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mermaid-diagramming

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Create Mermaid diagrams in Obsidian including flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, and more. Use when visualizing processes, system architectures, workflows, or any structured relationships in Obsidian notes.

General

What this skill does


# Mermaid Diagramming in Obsidian

Obsidian has built-in Mermaid support. Use fenced code blocks with `mermaid` language identifier.

For common syntax (styling, comments, themes), see [reference.md](reference.md).

## ⚠️ Obsidian-Specific Constraints

**Rendering Differences**: Obsidian's Mermaid version may lag behind mermaid.js releases. Some cutting-edge features may not work.

**Theme Interaction**: Diagram colors adapt to Obsidian theme. Use explicit styles for consistent appearance across themes.

**Performance**: Very large diagrams (50+ nodes) may slow down rendering. Split into multiple diagrams if needed.

**Export**: PDF export converts diagrams to images. For external sharing, capture as PNG/SVG.

**No JavaScript**: Click events and JavaScript callbacks are disabled for security.

---

## Diagram Selection Guide

| Use Case | Diagram Type | Keyword |
|----------|--------------|---------|
| Process flow, decision trees | Flowchart | `flowchart` |
| API calls, message passing | Sequence | `sequenceDiagram` |
| OOP design, relationships | Class | `classDiagram` |
| Project timeline, scheduling | Gantt | `gantt` |
| State machine, lifecycle | State | `stateDiagram-v2` |
| Git branching strategy | Gitgraph | `gitGraph` |
| Brainstorming, hierarchies | Mindmap | `mindmap` |
| Proportions, percentages | Pie Chart | `pie` |
| Database schema, entities | ER Diagram | `erDiagram` |
| User experience steps, satisfaction | User Journey | `journey` |
| Historical events, milestones | Timeline | `timeline` |
| Priority matrix, 2D positioning | Quadrant Chart | `quadrantChart` |
| Flow visualization, proportional bands | Sankey Diagram | `sankey-beta` |
| Numerical data visualization | XY Chart | `xychart-beta` |
| Precise element positioning, layouts | Block Diagram | `block-beta` |
| Cloud services, service relationships | Architecture | `architecture-beta` |

---

## Quick Start Examples

### Flowchart

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Yes| C[Action 1]
    B -->|No| D[Action 2]
    C --> E[End]
    D --> E
```

**Key syntax:**
- Direction: `TD` (top-down), `LR` (left-right), `BT`, `RL`
- Shapes: `[rect]`, `(rounded)`, `{diamond}`, `[(cylinder)]`, `((circle))`
- Arrows: `-->`, `-.->` (dotted), `==>` (thick)
- Labels: `-->|text|` or `-- text -->`

For details: [flowchart.md](flowchart.md)

---

### Sequence Diagram

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant C as Client
    participant S as Server
    participant D as Database

    C->>S: HTTP Request
    activate S
    S->>D: Query
    D-->>S: Result
    S-->>C: Response
    deactivate S
```

**Key syntax:**
- Arrows: `->>` (sync), `-->>` (response), `-)` (async)
- Activation: `activate`/`deactivate` or `+`/`-` suffix
- Control: `loop`, `alt`/`else`, `opt`, `par`/`and`, `critical`
- Notes: `Note right of A: text`, `Note over A,B: text`

For details: [sequence.md](sequence.md)

---

### Class Diagram

```mermaid
classDiagram
    class Animal {
        +String name
        +int age
        +makeSound() void
    }
    class Dog {
        +fetch() void
    }
    Animal <|-- Dog : extends
```

**Key syntax:**
- Visibility: `+` public, `-` private, `#` protected, `~` package
- Relations: `<|--` inheritance, `*--` composition, `o--` aggregation, `-->` association
- Methods: `+method(args) returnType`

For details: [class-diagram.md](class-diagram.md)

---

### Gantt Chart

```mermaid
gantt
    title Project Timeline
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD

    section Planning
    Requirements    :a1, 2024-01-01, 7d
    Design          :a2, after a1, 5d

    section Development
    Implementation  :2024-01-15, 14d
    Testing         :7d
```

**Key syntax:**
- `dateFormat`: Date format (YYYY-MM-DD, etc.)
- Tasks: `name :id, start, duration` or `name :after id, duration`
- Modifiers: `done`, `active`, `crit`, `milestone`

For details: [gantt.md](gantt.md)

---

### State Diagram

```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Processing : start
    Processing --> Success : complete
    Processing --> Error : fail
    Success --> [*]
    Error --> Idle : retry
```

