5 ms·

Show HN: Ilograph – interactive architecture diagrams as code

92 points by Veuxdo 7y ago

ilograph_nt_fnd 7y ago
https://ilograph.com https://ilograph.com appears to go nowhere
faizshah 7y ago
Awesome project! Perhaps a future version could include Google Cloud style diagrams and icons: https://cloud.google.com/icons/ https://cloud.google.com/icons/
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Thanks! Icon support is something I've been thinking about forever... Now could actually be a good time since the app functionality is settling. Thanks for the feedback.
utopian3 7y ago
Hi veuxdo, this is a really cool project! Do you have an open source project for the code? Curious what you built this with and whether I can contribute to the code..
csunbird 7y ago
From the terms of service at: https://www.ilograph.com/terms_and_conditions.html https://www.ilograph.com/terms_and_conditions.html >Communications >By creating an Account on our service, you agree to subscribe to newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information we may send. However, you may opt out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from us by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email we send.
- takumo 7y ago
  Thanks for the heads up, shame I missed that! It definitely doesn't sound very GDPR compliant. It’s dated before GDPR so clearly needs an update.
  - Veuxdo 7y ago
    Yeah, good point. Thanks for the reminder.
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Fixed this, thanks for the heads up!
maxehmookau 7y ago
I had a good play with this a few months back. Really really impressive tool!
davedx 7y ago
Really nice idea, and when I worked as an architect I often wished for something like this. :) Some feedback: - Only show the top level information for each block by default. So the front page of the example would have the "Lambda" block, but it would be empty until you click on it to drill into it. Otherwise it gets cluttered fast. I've seen some architecture diagrams that attempt to fit every single sub-sub-component into one "master" diagram, and it creates huge information overload. - (This is more about the example than the UX, I think...) When drilling into it, as opposed to having source code functions or resources, it would be nice to see actual architectural components (like functional units of systems). I love how it shows dependencies. Great work!
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Hey, thanks for this feedback. Does lowering the detail (using the control in the top-right) achieve a result like the one you describe, or would you like to see something even simpler (by default)?
  - davedx 7y ago
    Aha I completely missed that control. That's much better. I think for me it might be nice to have that as the default, because of the whole information overload thing. Great work!
loginx 7y ago
I love it, excellent work! One thing I noticed is when signing up with github, it requires read/write access to all repos. Does it write anything, or is that just the only access control github provides through the API?
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Hi. Yep, it will write your Ilograph file when you save, certainly. It doesn't create other random files or anything like that, though.
wiradikusuma 7y ago
Very cool! A bit disorienting due to information paralysis, but maybe if I'm the person creating it, or have already used to it, it will be ok. Suggestion: Don't overuse elevation (material design card). Actually, maybe you can remove the shadows and use standard diagram elements that Visio uses, and/or XKCD style.
- faizshah 7y ago
  I think if they add some color coding to the resource groups in the diagram like google cloud style infrastructure diagrams it would make the diagrams much more readable and approachable.
  - Veuxdo 7y ago
    Yeah, you both are right. This is on me... the tool allows you to customize the style (flat, dashed borders, background colors, etc.) but I never got around to using these in this diagram. I'll try to update today :)
maxpanas 7y ago
Really awesome project! The walkthrough was extremely well put together. This should be used for software architecture presentations and webinars - really helps showcase how everything fits together while minimising the overload of information. Well done! For projects, like any documentation, the only problem with anything like this is how much effort does it take for the diagram to stay up-to-date and relevant in a project with ongoing development.
brudgers 7y ago
Discussions with comments in the last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20390560 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20390560 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19104734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19104734
afandian 7y ago
This is exactly what I'm looking for ... but as an open source tool. I'm currently doing something quite hacky with Hugo, Graphviz and some Python. I don't begrudge a hosted or commercial product, but does anyone know of related open source projects?

92 points by Veuxdo 7y ago

https://ilograph.com https://ilograph.com appears to go nowhere

Awesome project! Perhaps a future version could include Google Cloud style diagrams and icons: https://cloud.google.com/icons/ https://cloud.google.com/icons/

Veuxdo 7y ago
Thanks! Icon support is something I've been thinking about forever... Now could actually be a good time since the app functionality is settling. Thanks for the feedback.

utopian3 7y ago

Hi veuxdo, this is a really cool project! Do you have an open source project for the code? Curious what you built this with and whether I can contribute to the code..

csunbird 7y ago

From the terms of service at: https://www.ilograph.com/terms_and_conditions.html https://www.ilograph.com/terms_and_conditions.html >Communications >By creating an Account on our service, you agree to subscribe to newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information we may send. However, you may opt out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from us by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email we send.

takumo 7y ago
Thanks for the heads up, shame I missed that! It definitely doesn't sound very GDPR compliant. It’s dated before GDPR so clearly needs an update.
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Yeah, good point. Thanks for the reminder.
Veuxdo 7y ago
Fixed this, thanks for the heads up!

maxehmookau 7y ago

I had a good play with this a few months back. Really really impressive tool!

davedx 7y ago

Really nice idea, and when I worked as an architect I often wished for something like this. :) Some feedback: - Only show the top level information for each block by default. So the front page of the example would have the "Lambda" block, but it would be empty until you click on it to drill into it. Otherwise it gets cluttered fast. I've seen some architecture diagrams that attempt to fit every single sub-sub-component into one "master" diagram, and it creates huge information overload. - (This is more about the example than the UX, I think...) When drilling into it, as opposed to having source code functions or resources, it would be nice to see actual architectural components (like functional units of systems). I love how it shows dependencies. Great work!

Veuxdo 7y ago
Hey, thanks for this feedback. Does lowering the detail (using the control in the top-right) achieve a result like the one you describe, or would you like to see something even simpler (by default)?
- davedx 7y ago
  Aha I completely missed that control. That's much better. I think for me it might be nice to have that as the default, because of the whole information overload thing. Great work!

loginx 7y ago

I love it, excellent work! One thing I noticed is when signing up with github, it requires read/write access to all repos. Does it write anything, or is that just the only access control github provides through the API?

Veuxdo 7y ago
Hi. Yep, it will write your Ilograph file when you save, certainly. It doesn't create other random files or anything like that, though.

wiradikusuma 7y ago

Very cool! A bit disorienting due to information paralysis, but maybe if I'm the person creating it, or have already used to it, it will be ok. Suggestion: Don't overuse elevation (material design card). Actually, maybe you can remove the shadows and use standard diagram elements that Visio uses, and/or XKCD style.

faizshah 7y ago
I think if they add some color coding to the resource groups in the diagram like google cloud style infrastructure diagrams it would make the diagrams much more readable and approachable.
- Veuxdo 7y ago
  Yeah, you both are right. This is on me... the tool allows you to customize the style (flat, dashed borders, background colors, etc.) but I never got around to using these in this diagram. I'll try to update today :)

maxpanas 7y ago

Really awesome project! The walkthrough was extremely well put together. This should be used for software architecture presentations and webinars - really helps showcase how everything fits together while minimising the overload of information. Well done! For projects, like any documentation, the only problem with anything like this is how much effort does it take for the diagram to stay up-to-date and relevant in a project with ongoing development.

brudgers 7y ago

Discussions with comments in the last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20390560 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20390560 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19104734 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19104734

afandian 7y ago

This is exactly what I'm looking for ... but as an open source tool. I'm currently doing something quite hacky with Hugo, Graphviz and some Python. I don't begrudge a hosted or commercial product, but does anyone know of related open source projects?