Mermaid Architect - Hierarchical Diagram and Documentation Skill

Mermaid diagram and documentation system with specialized guides and code-to-diagram capabilities.

Table of Contents

• Decision Tree
• Available Guides and Resources
• Usage Patterns
• Resilient Workflow
• Unicode Semantic Symbols
• Python Utilities
• Decision Tree Examples
• High-Contrast Styling
• File Organization
• Workflow Summary
• When to Use What
• Best Practices
• Learning Path

Decision Tree

How this skill works:

1. User makes a request → Skill analyzes intent
2. Skill determines diagram/document type → Loads appropriate guide(s)
3. AI reads specialized guide → Generates diagram/document using templates
4. Result delivered → With validation and export options

User Intent Analysis:

flowchart TD
    Start([User Request]) --> Analyze{Analyze Intent}

    Analyze -->|"workflow, process, business logic"| Activity[Load Activity Diagram Guide<br/>references/guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md]
    Analyze -->|"infrastructure, deployment, cloud"| Deploy[Load Deployment Diagram Guide<br/>references/guides/diagrams/deployment-diagrams.md]
    Analyze -->|"system architecture, components"| Arch[Load Architecture Guide<br/>references/guides/diagrams/architecture-diagrams.md]
    Analyze -->|"API flow, interactions"| Sequence[Load Sequence Diagram Guide<br/>references/guides/diagrams/sequence-diagrams.md]
    Analyze -->|"code to diagram"| CodeToDiag[Load Code-to-Diagram Guide<br/>references/guides/code-to-diagram/ + examples/]
    Analyze -->|"design document, full docs"| DesignDoc[Load Design Document Template<br/>assets/*-design-template.md]
    Analyze -->|"unicode symbols, icons"| Unicode[Load Unicode Symbols Guide<br/>references/guides/unicode-symbols/guide.md]
    Analyze -->|"extract, validate, convert"| Scripts[Use Python Scripts<br/>scripts/extract_mermaid.py<br/>scripts/mermaid_to_image.py]

    Activity --> Generate[Generate Diagram]
    Deploy --> Generate
    Arch --> Generate
    Sequence --> Generate
    CodeToDiag --> Generate
    DesignDoc --> Generate
    Unicode --> Generate
    Scripts --> Execute[Execute Script]

    Generate --> Validate{Validate?}
    Validate -->|Yes| RunValidation[Run mmdc validation]
    Validate -->|No| Output
    RunValidation --> Output[Output Result]
    Execute --> Output

    classDef decision fill:#FFD700,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:black
    classDef guide fill:#90EE90,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:darkgreen
    classDef action fill:#87CEEB,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:darkblue

    class Analyze,Validate decision
    class Activity,Deploy,Arch,Sequence,CodeToDiag,DesignDoc,Unicode,Scripts guide
    class Generate,Execute,RunValidation,Output action

Available Guides and Resources

Diagram Type Guides (references/guides/diagrams/)

Guide	Full Path	Load When User Wants	Examples
Activity Diagrams	references/guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md	Workflows, processes, business logic, user flows, decision trees	"Show checkout flow", "Document ETL pipeline", "Create approval workflow"
Deployment Diagrams	references/guides/diagrams/deployment-diagrams.md	Infrastructure, cloud architecture, K8s, serverless, network topology	"Show AWS architecture", "Document GCP deployment", "Create K8s diagram"
Architecture Diagrams	references/guides/diagrams/architecture-diagrams.md	System architecture, component design, high-level structure	"Show system components", "Document microservices", "Architecture overview"
C4 Model Diagrams	references/guides/diagrams/c4-model.md	Hierarchical architecture (Context, Container, Component, Deployment)	"C4 context", "C4 container", "C4 model diagram", "system hierarchy"
Sequence Diagrams	references/guides/diagrams/sequence-diagrams.md	API interactions, service communication, request/response flows	"Show API call sequence", "Document auth flow", "Service interactions"

