Architecture + Code

Architecture diagram with code

Define your architecture diagrams in code. Mermaid & PlantUML syntax, AI generation from descriptions, version-controlled in Git, reviewable in pull requests.

Example: Mermaid architecture diagram

graph TB
  subgraph "Frontend"
    WEB[Web App<br/>React + Next.js]
    MOBILE[Mobile App<br/>React Native]
  end

  subgraph "Backend Services"
    API[API Gateway<br/>Express.js]
    AUTH[Auth Service<br/>JWT + OAuth]
    ORDERS[Order Service<br/>Node.js]
    NOTIFY[Notification Service<br/>Node.js]
  end

  subgraph "Data Layer"
    DB[(PostgreSQL)]
    CACHE[(Redis)]
    QUEUE[Message Queue<br/>RabbitMQ]
  end

  WEB --> API
  MOBILE --> API
  API --> AUTH
  API --> ORDERS
  ORDERS --> DB
  ORDERS --> CACHE
  ORDERS --> QUEUE
  QUEUE --> NOTIFY

Paste into Cybewave or let AI generate it from a system description.

Benefits of code-based architecture diagrams

Git-native

Store diagram source alongside your code. Same repo, same branch, same history.

PR-reviewable

Architecture changes show up as text diffs in pull requests. Review structure alongside code.

AI-generatable

Describe your system in English and get structured Mermaid or PlantUML code.

CI-renderable

Automatically render diagrams in your pipeline. Always up-to-date documentation.

Consistent notation

Standard syntax ensures consistent diagrams across teams and projects.

Multi-format export

Export as SVG, PNG, or source code. Embed in docs, wikis, or presentations.

How it works

From code to visual diagram in three seamless steps—no context switching required.

1

Write Mermaid or PlantUML alongside code

Add diagram source files directly into your project directory. Place them next to the services, modules, or components they describe. Use the same IDE, the same Git workflow, and the same review process you already have—diagrams become part of the codebase, not an afterthought.

2

AI renders to visual diagrams

Cybewave's AI assistant interprets your diagram code and renders clear, professional visuals instantly. Get immediate feedback on layout, connections, and structure. The AI can also suggest improvements to your diagram syntax, catching errors before they reach your repository.

3

Diagrams update as code changes

When your architecture evolves, update the diagram file alongside the code change in the same commit. Pull requests show both the code diff and the diagram diff, so reviewers see the full picture. No more hunting for an outdated Confluence diagram after a refactor.

Use cases

Diagram-as-code fits naturally into the workflows teams already use every day.

Monorepo architecture documentation

Map service boundaries, shared libraries, and internal APIs across a monorepo. Each package or service owns its own diagram file, giving teams a clear picture of dependencies without leaving the repository.

Service-level README diagrams

Embed architecture diagrams directly in service README files. New team members see the system context, data flows, and integration points the moment they open the repository—no wiki hunting required.

API documentation with flow diagrams

Augment OpenAPI specs with sequence diagrams showing real request flows. Document authentication handshakes, webhook callbacks, and multi-service orchestrations visually alongside your API definitions.

Database schema visualization in repo

Keep entity-relationship diagrams next to your migration files. When a migration adds a table or column, the diagram updates in the same commit, ensuring schema documentation never drifts from reality.

Deployment architecture in IaC repos

Pair Terraform or Pulumi code with infrastructure diagrams that show VPCs, load balancers, and service topology. Reviewers see the visual impact of infrastructure changes during code review.

Component library architecture

Document component hierarchies, data flow patterns, and state management in your design system repo. Diagrams help frontend teams understand how components compose and communicate at a glance.

Why diagrams alongside code matter

Diagrams that live in the codebase are owned by the team that writes the code—and that's exactly why they stay accurate. When documentation lives in a separate tool, updating it requires a context switch that most developers skip under deadline pressure. But when the diagram file sits right next to the service it describes, updating it is as natural as updating a test or a README.

The diagram-as-code approach also unlocks collaboration patterns that image-based tools can't match. Multiple developers can edit a diagram simultaneously on different branches and merge their changes with standard Git conflict resolution. Code review applies to diagrams just as it applies to application logic—every structural change gets a second pair of eyes before it reaches the main branch.

Perhaps most importantly, colocated diagrams create a culture of architectural awareness. When every developer can see, edit, and propose changes to architecture diagrams without leaving their IDE, the barrier to participation drops to nearly zero. Architecture stops being the domain of a few senior engineers and becomes a shared responsibility across the team.

Create architecture diagrams with code

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