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PlantText is an online tool that quickly generates images and diagrams from the text you enter. It is mostly used to create UML diagrams (Unified Modeling Language) from a language called PlantUML, but many other types of images and diagrams can be created as well.
Simply type the PlantUML language into the editor and refresh the screen to produce the image / diagram. Save, export, or copy the image or it's encoded link for use in your websites, requirements, or design documents.
PlantText is currently free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Donations are greatly appreciated to help cover the costs of hosting, maintenance, and enhancements.
We are very grateful for the support of the software development community in the form of feedback and help promoting it. Please tell your friends about the tool and provide feedback here. We want to hear what you like about PlantText and what new features you’d like to see.
What does PlantText do?
With PlantText, software architects can create UML diagrams using a simple language without being distracted by aesthetic details or the use of a mouse. Simply type PlantUML into the editor and refresh the screen to produce a professional, clear diagram.
PlantUML is a flexible language that is intuitive to learn and easy to master. Use the samples provided or download this ebook to learn more. See the PlantUML website for more information on the development of the language.
UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a standard language for designing software modeling diagrams. The Object Modeling Group currently maintains and promotes UML. PlantText and PlantUML support most standard UML diagram types as well as many other diagram types like GraphViz, Salt, ASCII Art, and XEarth.
Why use PlantText?
1. Once you learn the basics of the syntax, you can generate UML diagrams much more quickly than with a typical drag and drop tools.
2. The diagrams are based on ASCII, so you can use your own source control software to version and perform diffs on them. You could even parse the text programmatically with other tools like NPlant.
3. It allows you to focus on the relationships and complex ideas you need to capture in your design, rather than endlessly resizing and aligning rectangles.
Helpful Tips:
- Press the Alt + Enter keystroke combination to refresh the PlantUML diagram. This way you don't have to use your mouse to refresh at all.
- A quick way to learn PlantUML is by working through the sample dropdown list. These PlantUML diagrams are grouped by diagram type and follow a natural progression.
- Use the 'Files' button to quickly export and import PlantUML as text files to and from your local file system. Be careful though because importing will copy the PlantUML in those files over any PlantUML you already have in the PlantText editor.
- The 'Settings' buttons contains user settings that affect the way the editor works and it's appearance. You can switch to VIM or Emacs mode if you are an old school unix geek.
- If diagrams are not refreshing quickly or not at all, the PlantUML server may be slow or completely down. Use the 'Server' button to enter a URL to a different PlantUML server in order to make it work or speed it up. You can follow the instructions here in order to set your own PlantUML server up.
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