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CornerStone Workflow Toolkit

PlantUML Diagram types

Here’s a summary of PlantUML APIs and syntax for different diagram types, along with key elements to get you started:

Here’s a summary of the key syntax and APIs for different diagram types in PlantUML:

General Structure: Most diagrams start with @startuml and end with @enduml Some specific diagrams have unique start/end tags (e.g., @startmindmap/@endmindmap)

1. Sequence Diagrams

Purpose: Show interactions between objects in a chronological order.

Key Elements:

  • Use -> for messages between participants
  • Use --> for dotted arrows
  • Declare participants with participant, actor, boundary, control, entity, database, etc.

    @startuml
        Alice -> Bob: Hello
        Bob --> Alice: Hi there
    @enduml
Sequence diagram

2. Use Case Diagrams

Purpose: Show how actors interact with a system.

Key Elements:

  • Define actors with :Actor:
  • Define use cases with (Use Case)
  • Show relationships with -> or —>

    @startuml
        :User: --> (Login)
        :User: --> (View Profile)
    @enduml
use case diagram

3. Class Diagrams

Purpose: Show classes and their relationships (associations, inheritance, aggregation).

Key Elements:

  • Define classes with class ClassName
  • Show relationships with arrows like --, <|--, *--, o--

    @startuml
        class Car {
        -color: String
        +start(): void
        }
        class Driver
        Driver --> Car: drives
    @enduml
use case diagram

4. Activity Diagrams:

Purpose: Show the flow of activities within a process.

Key Elements:

  • Use start and stop for beginning and end
  • Use if, else, endif for conditionals
  • Use while and endwhile for loops

  @startuml
    start
    :Start Activity;
    :Do Something;
    :Do something else;
    stop
  @enduml
activity diagram

5. Component Diagrams:

Purpose: Show the components of a system and their dependencies.

Key Elements:

  • Define components with [Component]
  • Show interfaces with () "Interface"

  @startuml
    [Web Server] --> [Database]
    [Web Server] --> [File System]
  @enduml
component diagram

6. State Diagrams:

Purpose: State diagrams visualize the different states an object can be in and the transitions between those states. They are helpful for understanding the behavior of objects over time.

Key Elements:

  • Define states with state StateName
  • Show transitions with -->

  @startuml
    [*] --> Active
    Active --> [*]
    Active --> Inactive
    Inactive --> Active
  @enduml
state diagram

7. Deployment Diagrams:

Purpose: Show the physical layout of a system’s components.

Key Elements:

  • Define nodes with node NodeName
  • Show artifacts with artifact ArtifactName

    @startuml
        node "Web Server" {
        [Apache]
        }
        node "Database Server" {
        [MySQL]
        }
        [Apache] --> [MySQL]
    @enduml
state diagram

8. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):

Purpose: A WBS diagram visually breaks down a project into smaller, manageable tasks or deliverables. It helps to visualize the scope of work, dependencies, and relationships between tasks.

Key Elements:

  • Start with @startwbs and end with @endwbs
  • Use * for the root node and **, ***, etc. for child nodes
  • Use + instead of * for alternative notation

  @startwbs
    * Project
    ** Phase 1
    *** Task 1.1
    *** Task 1.2
    ** Phase 2
    *** Task 2.1
    *** Task 2.2
  @endwbs
wbs diagram