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Graphviz

Graphviz is open source graph visualization software. It has several main graph layout programs.

Graphviz

Graphviz Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether Graphviz is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • Graphviz Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-18

Features & Specs

  1. Automated Layout

    Graphviz uses sophisticated algorithms to automatically produce visually appealing layouts for graphs, reducing the need for manual adjustments and saving time.

  2. Customization

    Offers a range of customization options, allowing users to tweak the appearance of nodes, edges, labels, and overall graph style.

  3. Versatility

    Supports multiple output formats including SVG, PNG, PDF, and PostScript, making it easy to integrate graphs into various types of documents and applications.

  4. Integrations

    Graphviz can be integrated with multiple programming languages and platforms, such as Python, Perl, and web applications, increasing its usability across different environments.

  5. Open Source

    Being open-source software, Graphviz is free to use, modify, and distribute, which makes it accessible for both personal and commercial projects.

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Videos

Graphviz - Make Diagrams - Ubuntu 10.10

Use Soot and Graphviz to Generate and Visualize Java Call Graphs

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about Graphviz and what they use it for.
  • Ask HN: What do you use to create diagrams?
    Depends on the diagram. But a lot of times it's OpenOffice Draw[1]. I might also use Archi[2] or GraphViz[3] depending on what I'm trying to do. [1]: https://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html [2]: https://www.archimatetool.com/ [3]: https://graphviz.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Fixing Left and Mutual Recursions in Grammars
    Isn't Graphviz [1] the standard tool for this? [1] https://graphviz.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • ClickHouse: The Key to Faster Insights
    EXPLAIN AST: With this clause, we can explore the Abstract Syntax Tree, we can also visualize this via Graphviz. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Blockdiag โ€“ simple diagram images generator โ€“ blockdiag 1.0 documentation
    While inactive blockdiag was small and nice for automatically annotating documentation. As you can see it hasn't been maintained for a few years. https://github.com/blockdiag/blockdiag With complex diagrams, I find good old PlantUML diagrams more useful if not as initially pretty as mermaid. Plus it will output archimate without having to touch that UI https://plantuml.com/ But really it is horses for courses.... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Introduction to Haskell Diagrams
    Use a high-level language like Plant UML, D2, Graphviz which are good for the purpose they are designed for, but not for generic purpose diagramming. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • 9 tools, libraries and extensions our developer can't live without (and why)
    โ€Graphviz is a graph visualization tool - useful for visualizing things such as flow charts. You write out the graph in a special language called the "DOT language" where you specify what's in the graph, and graphviz handles all of the layout / visualization for you. It is insanely easy to programmatically create directed graphs and I use it when debugging complex state machines. I have a CLI shortcut to render... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Guidelines for making clear architecture diagrams
    Conventions exist but they're mostly crap. Along the KISS principle, boxed elements with connecting nodes are the best (most universally understood). In mathematical terms, this is an 'undirected graph', a 'directed graph' is the same but with directionality on the links between nodes. The standard toolkit for defining these in software is https://graphviz.org/ If you need to show the interaction between elements... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Should I Open Source my Company?
    Thoughtful post, thanks. However, this tripped me up: "our GPU graph viz server" -- I couldn't understand how you a) scale graphviz[1] on a GPU and b) make money hosting graphviz. Quick read of your web site cleared that up :) [1] https://graphviz.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Trippy 0.9.0 Release
    Tracing flows: breakdown complex UDP/TCP ECMP traces into individual flows (i.e. Common network path); render a chart of flows in GraphViz DOT format (example). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Calculate the difference and intersection of any two regexes
    It has the look of graphviz about it, which is an excellent tool. Often helpful in debugging anything related to graphs. https://graphviz.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • What are some tools to help in visualizing concepts
    If you are talking about making visualisations for other people it would depend if you want to make them interactive, static, or a mix of the two. Iโ€™m not really sure what to recommend given I donโ€™t know - but here are a few places to start: - Python tutor - manim - processing - graphviz - simple but good - draw.io. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Good graphic FlowChart drawing tool ?
    It sounds like you're looking for a web-hosted tool - if you're interested in self-hosted text-based tools, graphviz can make flowcharts, and if integration with LaTeX is desirable, so can TikZ. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Writing software with seamless diagramming?
    This makes me think of GraphViz (generates graphs form textual instructions) perhaps with support from Emacs and org-mode (web search for "Emacs org-mode graphviz", you'll find other integrations for other specific use-cases). But you would need to switch to Emacs (and use org-mode), which is I guess quite disruptive in itself. Source: about 3 years ago
  • The Factions of Doskvol, Visualized
    Visualization was made by me using GraphVIZ, and rendered using dot. You can see the source here, and you can mess around with it by plugging the source into this handy website. You can remove factions you don't care about, or update to fit the fiction in your game.. Source: about 3 years ago
  • SVG graph of resource dependencies
    I used GraphViz to draw a graph showing how to find or create each resource. The image below is a PNG thumbnail. Click through to my blog post for the full SVG version (which you can 'find in page' on), and the image's .dot source. Source: over 3 years ago
  • UML representation of the whole flutter framework?
    Graphviz the tool for drawing class relationships. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Dependecy graph
    If you just need to display a graph, how about using graphviz? Source: over 3 years ago
  • What are some apps/websites that I can use to make a taxonomical tree (tree of life)?
    Graphviz (graphviz.org) is a nice, free general purpose graphics program that will do auto-layout . Source: over 3 years ago
  • Is there any software where I can make flowcharts which looks like this easily?
    Https://graphviz.org/ Or on the command line 'dot'. Programmatically create charts. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Ain't It Funny How the Knight Moves?
    I wrote a ruby script to map out the graph and fed it into graphviz to make the image. https://graphviz.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Stockfish's search tree trying to find a mate in 2 visualized
    Using Graphviz to display the search tree of Stockfish in this position: r1b1r1k1/p5pp/2p3q1/2pP1p2/5Bn1/1PNB1K2/P1PQ1PP1/R4R2 b - - 0 1. Source: over 3 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of Graphviz