Code-to-Diagram Guide & Examples

Resource	Full Path	What It Provides
Master Guide	references/guides/code-to-diagram/README.md	Complete workflow for analyzing any codebase and extracting diagrams
Spring Boot	examples/spring-boot/README.md	Controller→Service→Repository architecture, deployment config, sequence from methods, activity from business logic
FastAPI	examples/fastapi/README.md	Python async patterns, Pydantic models, dependency injection, cloud deployment
React	examples/react/README.md	Component hierarchy, state management, data flow, build pipeline
Python ETL	examples/python-etl/README.md	Data pipeline, transformation steps, error handling, scheduling
Node/Express	examples/node-webapp/README.md	Middleware chain, route handlers, async patterns, deployment
Java Web App	examples/java-webapp/README.md	Traditional MVC, servlet containers, WAR deployment

Design Document Templates

Template	Full Path	Use For	Load When
Architecture Design	assets/architecture-design-template.md	System-wide architecture	"Create architecture doc", "Document system design"
API Design	assets/api-design-template.md	API specifications	"API design doc", "Document REST API"
Feature Design	assets/feature-design-template.md	Feature planning	"Feature design", "Plan new feature"
Database Design	assets/database-design-template.md	Database schema	"Database design", "Document schema"
System Design	assets/system-design-template.md	Complete system	"System design doc", "Full system documentation"

Unicode Symbols Guide

Full Path: references/guides/unicode-symbols/guide.md

Load when user mentions: "unicode symbols", "emoji in diagrams", "semantic icons", "add symbols"

Quick Reference:

• 📦 Infrastructure: ☁️ 🌐 🔌 📡 🗄️
• ⚙️ Compute: ⚙️ ⚡ 🔄 ♻️ 🚀 💨
• 💾 Data: 💾 📦 📊 📈 🗃️ 🧊
• 📨 Messaging: 📨 📬 📤 📥 🐰 📢
• 🔐 Security: 🔐 🔑 🛡️ 🚪 👤 🎫
• 📝 Monitoring: 📝 📊 🚨 ⚠️ ✅ ❌

Python Scripts (scripts/)

Script	Use For	Load When
extract_mermaid.py	Extract diagrams from Markdown, validate syntax, replace with images	"extract diagrams", "validate mermaid", "find all diagrams"
mermaid_to_image.py	Convert .mmd to PNG/SVG, batch conversion, custom themes	"convert to image", "render diagram", "create PNG"
resilient_diagram.py	Full workflow: save .mmd, generate image, validate, error recovery	"generate diagram", "create diagram with validation", "resilient diagram"

Usage Patterns

Common request patterns and guide selection. See When to Use What for complete mapping.

Pattern	Example Request	Guides to Load
Single Diagram	"Create activity diagram for login flow"	Diagram type guide + Unicode symbols
Code-to-Diagram	"Generate deployment from application.yml"	Framework example + Deployment guide
Design Document	"Create API design document"	Template from assets/ + Relevant diagram guides
Extract/Validate	"Extract diagrams from design.md"	Use scripts/extract_mermaid.py
Batch Convert	"Convert all .mmd to PNG"	Use scripts/mermaid_to_image.py

Resilient Workflow

CRITICAL: This is the recommended approach for ALL diagram generation. It ensures validation, error recovery, and consistent file organization.

Full Guide: references/guides/resilient-workflow.md

Workflow Overview

flowchart LR
    A[1. Identify Type] --> B[2. Save .mmd + Image]
    B --> C{3. Valid?}
    C -->|Yes| D[4. Add to Markdown]
    C -->|No| E[5. Error Recovery]
    E --> F{Fix Found?}
    F -->|Yes| A
    F -->|No| G[Search External]
    G --> A

    classDef step fill:#90EE90,stroke:#333,color:darkgreen
    classDef decision fill:#FFD700,stroke:#333,color:black
    class A,B,D,E,G step
    class C,F decision

Key Principle

NEVER add a diagram to markdown until it passes validation. This prevents broken diagrams in documentation.

