Use creole syntax to style your texts

Creole
Creole is a lightweight common markup language for various wikis. A light-weight Creole engine is integrated in PlantUML to have a standardized way to emit styled text.
All diagrams support this syntax.
Note that compatibility with HTML syntax is preserved.
Emphasized text
@startuml Alice -> Bob : hello --there-- here ... Some ~~long delay~~ ... Bob -> Alice : ok note left This is **bold** This is //italics// This is ""monospaced"" This is --stricken-out-- This is __underlined__ This is ~~wave-underlined~~ end note @enduml
Lists
You can use numbered and bulleted lists in node text, notes, etc.
FIXME
🚩 You cannot quite mix numbers and bullets in a list and its sublist.
@startuml object demo { * Bullet list * Second item } note left * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item end note legend # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item * Can't quite mix * Numbers and bullets # Third item end legend @enduml
Escape character
You can use the tilde ~ to escape special creole characters.
@startuml object demo { This is not ~___underscored__. This is not ~""monospaced"". } @enduml
Horizontal lines
@startuml database DB1 as " You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. Enjoy! " note right This is working also in notes You can also add title in all these lines ==Title== --Another title-- end note @enduml
Headings
@startuml usecase UC1 as " = Extra-large heading Some text == Large heading Other text === Medium heading Information .... ==== Small heading" @enduml
Legacy HTML
You can mix Creole with the following HTML tags:
 for bold text
 or <u:#AAAAAA> or <u:[[color|colorName]]> for underline
 for italic
<s> or <s:#AAAAAA> or <s:[[color|colorName]]> for strike text
<w> or <w:#AAAAAA> or <w:[[color|colorName]]> for wave underline text
<color:#AAAAAA> or <color:[[color|colorName]]>
<back:#AAAAAA> or <back:[[color|colorName]]> for background color
<size:nn> to change font size
<img:file> : the file must be accessible by the filesystem
<img:http://plantuml.com/logo3.png> : the URL must be available from the Internet
@startuml :* You can change <color:red>text color</color> * You can change <back:cadetblue>background color</back> * You can change <size:18>size</size> * You use legacy HTML tag * You use <u:red>color <s:green>in HTML</s> <w:#0000FF>tag</w> ---- * Use image : <img:http://plantuml.com/logo3.png> ; @enduml
Code
You can use <code> to display some programming code in your diagram (sorry, syntax highlighting is not yet supported).
@startuml Alice -> Bob : hello note right <code> main() { printf("Hello world"); } </code> end note @enduml
This is especially useful to illustrate some PlantUML code and the resulting rendering:
@startuml Alice -> Bob : hello note left <code> This is **bold** This is //italics// This is ""monospaced"" This is --stricken-out-- This is __underlined__ This is ~~wave-underlined~~ --test Unicode and icons-- This is <U+221E> long This is a <&code> icon </code> end note note right This is **bold** This is //italics// This is ""monospaced"" This is --stricken-out-- This is __underlined__ This is ~~wave-underlined~~ --test Unicode and icons-- This is <U+221E> long This is a <&code> icon end note @enduml
Table
Create a table
It is possible to build table, with | separator.
@startuml skinparam titleFontSize 14 title Example of simple table |= |= table |= header | | a | table | row | | b | table | row | end title [*] --> State1 @enduml
Add color on rows or cells
You can specify background colors of rows and cells:
@startuml start :Here is the result |= |= table |= header | | a | table | row | |<#FF8080> red |<#80FF80> green |<#8080FF> blue | <#yellow>| b | table | row |; @enduml
Add color on border and text
You can also specify colors of text and borders.
@startuml title <#lightblue,#red>|= Step |= Date |= Name |= Status |= Link | <#lightgreen>| 1.1 | TBD | plantuml news |<#Navy><color:OrangeRed> Unknown | [[https://plantuml.com/news plantuml news]] | end title @enduml
[Ref. QA-7184]
No border or same color as the background
You can also set the border color to the same color as the background.
@startuml node n note right of n <#FBFB77,#FBFB77>|= Husky / Yorkie |= Foo | | SourceTree1 | foo1 | | ST2 | foo2 | end note @enduml
[Ref. QA-12448]
Bold header or not
= as the first char of a cell indicates whether to make it bold (usually used for headers), or not.
@startuml note as deepCSS0 |<#white> Husky / Yorkie | |=<#gainsboro> SourceTree0 | endnote note as deepCSS1 |= <#white> Husky / Yorkie |= Foo | |<#gainsboro><r> SourceTree1 | foo1 | endnote note as deepCSS2 |= Husky / Yorkie | |<#gainsboro> SourceTree2 | endnote note as deepCSS3 <#white>|= Husky / Yorkie |= Foo | |<#gainsboro> SourceTree1 | foo1 | endnote @enduml
[Ref. QA-10923]
Tree
You can use |_ characters to build a tree.
On common commands, like title:
@startuml skinparam titleFontSize 14 title Example of Tree |_ First line |_ **Bom (Model)** |_ prop1 |_ prop2 |_ prop3 |_ Last line end title [*] --> State1 @enduml
On Class diagram.