Graphviz, renowned for its capabilities in graph visualization, continues to garner significant interest and utilitarian value within the software industry. As a tool designed to translate structural information into visual diagrams, it falls under the broad categories of diagrams, flowcharts, wireframing, and diagramming tools. It shares this space with other popular tools such as draw.io, PlantUML, yEd, Dia, LucidChart, UMLGraph, and OmniGraffle.

A recent article titled "Top 7 diagrams as code tools for software architecture" highlights Graphviz as a premier choice for representing intricate architectural information visually. The uniqueness of Graphviz lies in its ability to render complex diagrams programmatically using the DOT languageโ€”a specialized graph description language. This feature alone makes it a preferred tool for software developers and architects aiming for precision and clarity in conveying complex processes.

User discussions across various technical forums provide insights into the public sentiment surrounding Graphviz. Many developers employ it for specific tasks, such as visualizing abstract syntax trees in databases like ClickHouse, creating network topology maps for datacenters, debugging state machines, and constructing complex dependency graphs. Furthermore, it's praised in technical discussions for its ease of use, especially when dealing with systems that require a textual description of graphs that are later converted into graphical representations.

Though powerful, Graphviz is not without perceived limitations. It is often categorized as not ideal for generic-purpose diagramming and is compared to other tools like PlantUML and yEd, which may offer more versatility for day-to-day visualizations. Nevertheless, for tasks requiring graphs with defined structures and relationships, Graphviz is seen as the "standard tool," as evidenced by its frequent mention in the context of software architecture and complex systems design.

Users appreciate the tool for its capacity to streamline workflow processes, facilitate better debugging, and ultimately save developers timeโ€”especially in environments where clarity and efficiency are paramount. Additionally, the capability to integrate Graphviz with other platforms and programming environments, like Emacs with org-mode, further extends its utility and adaptability in bespoke software development scenarios.

The notion of using Graphviz for creating flow charts, UML diagrams, and even visualizations of game scenarios and search trees within strategic applications, like Chess, highlights its flexibility and broad application range. Enthusiasts working on creative projects also find Graphviz beneficial due to its support for auto-layout features, making it a "nice, free general-purpose graphics program" in the public eye.

Overall, Graphviz is perceived as a stalwart in the realm of technical diagramming, primarily serving those who thrive on its programmatic approach and robust graph rendering capabilities, while being complemented by more UI-focused alternatives for other simpler or more stylistic diagramming needs.

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Is Graphviz good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss Graphviz here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.