Using the Script (Recommended)

# Generate with full error recovery
python scripts/resilient_diagram.py \
    --code "flowchart TD; A-->B" \
    --markdown-file design_doc \
    --diagram-num 1 \
    --title "process_flow" \
    --format png \
    --json

Output: Both .mmd and .png files in ./diagrams/ directory.

File Naming Convention

./diagrams/<markdown_file>_<num>_<type>_<title>.mmd
./diagrams/<markdown_file>_<num>_<type>_<title>.png

Example: ./diagrams/api_design_01_sequence_auth_flow.png

Error Recovery Priority

When validation fails, the workflow automatically:

1. Check troubleshooting guide - references/guides/troubleshooting.md (28 documented errors)
2. Search with perplexity - perplexity_ask MCP for syntax questions
3. Search with brave - brave_web_search MCP for recent solutions
4. Ask gemini - gemini skill for alternative perspective
5. General search - WebSearch tool as fallback

Manual Fallback Steps

If the script is unavailable:

1. Identify diagram type from first line (flowchart, sequence, etc.)
2. Load reference guide from references/guides/diagrams/
3. Save to ./diagrams/<markdown_file>_<num>_<type>_<title>.mmd
4. Validate: mmdc -i file.mmd -o file.png -b transparent
5. On error: Search references/guides/troubleshooting.md for matching error
6. If not found: Use search tools in priority order above
7. Add reference: ![Description](./diagrams/filename.png)

Pattern 6: Resilient Diagram Generation

User: "Create a sequence diagram and add it to the design doc"

Skill Actions:

1. Identify intent: diagram generation + markdown integration
2. Load workflow guide: references/guides/resilient-workflow.md
3. Identify diagram type: sequence
4. Load diagram guide: references/guides/diagrams/sequence-diagrams.md
5. Generate Mermaid code using templates
6. Execute resilient workflow:

   python scripts/resilient_diagram.py \
       --code "[generated code]" \
       --markdown-file design_doc \
       --diagram-num 1 \
       --title "api_sequence" \
       --json
   

7. If validation fails → Apply troubleshooting fix → Retry
8. On success → Add ![API Sequence](./diagrams/design_doc_01_sequence_api_sequence.png) to markdown

Unicode Semantic Symbols

Always use Unicode symbols to enhance diagram clarity. Common patterns:

Infrastructure & Deployment

graph TB
    Client[👤 User] --> LB[🌐 Load Balancer]
    LB --> App1[⚙️ App Server 1]
    LB --> App2[⚙️ App Server 2]
    App1 --> DB[(💾 Database)]
    App1 --> Cache[(⚡ Redis)]

Activity Flow with States

flowchart TD
    Start([🚀 Start]) --> Process[⚙️ Process Data]
    Process --> Check{✓ Valid?}
    Check -->|Yes| Save[💾 Save]
    Check -->|No| Error[❌ Error]
    Save --> Complete([✅ Complete])

Microservices Architecture

graph TB
    API[🌐 API Gateway] --> Auth[🔐 Auth Service]
    API --> Orders[📋 Order Service]
    Orders --> Queue[📬 Message Queue]
    Queue --> Worker[⚙️ Background Worker]
    Worker --> Storage[📦 Object Storage]

For complete symbol reference, load: references/guides/unicode-symbols/guide.md

Python Utilities

Extract Mermaid Diagrams

# List all diagrams
python scripts/extract_mermaid.py document.md --list-only

# Extract to separate files
python scripts/extract_mermaid.py document.md --output-dir diagrams/

# Validate all diagrams
python scripts/extract_mermaid.py document.md --validate

# Replace with image references (for Confluence upload)
python scripts/extract_mermaid.py document.md --replace-with-images \
  --image-format png --output-markdown output.md

