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by xlii 226 days ago
This is a concept I'm working around with Microdiagram (microdiagram.com) prototype.

i.e. having a general purpose diagram/graph layout is hellishly difficult, but most of the diagrams/charts follow much simpler rules, thus it's much easier to have N languages, each for 1 type of diagram, than 1 language for N types of diagrams.
2 comments
nyrikki 226 days ago
While I fully support your efforts to make better tooling, UML is the poster child for this.

I highly encourage people working in this space to revisit those lessons.

Obviously if you find a new way to work around the limitations please run with it.

But limited scope, and targeted simplifications is the only way I have found, over application by trying to describe everything almost always ends up being more harmful in my experience.

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xlii 213 days ago
Sorry for the late response but I just noticed your comment. I know UML and studied it for decades along with other diagramming solutions and this is something exactly opposite I aim for.

UML was made as a specification-through-visuals tool and I'm aiming at diagrams-as-communication tool. I.e. sure you can save them, but the use case I aim is that you hop on the video call, share screen and discuss specific concept with one of the diagram types.

Collaboration is a huge part of it, but since I've never seen my concept in realization I'm going to keep it hush-hush for a while :)

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JohnKemeny 226 days ago
Sounds intriguing. What is an example of a chart and its language that you have designed so far?
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xlii 226 days ago
The Piano chart on prototype is an example, that's for discussing piano keys and chords on basic level.

I already implemented (in other prototype) diagram for event calculus (i.e. consideration of event stream through addition of new events like rollback, modify etc.)

On paper I have designs for point-in-time designs, scenario divergence and also some fun ones like a bingo card template. Diagrams are one thing, but there's also a design for collaboration and play-replay capabilities.

That being said, that's only a design right now with a simple prototype on the website :)

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