**Key syntax:**
- Start/End: `[*]`
- Transition: `State1 --> State2 : event`
- Composite: `state Name { ... }`
- Fork/Join: `state fork_name <<fork>>`, `<<join>>`

For details: [state.md](state.md)

---

### Gitgraph

```mermaid
gitGraph
    commit id: "init"
    branch develop
    checkout develop
    commit id: "feat-1"
    commit id: "feat-2"
    checkout main
    merge develop id: "v1.0" tag: "release"
```

**Key syntax:**
- `commit`: Add commit, optional `id:`, `tag:`, `type:`
- `branch name`: Create branch
- `checkout name`: Switch branch
- `merge name`: Merge branch

For details: [gitgraph.md](gitgraph.md)

---

### Mindmap

```mermaid
mindmap
    root((Project))
        Frontend
            React
            TypeScript
        Backend
            Node.js
            PostgreSQL
        DevOps
            Docker
            CI/CD
```

**Key syntax:**
- Indentation defines hierarchy
- Shapes: `root((circle))`, `(rounded)`, `[square]`, `))cloud((`
- Use 4-space or tab indentation

For details: [mindmap.md](mindmap.md)

---

### Pie Chart

```mermaid
pie showData
    title Browser Market Share
    "Chrome" : 65
    "Safari" : 19
    "Firefox" : 8
    "Edge" : 5
    "Other" : 3
```

**Key syntax:**
- `title`: Optional chart title
- `showData`: Display values on segments
- Format: `"Label" : value`

For details: [pie.md](pie.md)

---

### ER Diagram

```mermaid
erDiagram
    CUSTOMER ||--o{ ORDER : places
    ORDER ||--|{ LINE-ITEM : contains
    CUSTOMER {
        int id PK
        string email UK
        string name
    }
```

**Key syntax:**
- Entities: `ENTITY_NAME`
- Attributes: `type name [PK/FK/UK]`
- Cardinality: `||--o{` (one to many), `||--||` (one to one)
- Relationship: `ENTITY1 REL ENTITY2 : label`

For details: [er-diagram.md](er-diagram.md)

---

### User Journey

```mermaid
journey
    title Customer Support
    section Contact
      Submit ticket: 2: Customer
      Receive notice: 4: Agent
    section Resolution
      Troubleshoot issue: 3: Agent
      Confirm solution: 5: Customer
```

**Key syntax:**
- Sections: `section name`
- Tasks: `Task name: score: actor`
- Score: 1-5 (1 = unsatisfied, 5 = satisfied)
- Actors: User roles involved

For details: [journey.md](journey.md)

---

### Timeline

```mermaid
timeline
    title Product Roadmap
    section 2023
        Q1 2023 : MVP launch
        Q4 2023 : v1.0 release
    section 2024
        Q2 2024 : Major features
        Q4 2024 : v2.0
```

**Key syntax:**
- Time periods: `period : event`
- Sections: Group related periods
- Multiple events: `period : event1 : event2`
- Flexible format: Years, months, quarters, or custom text

For details: [timeline.md](timeline.md)

---

### Quadrant Chart

```mermaid
quadrantChart
    title Feature Prioritization
    x-axis Effort --> Value
    y-axis Complexity --> Impact
    Dark Mode: [0.4, 0.7]
    Search: [0.6, 0.8]
    Export PDF: [0.7, 0.6]
    Fix UI Bug: [0.2, 0.3]
```

**Key syntax:**
- Axes: `x-axis label --> label` and `y-axis label --> label`
- Points: `Name: [x, y]` (coordinates 0.0-1.0)
- Quadrants: Auto-divided at 0.5 on both axes

For details: [quadrant-chart.md](quadrant-chart.md)

---

### Sankey Diagram

```mermaid
sankey-beta

A,B,10
A,C,15
B,D,8
C,D,22
```

**Key syntax:**
- CSV format: `source, target, value`
- Three columns required
- Values are numeric (flow magnitude)
- Nodes auto-created from sources/targets

For details: [sankey.md](sankey.md)

---

### XY Chart

```mermaid
xychart-beta
    title "Sales Data"
    x-axis [Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May]
    y-axis "Revenue" 0 --> 100
    line [30, 45, 55, 70, 85]
```

**Key syntax:**
- Chart type: `xychart-beta` or `xychart-beta horizontal`
- X-axis: `[categories]` or `min --> max`
- Y-axis: `"label" min --> max`
- Series: `line [values]` or `bar [values]`

For details: [xychart.md](xychart.md)

---

### Block Diagram

```mermaid
block-beta
    c

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