(Please note how we have to use an empty second compartment, else the parentheses in (Model) cause that text to be moved to a separate first compartment):
@startuml class Foo { **Bar (Model)** |_ prop |_ **Bom (Model)** |_ prop2 |_ prop3 |_ prop3.1 |_ prop4 :( -- } @enduml
[Ref. QA-3448]
On Component or Deployement diagrams:
@startuml [A] as A rectangle "Box B" { component B [ Level 1 |_ Level 2a |_ Level 3a |_ Level 3b |_ Level 3c |_ Level 4a |_ Level 3d |_ Level 2b |_ Level 3e ] } A -> B @enduml
[Ref. QA-11365]
Special characters
It's possible to use any unicode character, either directly or with syntax &#XXX or <U+XXXX>:
@startuml usecase direct as "this is ∞ long" usecase ampHash as "this is also ∞ long" usecase angleBrackets as "this is also <U+221E> long" @enduml
OpenIconic
OpenIconic is a very nice open-source icon set. Those icons are integrated in the creole parser, so you can use them out-of-the-box.
Use the following syntax: <&ICON_NAME>.
@startuml title: <size:20><&heart>Use of OpenIconic<&heart></size> class Wifi note left Click on <&wifi> end note @enduml
The complete list is available at the OpenIconic Website, or you can use the following special command to list them:
@startuml listopeniconic @enduml
Appendix: Examples of "Creole List" on all diagrams
Activity
@startuml start :**test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item; stop @enduml
Class
FIXME
🚩
Sub item
Sub sub item
FIXME
@startuml class a { **test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item } a -- b @enduml
Component, Deployment, Use-Case
@startuml node n [ **test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item ] file f as " **test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item " @enduml
DONE
[Corrected in V1.2020.18]
Gantt project planning
N/A
Object
FIXME
🚩
Sub item
Sub sub item
FIXME
@startuml object user { **test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item } @enduml
MindMap
@startmindmap * root ** d1 **:**test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item; @endmindmap
Network (nwdiag)
N/A
Note
@startuml note as n **test list 1** * Bullet list * Second item ** Sub item *** Sub sub item * Third item ---- **test list 2** # Numbered list # Second item ## Sub item ## Another sub item # Third item end note @enduml
Sequence
N/A (or on note or common commands)
State
N/A (or on note or common commands)
Appendix: Examples of "Creole horizontal lines" on all diagrams
Activity
FIXME
🚩 strong line ____
FIXME
@startuml start :You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. Or dotted title //and title... // ==Title== Or double-line title --Another title-- Or single-line title Enjoy!; stop @enduml
Class
@startuml class a { You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. Or dotted title //and title... // ==Title== Or double-line title --Another title-- Or single-line title Enjoy! } a -- b @enduml
Component, Deployment, Use-Case
@startuml node n [ You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. //and title... // ==Title== --Another title-- Enjoy! ] file f as " You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. //and title... // ==Title== --Another title-- Enjoy! " @enduml
Gantt project planning
N/A
Object
@startuml object user { You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. //and title... // ==Title== --Another title-- Enjoy! } @enduml
DONE
[Corrected on V1.2020.18]
MindMap
FIXME
🚩 strong line ____
FIXME
@startmindmap * root ** d1 **:You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. //and title... // ==Title== --Another title-- Enjoy!; @endmindmap
Network (nwdiag)
N/A
Note
@startuml note as n You can have horizontal line ---- Or double line ==== Or strong line ____ Or dotted line ..My title.. //and title... // ==Title== --Another title-- Enjoy! end note @enduml
Sequence
N/A (or on note or common commands)
State
N/A (or on note or common commands)
Style equivalent (between Creole and HTML)
Style Creole Legacy HTML like
bold This is **bold** This is bold
italics This is //italics// This is italics
monospaced This is ""monospaced"" This is <font:monospaced>monospaced
~~stroked~~ This is --stroked-- This is <s>stroked</s>
underlined This is __underlined__ This is underlined
waved This is ~~waved~~ This is <w>waved</w>
@startmindmap * Style equivalent\n(between Creole and HTML) **:**Creole** ---- <#silver>|= code|= output| | \n This is ""~**bold**""\n | \n This is **bold** | | \n This is ""~//italics//""\n | \n This is //italics// | | \n This is ""~""monospaced~"" ""\n | \n This is ""monospaced"" | | \n This is ""~--stroked--""\n | \n This is --stroked-- | | \n This is ""~__underlined__""\n | \n This is __underlined__ | | \n This is ""<U+007E><U+007E>waved<U+007E><U+007E>""\n | \n This is ~~waved~~ |; **:Legacy HTML like ---- <#silver>|= code|= output| | \n This is ""~bold""\n | \n This is bold | | \n This is ""~italics""\n | \n This is italics | | \n This is ""~<font:monospaced>monospaced""\n | \n This is <font:monospaced>monospaced | | \n This is ""~<s>stroked</s>""\n | \n This is <s>stroked</s> | | \n This is ""~underlined""\n | \n This is underlined | | \n This is ""~<w>waved</w>""\n | \n This is <w>waved</w> | And color as a bonus... <#silver>|= code|= output| | \n This is ""~<s:""<color:green>""green""</color>"">stroked</s>""\n | \n This is <s:green>stroked</s> | | \n This is ""~<u:""<color:red>""red""</color>"">underlined""\n | \n This is <u:red>underlined | | \n This is ""~<w:""<color:#0000FF>""#0000FF""</color>"">waved</w>""\n | \n This is <w:#0000FF>waved</w> |; @endmindmap
Emphasized text
Lists
Escape character
Horizontal lines
Headings
Legacy HTML
Code
Table
Tree
Special characters
OpenIconic
Appendix: Examples of "Creole List" on all diagrams
Appendix: Examples of "Creole horizontal lines" on all diagrams
Style equivalent (between Creole and HTML)