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:
<b> for bold text
<u> or <u:#AAAAAA> or <u:[[color|colorName]]> for underline
<i> 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 <u>legacy</u> <b>HTML <i>tag</i></b>
* You use <u:red>color</u> <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
@startuml
title
<#lightblue,#red>|= Step |= Date |= Name |= Status |= Link |
<#lightgreen>| 1.1 | TBD | plantuml news |<#Navy><color:OrangeRed><b> Unknown | [[https://plantuml.com/news plantuml news]] |
end title
@enduml
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):
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
@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
@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 <b>bold</b>
italics
This is //italics//
This is <i>italics</i>
monospaced
This is ""monospaced""
This is <font:monospaced>monospaced</font>
stroked
This is --stroked--
This is <s>stroked</s>
underlined
This is __underlined__
This is <u>underlined</u>
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~~ |;
**:<b>Legacy HTML like
----
<#silver>|= code|= output|
| \n This is ""~<b>bold</b>""\n | \n This is <b>bold</b> |
| \n This is ""~<i>italics</i>""\n | \n This is <i>italics</i> |
| \n This is ""~<font:monospaced>monospaced</font>""\n | \n This is <font:monospaced>monospaced</font> |
| \n This is ""~<s>stroked</s>""\n | \n This is <s>stroked</s> |
| \n This is ""~<u>underlined</u>""\n | \n This is <u>underlined</u> |
| \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</u>""\n | \n This is <u:red>underlined</u> |
| \n This is ""~<w:""<color:#0000FF>""#0000FF""</color>"">waved</w>""\n | \n This is <w:#0000FF>waved</w> |;
@endmindmap