Convert to Images

# Single conversion
python scripts/mermaid_to_image.py diagram.mmd output.png

# With custom settings
python scripts/mermaid_to_image.py diagram.mmd output.svg \
  --theme dark --background white --width 1200

# Batch convert directory
python scripts/mermaid_to_image.py diagrams/ output/ --format png --recursive

# From stdin
echo "graph TD; A-->B" | python scripts/mermaid_to_image.py - output.png

Decision Tree Examples

Example 1: User Asks for Workflow Diagram

Input: "Show the checkout process workflow"

Skill Decision Path:

1. Analyze: workflow, process → ACTIVITY DIAGRAM
2. Load guide: guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md
3. Find pattern: E-commerce checkout (template exists in guide)
4. Generate using template + Unicode symbols
5. Output activity diagram with decision points

Output: Complete activity diagram with Unicode symbols for cart, payment, order states.

Example 2: User Provides Spring Boot Code

Input: "Here's my Spring Boot controller, create diagrams"

Skill Decision Path:

1. Analyze: Spring Boot, code provided → CODE-TO-DIAGRAM + SPRING BOOT
2. Load guides:
   - examples/spring-boot/README.md
   - guides/diagrams/architecture-diagrams.md (for structure)
   - guides/diagrams/sequence-diagrams.md (for method calls)
   - guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md (for business logic)
3. Generate multiple diagrams:
   a. Architecture diagram from @RestController/@Service/@Repository annotations
   b. Sequence diagram from method call chain
   c. Activity diagram from business logic flow
4. Output all diagrams with explanations

Output: 3-4 diagrams showing different views of the Spring Boot application.

Example 3: User Wants Infrastructure Documentation

Input: "Document my GCP Cloud Run deployment with AlloyDB"

Skill Decision Path:

1. Analyze: infrastructure, GCP, Cloud Run → DEPLOYMENT DIAGRAM
2. Load guides:
   - guides/diagrams/deployment-diagrams.md
   - examples/spring-boot/ or examples/fastapi/ (if code provided)
3. Check for IaC files (Pulumi, Terraform, docker-compose)
4. Generate deployment diagram with:
   - Cloud Run services with specs
   - VPC connector
   - AlloyDB cluster
   - Security (IAM, Secret Manager)
   - Monitoring
5. Apply Unicode symbols for clarity
6. Output with resource specifications

Output: Complete GCP deployment diagram with all resources labeled.

High-Contrast Styling

ALL diagrams MUST use high-contrast colors:

graph TB
    classDef primary fill:#90EE90,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:darkgreen
    classDef secondary fill:#87CEEB,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:darkblue
    classDef database fill:#E6E6FA,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:darkblue
    classDef error fill:#FFB6C1,stroke:#DC143C,stroke-width:2px,color:black

    %% Every classDef MUST have color: property

Rules:

• Light background → Dark text color
• Dark background → Light text color
• Always specify color: in every classDef

File Organization

design-doc-mermaid/
├── SKILL.md                          # This file - Main orchestrator
├── README.md                         # User documentation
├── CLAUDE.md                         # Claude Code instructions
│
├── references/                       # Reference materials
│   ├── mermaid-diagram-guide.md      # Legacy general guide
│   └── guides/                       # Specialized guides (load on-demand)
│       ├── diagrams/
│       │   ├── activity-diagrams.md      # Workflows, processes
│       │   ├── architecture-diagrams.md  # System architecture
│       │   ├── c4-model.md               # C4 Model Diagrams
│       │   ├── deployment-diagrams.md    # Infrastructure, cloud
│       │   └── sequence-diagrams.md      # API interactions
│       ├── code-to-diagram/
│       │   └── README.md                 # Master guide for code analysis
│       ├── unicode-symbols/
│       │   └── guide.md                  # Complete symbol reference
│       └── troubleshooting.md        # Common syntax errors & fixes
│
├── assets/                           # Design document templates
│   ├── architecture-design-template.md
│   ├── api-design-template.md
│   ├── feature-design-template.md
│   ├── database-design-template.md
│   └── system-design-template.md
│   └── feature-design-template.md
│   └── c4-model-template.md
│
├── scripts/                          # Python utilities
│   ├── extract_mermaid.py           # Extract & validate diagrams
│   └── mermaid_to_image.py          # Convert to PNG/SVG
│
├── examples/                         # Language-specific patterns
│   ├── spring-boot/                 # Spring Boot patterns
│   ├── fastapi/                     # FastAPI patterns
│   ├── react/                       # React patterns
│   ├── python-etl/                  # Data pipeline patterns
│   ├── node-webapp/                 # Express.js patterns
│   └── java-webapp/                 # Traditional Java patterns
│
└── references/                       # General Mermaid reference
    └── mermaid-diagram-guide.md     # Complete Mermaid syntax guide

