[HN Gopher] Show HN: Gleek diagram maker - UML class, Sequence, ...
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Show HN: Gleek diagram maker - UML class, Sequence, ER diagrams,
Flowcharts
Author : vladojsem
Score : 42 points
Date : 2021-03-04 11:16 UTC (11 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.gleek.io)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.gleek.io)
| alexf95 wrote:
| Looks like a powerful Tool, are there any Tutorial videos showing
| how to use it effectively?
| vladojsem wrote:
| thank you, i have just published the second tutorial video
| today, please check the channel:
| https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl_1_jjnhgPAsRBuJ0yzAA
| alexf95 wrote:
| Thanks i will check it out!
| vladojsem wrote:
| you are welcome, would be happy to hear your feedback
| alexf95 wrote:
| Actually looks pretty simple to use especially if you
| have some kind of coding affinity. When the next diagram
| making is needed I hope I'll remember your Tool.
| vladojsem wrote:
| feel free to bookmark it ;-)
| ta988 wrote:
| How does that differ from mermaid, plantuml and the myriad of
| others?
|
| Do you protect your clients in any way for the risk of loosing
| diagrams if your company goes down the drain?
| vladojsem wrote:
| i like plantuml. however, i think it has more complicated
| syntax. if i mistype something, i often get an error.
|
| gleek.io is partly based on mermaid, it has its own UI and
| extra features like saving diagrams on its servers, Git
| integration, link sharing, integration with Azure DevOps,
| integration with Confluence is on the way, etc.
|
| i don't see the company going down the drain, it is only one of
| our projects and not so expensive to maintain. the diagrams are
| saved on the servers and you can export them in different
| formats.
| vladojsem wrote:
| mermaid also has different syntax for each diagram type.
|
| gleek.io is unifying the syntax throughout different diagram
| types so that you don't have to learn the syntax from the
| beginning again.
| clawoo wrote:
| Maybe I am missing something, but I'm having difficulty figuring
| out what a proper diagram definition is supposed to look like.
|
| You could take inspiration from plantuml-editor
| (https://plantuml-editor.kkeisuke.com/#) and add a template/demo
| button that allows user to get a predefined diagram so they can
| experiment with it.
| vladojsem wrote:
| you can just type / for a template, or use these links for pre-
| defined diagrams:
|
| https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/basic
| https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/sequence
| https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/erdiagram
| https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/class
|
| there is also syntax help link in the bottom-left corner
|
| your feedback is great, we should make it more clear on how to
| start
| colordrops wrote:
| Where I grew up (Inland Empire in Southern California), gleek was
| slang for spitting droplets of water from under your tongue. I'd
| never be able to dissociate the name from this. Similar to people
| who associate Gimp with certain things.
|
| https://youtu.be/BV4ZeNvXfhk
| vladojsem wrote:
| thanks for the insight. i am using gimp software and never
| thought about it means something bad. i might reconsider and
| use different graphic product instead ;-)
| [deleted]
| mono-bob wrote:
| Maybe It's just me, but I think the free tier description on the
| pricing page [1] is confusing.
|
| - (CHECK) Use the full set of Gleek diagramming features
|
| - (CROSS) Limited to 5 diagram files
|
| - (CROSS) Limited to 40 diagram object
|
| - (CROSS) Diagrams are stored on Gleek servers
|
| - (CROSS) Share links to diagrams using your favorite
| collaboration tool
|
| - (CROSS) Priority support on Slack
|
| There are checkmarks and crosses. The first item seems clear
| because it had a checkmark and is included in the free tier. But
| it seems to me that the next two items (limited to 5 diagram
| files and 40 diagram object) are also included, but they have a
| cross next to them. While the last two items also have a cross
| but are not included.
|
| Lastly, I think there is a small typo and the "40 diagram object"
| should be "40 diagram objects."
|
| Good luck!
|
| [1] https://www.gleek.io/pricing.html
|
| Edit: fixed formatting
| vladojsem wrote:
| thank you very much. we are working on the fix - to clarify
| pricing page.
| jayonsoftware wrote:
| First of all I do not mind paying for it, end of the day I do not
| want to set up things (Server, Docker etc), I just played with it
| for 10 min.
|
| 1. For some reason "Syntax Error" kept popping up. 2. The UI need
| some work...look at Lucid Chart 3. Having an API will so we can
| call from other apps 4. Just PNG is not enough, may be add SVG
|
| I am happy to get on a 30 min zoom call and discuss all this as I
| tried to create some thing like this using DS3 last year. Feel
| free to ping me at @jayonsoftware
|
| Jay
| vladojsem wrote:
| thanks, jay. sure lets connect: @IoGleek
|
| it would be helpful to know more details about 1. and 2., we
| already have SVG implemented - more export options are
| available for paid users
| kofejnik wrote:
| This looks nice, congrats!
|
| However, it makes zero sense to me as a 13 euro/mo service. It is
| just a single-purpose tool which I need occasionally, so I might
| be inclined to pay something like $10 for it, once. But monthly
| payment? Maybe if you're systems analyst at IBM and creating UML
| diagrams is literally your job.
