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PlantUML Language specification Common commands

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Common Commands in PlantUML

Discover the fundamental commands universally applicable across all diagram types in PlantUML. These commands allow you to inject versatility and personalized details into your diagrams. Below, we breakdown these common commands into three major categories:

Global Elements

  • Comments: Add remarks or explanatory notes in your diagram script to convey additional information or to leave reminders for further modifications.
  • Notes: Incorporate supplementary information directly onto your diagram to aid in understanding or to highlight important aspects.
  • Size Control: Adjust the dimensions of various elements to suit your preferences, ensuring a balanced and well-proportioned diagram.
  • Title and Captions: Define a fitting title and add captions to elucidate the context or to annotate specific parts of your diagram.

Creole Syntax Description

Harness the power of Creole syntax to further format the content of any element within your diagram. This wiki markup style allows for:

  • Text Formatting: Customize the appearance of your text with various styles and alignments.
  • Lists: Create ordered or unordered lists to present information neatly.
  • Links: Integrate hyperlinks to facilitate quick navigation to relevant resources.

Style Control Command

Gain complete control over the presentation style of your diagram elements using the style command. Utilize this to:
  • Define Styles: Set uniform styles for elements to maintain a cohesive visual theme.
  • Customize Colors: Choose specific colors for various elements to enhance visual appeal and to create distinct classifications.

Explore these commands to create diagrams that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, tailoring each element to your exact specifications.

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Comments

Simple comment

Everything that starts with simple quote ' is a comment. 

@startuml
'Line comments use a single apostrophe
@enduml

Block comment

Block comment use C-style comments except that instead of * you use an apostrophe ', then you can also put comments on several lines using /' to start and '/ to end. 

@startuml
/'
many lines comments
here
'/
@enduml

[Ref. QA-1353]

Then you can also put block comment on the same line, as:

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
/' case 1 '/   A -> B : AB-First step 
               B -> C : BC-Second step
/' case 2 '/   D -> E : DE-Third step
@enduml

[Ref. QA-3906 and QA-3910]

Full example

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
skinparam activity {
    ' this is a comment
    BackgroundColor White
    BorderColor Black /' this is a comment '/
    BorderColor Red  ' this is not a comment and this line is ignored
}

start
:foo1;
@enduml

[Ref. GH-214]

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Zoom or Scale

You can use the scale command to zoom the generated image.

You can use either a number or a fraction to define the scale factor. You can also specify either width or height (in pixel). And you can also give both width and height: the image is scaled to fit inside the specified dimension.

  • scale 1.5
  • scale 2/3
  • scale 200 width
  • scale 200 height
  • scale 200*100
  • scale max 300*200
  • scale max 1024 width
  • scale max 800 height

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
scale 180*90
Bob->Alice : hello
@enduml

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Title

The title keywords is used to put a title. You can add newline using \n in the title description.

Some skinparam settings are available to put borders on the title.

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
skinparam titleBorderRoundCorner 15
skinparam titleBorderThickness 2
skinparam titleBorderColor red
skinparam titleBackgroundColor Aqua-CadetBlue

title Simple communication\nexample

Alice -> Bob: Authentication Request
Bob --> Alice: Authentication Response

@enduml

You can use creole formatting in the title.

You can also define title on several lines using title and end title keywords.

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml

title
 <u>Simple</u> communication example
 on <i>several</i> lines and using <back:cadetblue>creole tags</back>
end title

Alice -> Bob: Authentication Request
Bob -> Alice: Authentication Response

@enduml

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Caption

There is also a caption keyword to put a caption under the diagram.

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml

caption figure 1
Alice -> Bob: Hello

@enduml

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Footer and header

You can use the commands header or footer to add a footer or a header on any generated diagram.

You can optionally specify if you want a center, left or right footer/header, by adding a keyword.

As with title, it is possible to define a header or a footer on several lines.

It is also possible to put some HTML into the header or footer.

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
Alice -> Bob: Authentication Request

header
<font color=red>Warning:</font>
Do not use in production.
endheader

center footer Generated for demonstration

@enduml

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Legend the diagram

The legend and end legend are keywords is used to put a legend.

You can optionally specify to have left, right, top, bottom or center alignment for the legend.

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
Alice -> Bob : Hello
legend right
  Short
  legend
endlegend
@enduml

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
Alice -> Bob : Hello
legend top left
  Short
  legend
endlegend
@enduml

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Appendix: Examples on all diagram

Activity

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

start
:Hello world;
:This is defined on
several **lines**;
stop

@enduml

Archimate

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

archimate #Technology "VPN Server" as vpnServerA <<technology-device>>

rectangle GO #lightgreen
rectangle STOP #red
rectangle WAIT #orange

@enduml

Class

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a -- b 

@enduml

Component, Deployment, Use-Case

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

node n
(u) -> [c]

@enduml

Gantt project planning

🎉 Copied! 

@startgantt
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend


[t] lasts 5 days

@endgantt

DONE
[(Header, footer) corrected on V1.2020.18]

Object

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

object user {
  name = "Dummy"
  id = 123
}

@enduml

MindMap

🎉 Copied! 

@startmindmap
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endmindmap

Network (nwdiag)

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

nwdiag {
  network inet {
      web01 [shape = cloud]
  }
}

@enduml

Sequence

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a->b
@enduml

State

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

[*] --> State1
State1 -> State2

@enduml

Timing

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

robust "Web Browser" as WB
concise "Web User" as WU

@0
WU is Idle
WB is Idle

@100
WU is Waiting
WB is Processing

@300
WB is Waiting

@enduml

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

🎉 Copied! 

@startwbs
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endwbs

DONE
[Corrected on V1.2020.17]

Wireframe (SALT)

🎉 Copied! 