Workflow Summary

1. Analyze user intent → Determine diagram type, document type, or action needed
2. Load appropriate guide(s) → Read only what's needed (token efficient)
3. Apply templates and patterns → Use examples from guides
4. Generate output → Create diagram or document
5. Validate (optional) → Use scripts to verify
6. Convert (optional) → Export to images if needed

When to Use What

User Request	Load This
"activity diagram", "workflow", "process flow"	references/guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md
"deployment", "infrastructure", "cloud", "k8s"	references/guides/diagrams/deployment-diagrams.md
"architecture", "system design", "components"	references/guides/diagrams/architecture-diagrams.md + design template
"C4", "C4 model", "C4 context", "hierarchy"	references/guides/diagrams/c4-model.md
"API", "sequence", "interactions", "flow"	references/mermaid-diagram-guide.md (sequence section)
"Spring Boot code"	examples/spring-boot/ + relevant diagram guides
"FastAPI code", "Python API"	examples/fastapi/ + relevant diagram guides
"React app", "frontend"	examples/react/ + architecture guide
"ETL", "data pipeline", "Python batch"	examples/python-etl/ + activity guide
"symbols", "unicode", "emoji"	references/guides/unicode-symbols/guide.md
"syntax error", "diagram won't render", "troubleshoot"	references/guides/troubleshooting.md
"extract diagrams"	scripts/extract_mermaid.py
"convert to image", "PNG", "SVG"	scripts/mermaid_to_image.py
"create diagram", "generate diagram", "add diagram to markdown"	scripts/resilient_diagram.py + references/guides/resilient-workflow.md
"design document", "full docs"	assets/*-design-template.md + diagram guides

Best Practices

1. Single Responsibility: One diagram = One concept
2. Unicode Enhancement: Always use semantic symbols for clarity
3. High Contrast: Never skip the color: property in styles
4. Layout Optimization: Avoid deep nesting, use concise text, and order definitions to guide the layout engine (see c4-model.md for C4-specific tips)
5. Validate Early: Use scripts to catch syntax errors
6. Template Reuse: Leverage existing templates and examples
7. Load On-Demand: Only read guides needed for the specific request
8. Token Efficiency: Use hierarchical loading instead of reading everything

Learning Path

New to Mermaid? Start here:

1. Read references/guides/unicode-symbols/guide.md for symbol meanings
2. Read references/guides/diagrams/activity-diagrams.md for basic patterns
3. Try examples in examples/spring-boot/ or examples/fastapi/
4. Use scripts/extract_mermaid.py --validate to check your work

Need to document code? Follow this:

1. Identify your framework → Load relevant examples/{framework}/
2. Match code pattern to diagram type
3. Use templates from guide
4. Validate with scripts

Creating design docs? Follow this:

1. Choose document type → Load template from assets/
2. Fill in text sections
3. Load diagram guides as needed for each section
4. Use Unicode symbols throughout
5. Save to docs/design/ with timestamp

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Version: 2.0 (Hierarchical Architecture) Last Updated: 2025-01-13 Maintained by: Claude Code Skills