| ewokone wrote:
| Same here. Free tier with limitations of 40 elements? ..
| useless to me, next tier 13 dollar per month? Way to much for
| 2-3 layouts I want to produce spontaneously and irregularly.
|
| I would love a gitlab plugin which creates new layouts based on
| all module imports in a repository. to get an overview like a
| dependencies graph. For that I would pay instantly.
| vladojsem wrote:
| thanks for your comment. noted.
| vladojsem wrote:
| thank you. this is also valuable feedback!
|
| we are going to play with the pricing in the following weeks,
| and the most probably decrease the price.
| ducharmdev wrote:
| Although your UX looks a bit more appealing, this is what you are
| competing with: https://mermaid-js.github.io/mermaid-live-editor
|
| So when determining your price point, you need to provide a
| fairly substantial service on top of this to justify a monthly
| cost. Particularly when you're targeting developers and
| architects, who are more likely to use free open-source
| alternatives even if the UX is not as good.
| gardenfelder wrote:
| https://github.com/mermaid-js/mermaid
| vladojsem wrote:
| fair point. we are going to rework pricing in the following
| weeks.
|
| there are many differences to the mermaid. i have mentioned
| them in the comments already / saving of the diagrams, unified
| syntax throughout various diagram types, diagram code
| autocomplete, templates, integrations with azure devops and
| confluence.
|
| what other paid feature would you wish for?
| beaconstudios wrote:
| or https://graphviz.org/, which is very mature and also FOSS.
| vladojsem wrote:
| i know graphviz. there are certainly many diagramming tools
| out there. what do you like about graphviz that gleek.io does
| not offer?
| vladojsem wrote:
| sure, thanks for highlighting the tool. i thought you were
| a heavy-user of graphviz so you would have the insights ;-)
| beaconstudios wrote:
| No, but I am building my own graph based tools hence my
| interest in the area.
| nerdponx wrote:
| That's a backwards mentality. I already use Graphviz, why
| would I switch? You need to be asking yourself (and
| convincing everyone else) what Gleek offers that Graphviz
| does _not_ offer.
|
| Also, in the USA, "gleeking" is a very specific kind of
| spitting, by projecting saliva from under the tongue. Not
| what I want to think about when making diagrams.
| vladojsem wrote:
| i understand your point. i was just asking what do you
| appreciate on the other tool - as i expected you know
| that tool better than gleek.io diagram maker. we will
| certainly look closer on graphviz.
| specialist wrote:
| I recently had to create a handful of class diagrams. To
| document existing stuff, vs as a design tool. Just the
| level of detail needed to make the point.
|
| It's been _ages_ since I 've done UML stuff. Surely things
| are better now?
|
| I tried a handful of tools. PlantUML, whatever comes with
| IntelliJ Ultimate, something that had recently been front
| page on HN (edit: dotuml.com), mermaid, nomnoml, an app I
| found on the Apple Mac store. I even tried just a generic
| diagramming tool.
|
| So frustrating. Overlapping edges and arrowheads. Couldn't
| control placement or order. Classes with just names (no
| fields or methods) still showing those extra lines (vs just
| a name with a box). Couldn't discern abstract (italics)
| from concrete (bold) classes.
|
| I gave up.
|
| I was tempted to just hand draw the diagrams. Alas, my
| lettering is turrible.
|
| I finally went back to wrestling with graphviz's DOT.
|
| It's not great. But at least the edges don't overlap.
| vladojsem wrote:
| give Gleek diagram maker a try and please send your
| feedback
| vladojsem wrote:
| specialist, can you pls connect with me? @IoGleek
|
| we would like to look into your error, can be browser-
| based, sometimes even browser extensions can do nasty
| things :-/
| specialist wrote:
| Like other commenter, got stack errors. Sorry.
| beaconstudios wrote:
| I don't know, I don't tend to use graphs for documentation
| or communication. I just wanted to highlight the tool that
| is probably your main competitor given the parent was
| talking about open source comparisons. Presumably you have
| a pitch for why gleek is superior to graphviz or other
| alternatives to justify the pricing?
|
| FWIW I do like the real time preview; manipulating symbols
| in the dark is the worst thing about textual languages.
| philsnow wrote:
| In emacs, M-x global-auto-revert-mode. in a shell:
| while inotifywait -e modify -r .; do sleep 0.5; make;
| done
|
| load up the .dot file and the output .png file side by
| side in an emacs frame. Every time you save the .dot
| file, the inotifywait loop rebuilds the output .png,
| writes it to disk, and then emacs notices that the file
| on disk is newer than its buffer so it "reverts"
| (reloads) it.
|
| There's even a bit more you can do, with flymake-mode.
| With flymake-mode, the buffer you're working on gets
| saved to a separate filename every time you stop editing
| it for a few ms. If your makefile is set up right, it
| will build an output file from the temporary flymake
| file, so you can have that resulting "temporary" artifact
| open as the other emacs buffer and get automatic
| refreshing every time you stop typing.
|
| This workflow works for nearly anything you can edit in
| emacs, as long as you can write a makefile. I wrote
| everything in grad school this way.