@startsalt
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

{+
  Login    | "MyName   "
  Password | "****     "
  [Cancel] | [  OK   ]
}
@endsalt

DONE
[Corrected on V1.2020.18]

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Appendix: Examples on all diagram with style

DONE

FYI:
  • all is only good for Sequence diagram
  • title, caption and legend are good for all diagrams except for salt diagram
FIXME
🚩
  • Now (test on 1.2020.18-19) header, footer are not good for all other diagrams except only for Sequence diagram.
To be fix; Thanks

FIXME

Here are tests of title, header, footer, caption or legend on all the diagram with the debug style: 

<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>

Activity

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

start
:Hello world;
:This is defined on
several **lines**;
stop

@enduml

Archimate

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

archimate #Technology "VPN Server" as vpnServerA <<technology-device>>

rectangle GO #lightgreen
rectangle STOP #red
rectangle WAIT #orange

@enduml

Class

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a -- b 

@enduml

Component, Deployment, Use-Case

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

node n
(u) -> [c]

@enduml

Gantt project planning

🎉 Copied! 

@startgantt
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend


[t] lasts 5 days

@endgantt

Object

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

object user {
  name = "Dummy"
  id = 123
}

@enduml

MindMap

🎉 Copied! 

@startmindmap
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endmindmap

Network (nwdiag)

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

nwdiag {
  network inet {
      web01 [shape = cloud]
  }
}

@enduml

Sequence

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a->b
@enduml

State

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

[*] --> State1
State1 -> State2

@enduml

Timing

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

robust "Web Browser" as WB
concise "Web User" as WU

@0
WU is Idle
WB is Idle

@100
WU is Waiting
WB is Processing

@300
WB is Waiting

@enduml

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

🎉 Copied! 

@startwbs
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endwbs

Wireframe (SALT)

FIXME
Fix all (title, caption, legend, header, footer) for salt.
FIXME

🎉 Copied! 

@startsalt
<style>
title {
  HorizontalAlignment right
  FontSize 24
  FontColor blue
}

header {
  HorizontalAlignment center
  FontSize 26
  FontColor purple
}

footer {
  HorizontalAlignment left
  FontSize 28
  FontColor red
}

legend {
  FontSize 30
  BackGroundColor yellow
  Margin 30
  Padding 50
}

caption {
  FontSize 32
}
</style>
@startsalt
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

{+
  Login    | "MyName   "
  Password | "****     "
  [Cancel] | [  OK   ]
}
@endsalt

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Mainframe

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
Alice->Bob : Hello
@enduml

[Ref. QA-4019 and Issue#148]

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Appendix: Examples of Mainframe on all diagram

Activity

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

start
:Hello world;
:This is defined on
several **lines**;
stop
@enduml

Archimate

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

archimate #Technology "VPN Server" as vpnServerA <<technology-device>>
rectangle GO #lightgreen
rectangle STOP #red
rectangle WAIT #orange
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top and on the left
FIXME

Class

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

a -- b 
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top and on the left
FIXME

Component, Deployment, Use-Case

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

node n
(u) -> [c]
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top and on the left
FIXME

Gantt project planning

🎉 Copied! 

@startgantt
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

[t] lasts 5 days
@endgantt

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top and on the left
FIXME

Object

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

object user {
  name = "Dummy"
  id = 123
}
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top!
FIXME

MindMap

🎉 Copied! 

@startmindmap
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

* r
** d1
** d2
@endmindmap

Network (nwdiag)

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

nwdiag {
  network inet {
      web01 [shape = cloud]
  }
}
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top!
FIXME

Sequence

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

a->b
@enduml

State

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

[*] --> State1
State1 -> State2
@enduml

FIXME
🚩 Cropped on the top and on the left
FIXME

Timing

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**

robust "Web Browser" as WB
concise "Web User" as WU
@0
WU is Idle
WB is Idle
@100
WU is Waiting
WB is Processing
@300
WB is Waiting
@enduml

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

🎉 Copied! 

@startwbs
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
* r
** d1
** d2
@endwbs

Wireframe (SALT)

🎉 Copied! 

@startsalt
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
{+
  Login    | "MyName   "
  Password | "****     "
  [Cancel] | [  OK   ]
}
@endsalt

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Appendix: Examples of title, header, footer, caption, legend and mainframe on all diagram

Activity

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

start
:Hello world;
:This is defined on
several **lines**;
stop

@enduml

Archimate

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

archimate #Technology "VPN Server" as vpnServerA <<technology-device>>

rectangle GO #lightgreen
rectangle STOP #red
rectangle WAIT #orange

@enduml

Class

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a -- b 

@enduml

Component, Deployment, Use-Case

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

node n
(u) -> [c]

@enduml

Gantt project planning

🎉 Copied! 

@startgantt
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend


[t] lasts 5 days

@endgantt

Object

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

object user {
  name = "Dummy"
  id = 123
}

@enduml

MindMap

🎉 Copied! 

@startmindmap
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endmindmap

Network (nwdiag)

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

nwdiag {
  network inet {
      web01 [shape = cloud]
  }
}

@enduml

Sequence

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

a->b
@enduml

State

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

[*] --> State1
State1 -> State2

@enduml

Timing

🎉 Copied! 

@startuml
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

robust "Web Browser" as WB
concise "Web User" as WU

@0
WU is Idle
WB is Idle

@100
WU is Waiting
WB is Processing

@300
WB is Waiting

@enduml

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

🎉 Copied! 

@startwbs
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

* r
** d1
** d2

@endwbs

Wireframe (SALT)

🎉 Copied! 

@startsalt
mainframe This is a **mainframe**
header some header

footer some footer

title My title

caption This is caption

legend
The legend
end legend

{+
  Login    | "MyName   "
  Password | "****     "
  [Cancel] | [  OK   ]
}
@endsalt

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