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I love this tool! I've used it to do diagrams for Mapless: https://sebastianconcept.github.io/Mapless/guides/2024/01/28/observer-pattern.html https://sebastia

I love this tool! I've used it to do diagrams for Mapless: https://sebastianconcept.github.io/Mapless/guides/2024/01/28/observer-pattern.html https://sebastianconcept.github.io/Mapless/guides/2024/01/28... And to document this Pharo VM Plugin builder setup: https://github.com/sebastianconcept/PharoPluginBuilder https://github.com/sebastianconcept/PharoPluginBuilder

James_K 3y ago
So you used an ASCII drawing tool to draw these diagrams in text then took a screenshot of them and uploaded to your website? That seems like such a convoluted way to draw a few rectangles. Isn't there an easier way?
- k12sosse 3y ago
  Think different.
- mjochim 3y ago
  Doesn't seem more convoluted than any other drawing tool to me. The UI of Monodraw appears to be pretty similar to "regular" drawing software.
- subjectsigma 3y ago
  1. You can just “Save as” to PNG, it takes no time or effort. 2. I use to use Monodraw exclusively for making diagrams in source code, but over time I’ve become so comfortable with the tool, keyboard shortcuts, etc. that now I just use it for all diagrams. It’s a very nice tool.
  - James_K 3y ago
    If you feel the need to embed giant ASCII diagrams into a source file, I think you should just use a picture. Like a .png or .svg or something and write the documentation in another file. Or even maybe try out rich text source code.
    - aidenn0 3y ago
      Please don't do things like this that make it harder for people to read your comments.
      - James_K 3y ago
        Writing documentation is typically an addition to writing comments. They serve different purposes. That said, adding a diagram to a comment will only make it easier to read. It is an addition. It cannot make things harder.
        zelphirkalt 3y ago
        If only it were true, that additions cannot nake things harder to read.
        James_K 3y ago
        In this case, it is absolutely true. It is the difference between: // some comment and // some comment // additionally see ./diagram.png Diagrams are often useful tools for communicating information.
        aidenn0 3y ago
        That's not the difference I'm talking about; I'm talking about the difference between // some comment // ... 25 lines of a diagram and // some comment // additionally see ./diagram.png
    - misnome 3y ago
      Thanks! I’m sure they never thought of that! Or maybe they did, and there are advantages and tradeoffs to any approach. I’m sure your unique insight must be right, though.
      - James_K 3y ago
- Terretta 3y ago
  At least for the README, the diagram remains text in three backticks.
- sebastianconcpt 3y ago
  In the second link, about the Smalltalk VM plugin, you can see is pre-formatted text in markdown. In the Mapless guide, when I've kept it as text (as the first preferred way to have it done) it became challenging to make it work for all screen sizes and an image was the "good enough" approach for the case.
lsllc 3y ago
Love this too -- I use this to document source code, being able to visualize a buffer or structure layout in the code is so nice!

James_K 3y ago

So you used an ASCII drawing tool to draw these diagrams in text then took a screenshot of them and uploaded to your website? That seems like such a convoluted way to draw a few rectangles. Isn't there an easier way?

k12sosse 3y ago
Think different.
mjochim 3y ago
Doesn't seem more convoluted than any other drawing tool to me. The UI of Monodraw appears to be pretty similar to "regular" drawing software.
subjectsigma 3y ago
1. You can just “Save as” to PNG, it takes no time or effort. 2. I use to use Monodraw exclusively for making diagrams in source code, but over time I’ve become so comfortable with the tool, keyboard shortcuts, etc. that now I just use it for all diagrams. It’s a very nice tool.
- James_K 3y ago
  If you feel the need to embed giant ASCII diagrams into a source file, I think you should just use a picture. Like a .png or .svg or something and write the documentation in another file. Or even maybe try out rich text source code.
  - aidenn0 3y ago
    Please don't do things like this that make it harder for people to read your comments.
    - James_K 3y ago
      Writing documentation is typically an addition to writing comments. They serve different purposes. That said, adding a diagram to a comment will only make it easier to read. It is an addition. It cannot make things harder.
      - zelphirkalt 3y ago
        If only it were true, that additions cannot nake things harder to read.
        James_K 3y ago
        In this case, it is absolutely true. It is the difference between: // some comment and // some comment // additionally see ./diagram.png Diagrams are often useful tools for communicating information.
        aidenn0 3y ago
        That's not the difference I'm talking about; I'm talking about the difference between // some comment // ... 25 lines of a diagram and // some comment // additionally see ./diagram.png
  - misnome 3y ago
    Thanks! I’m sure they never thought of that! Or maybe they did, and there are advantages and tradeoffs to any approach. I’m sure your unique insight must be right, though.
    - James_K 3y ago
Terretta 3y ago
At least for the README, the diagram remains text in three backticks.
sebastianconcpt 3y ago
In the second link, about the Smalltalk VM plugin, you can see is pre-formatted text in markdown. In the Mapless guide, when I've kept it as text (as the first preferred way to have it done) it became challenging to make it work for all screen sizes and an image was the "good enough" approach for the case.

lsllc 3y ago

Love this too -- I use this to document source code, being able to visualize a buffer or structure layout in the code is so nice!