Moving
Moving --> Still
Moving --> Crash
Crash --> [*]
```
Other packages similar to mermaid
flowchart.js
Flowchart.js is a simple library to create flowcharts using JavaScript. It is less feature-rich compared to Mermaid but is easier to use for basic flowchart needs.
js-sequence-diagrams
js-sequence-diagrams is a library specifically for creating sequence diagrams. It offers a more focused approach to sequence diagrams but lacks the versatility of Mermaid.
chart.js
Chart.js is a popular library for creating various types of charts and graphs. While it does not support diagrams like flowcharts or sequence diagrams, it excels in creating data-driven charts.
d3
D3.js is a powerful library for creating complex and interactive data visualizations. It offers more flexibility and control compared to Mermaid but requires a steeper learning curve.