Mermaid Introduction

Mermaid is a JavaScript diagramming and charting tool that uses a Markdown-inspired syntax to create diagrams from text. Its main goal is to enable easy, code-driven diagrams so documentation stays up-to-date with development. For example, rather than editing a static image, you write a short definition like:

Example

graph LR
  A[Start] --> B{Decision}
  B -->|Yes| C[Result 1]
  B -->|No| D[Result 2]

Try this code ❯

Mermaid converts this into an SVG/PNG diagram dynamically.

This is especially useful for developers writing docs, as diagrams can be versioned alongside code and regenerated.

The Mermaid Editor provides a web interface to write Mermaid code and see the rendered result in real time. Mermaid supports many diagram types (flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, etc.) and is integrated into platforms like GitHub/GitLab Markdown, VS Code, Docusaurus, and others.

Key Points: Mermaid is scriptable and version-controlled; it avoids “diagram rot” by generating diagrams from code. You can use the Mermaid Editor or install it via NPM/CLI.