|
| I think VS Code has something even nicer preview (no
| manual setup or dinking around in a shell) for some
| plugins, but I don't know if it's general like this setup
| is.
|
| _Edit: Though, this setup has the perennial problem of
| anything involving emacs: it 's completely single-player.
| I can't easily collaborate with anybody while using this
| workflow. I also can't really touch any part of it while
| I'm on my phone. SaaS web/mobile apps can do those
| things, so they might be more applicable depending on the
| situation._
| beaconstudios wrote:
| I think you underestimate how lazy I am.
|
| If it was something I did often, I would probably make a
| vscode plugin or shell macro for it though. Or just use
| mermaid if it turns out to be good.
| vladojsem wrote:
| Hello HN,
|
| my friends and I made Gleek.io - a diagram maker focused on speed
| - typing code is much faster than drag-and-drop - for developers,
| it is more natural to write than to draw - generate a diagram
| with connections
|
| The features of Gleek.io include: - 16 different shapes to use -
| Various connections based on the diagram type - Diagrams saved
| locally in a browser as well as on Gleek.io servers - Dashboard
| with the overview of your diagrams with the option to search -
| Free Templates (type /) and Syntax help to make it easier to
| start - Rotation of the diagram, SVG download of a diagram,
| diagram link sharing, fit to screen layout
|
| Create your first diagram in Gleek.io & write your feedback
|
| Example to try: Type "Shape1-->Shape2" for your first diagram
| 2rsf wrote:
| Why are you better than other existing tools in this niche?
| vladojsem wrote:
| the difference is in the syntax, some other tools allow to
| create just one type of diagram, like sequence - we have
| wider options in terms of diagram types.
|
| typing should be faster and more natural for developers and
| software architects - so speed is a big advantage in
| comparison with drag-and-drop tools.
| 2rsf wrote:
| sounds great, I will give it a try
| vladojsem wrote:
| please let me know your feedback after
| Oras wrote:
| Most comments addressed why it would be better than plantuml and
| mermaid. If you can add a feature to export the diagram as a GIF
| with animation to show the sequence, this would be a great
| feature IMHO.
|
| Why I see animation as a vital feature:
|
| - This would give clarity to both developers and product owners.
|
| - When there is a new feature in the system, it will be easier to
| add change and export.
|
| - Easily embed in README files.
|
| - To my knowledge, this feature is not available in any diagram
| software.
| Veuxdo wrote:
| Ilograph has interactive sequence diagrams that can walk you
| through the sequence, with notes:
| https://app.ilograph.com/demo.ilograph.Ilograph/Get%2520Diag...
|
| (click the 'Start Walkthrough' button on the right)
|
| Exporting it to a gif is an interesting idea. That could be a
| very big gif file though.
| vladojsem wrote:
| thanks, we will take a look at ilograph. did not hear about
| it yet.
| vladojsem wrote:
| thank you much for your suggestion. it sounds interesting. we
| did not think of including a GIF animation before.
|
| we are going to talk about it during our next planning.
| gegtik wrote:
| Two comments about "prior art":
|
| - This reminds me of plantuml and mermaid: how do you see
| yourself as different? Is it the reactive display of contents as
| you type?
|
| - Naming-wise: I'm curious - are you aware that in some places
| "Gleek" means to spit by directly squeezing your salivary glands?
| vladojsem wrote:
| yes, the tool is partly based on the mermaid, we use our own
| syntax that we consider more simple + features build on top of
| it like diagram saving, git repository integration, exporting
| options, link sharing, support, etc.
|
| you are right. i am aware that name is somewhat controversial.
| in a way, you type quickly your diagram and gleek.io spits it
| out :-)
| gegtik wrote:
| I Love the idea of these but I feel like we need much better
| pathing before medium-or-larger diagrams are presentable.
| Anything not trivial in nature ends up with fairly ugly and
| unintuitive layout that requires correction.
|
| Maybe a job for ML
| 3ace wrote:
| Reading the pricing detail for free tier at a glance is a little
| bit of confusing because of the icon and font color used on
| certain feature, I had to read the next tier to (probably)
| understand it further.
|
| Is the free tier limited to 4 diagrams? Is the free tier limited
| to 40 diagrams? Is the free tier permit the user to save the
| diagram on Gleek server? and so on...
| vladojsem wrote:
| yes, we are re-working the pricing page, it is going to include
| also FAQ.
|
| to answer your questions: yes, the free tier is limited to 5
| diagram files and 40 diagram objects.
|
| the free tier has diagrams saved in the local IndexDB database
| of the browser. paid tier has them saved on the servers.
| swalsh wrote:
| I'm a really visual person, so I love making diagrams to explain
| my ideas. Unfortuantely I can't "think" while i'm typing. In
| fact, I can't really think while I'm in front of a computer. I
| usually draw everything out on a dry erase white board.
|
| This could solve my second problem, which is to take my drawings
| and convert them into something presentable and consumerable by
| other people. But this is not my ideal way to do it. Ideally, I
| could take a picture of the white board, and it would be auto
| generated.
| vladojsem wrote:
| that is a great feedback, the tool is not for everyone. out of
| curiosity, are you a developer?
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